This may not be why I'm fat, but it can't be helping

I came across this great graphic on Consumerist. It originally appeared in an article, Health vs. Pork on Good Medicine.

I couldn't have summarized this graphic better than the President's Cancer Panel:  

"[C]urrent agricultural and public health policy is not coordinated—we heavily subsidize the growth of foods (e.g., corn, soy) that in their processed forms (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated corn and soybean oils, grain-fed cattle) are known contributors to obesity and associated chronic diseases..."

I'm sure many of you have read, or are familiar with, the work of Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle and other advocates for change in our nation's food policy. I have nothing smart to add to the debate, but wanted to post something here...I don't know, to show I am aware of how messed up the situation is.

It's better (for me) to take a few steps back and adhere to Pollan's wise mantra to Eat [real] Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. I'm not a vegetarian, but I do try to find humanely raised animal products, like grass-fed, antibiotic-free meat and hormone-free, free-range poultry. Usually this means finding small farmers at the Greenmarkets here in NYC. 

When you factor in corporations ("Big Food"), I completely lose any ability to articulate my anger. Even as the bulk of farm subsidies goes to growers of corn and soy, the cost of those crops are skyrocketing due to the virtual monopoly of genetically-modified patented seed from Monsanto. In New Zealand, Weight Watchers has teamed up with McDonald's to offer a few menu items coming in at under 6 trademarked WW Points. Pepsi is funding a research chair at Yale's Medical School. How long until a Yale researcher publishes an article touting the health benefits of a daily Pepsi (perhaps infused with Vitamin D or the antioxidant du jour) and some Frito-Lay (another healthy Pepsi brand) snack "made with whole grains!"?

See, this is where I get crazy. I know Farm Subsidies and Big Food didn't make me fat, but they sure as hell didn't help! I try to eat clean, whole/real foods. But I'm human, too. I like the occasional Cheeto! (Just one, of course.) I just wish processed food didn't take up 90% of the average grocery store. And that it offered honest labeling - no flimsy health claims, honest nutritional information (make the label state the contents of the entire package, not "about 14 cheetos")...but that's a whole other topic.