OPINION:
Our society is unfortunately clueless about our food supply chains, including crop production by U.S. farmers and where that food goes.
I have long advocated for deregulating food suppliers so that local farmers can directly contact school districts. Voters are unaware that the healthiest foods produced in America are being shipped overseas. In contrast, food imports are treated with pesticides that are banned in America. Additionally, food companies have persuaded the Department Agriculture to accept processed foods in our public schools. Even the Defense Department recently reported frustrations over replacing healthy foods with processed foods on military bases.
The MAHA movement is providing transparency into a previously closed industry controlled by food and soft-drink companies that have had every chance to provide healthy options in our schools but have failed. I often face the dilemma of students attending my nutrition classes intending to make healthy choices — only to express frustration and confusion because the only options given to them are unhealthy ones. The current mode of public confusion is PTA: price (the government message that healthy foods are more expensive), timing (the false message that preparing heathy foods takes too much time) and addictions (a significant reason people have trouble changing foods is due to addictions to sugary, starchy, and/or high-sodium products).
The typical reaction from my students during the withdrawal phase (that is, getting used to reduced artificial additives)is migraine, which they experience for at least five days, and food cravings caused by sugars and salts. The Make America Healthy Again movement has an excellent opportunity to reestablish the proper public messaging and unification of many grassroots groups to provide public officials the political will and parents the tools to hold public officials accountable where our children’s nutrition is concerned.
GREG RALEIGH
Washington
Please read our comment policy before commenting.