I have no idea how to change access to quality food in our communities.
I do know that it is important for my DW and I to make good choices for our body types. Our first priority is to act locally, and protect our own health.
We don't want to proselytize but if anyone is interested, we are happy to help. We may drop a hint and if it leads nowhere, we drop it.
The problem as I see it is corporate farming. A corporation has only one goal, to make money. That's it's primary function. It can do that by cutting operating costs and increasing yield. None of this is mutually inclusive with nutrition and sadly a lot of it is mutually exclusive with nutrition.
How does a community compete with corporate advertisements for frosted sugar bomb type cereals, toaster pastries, chips, fructose infused drinks, and tons of other high profit junk foods. I haven't watched TV since 1989 but I suspect the ads are all over the airwaves.
Walking through the interior aisles of a grocery store is like walking in toy store. Primary colors, cartoon characters, and all kinds of attractions jumping off the shelves for frankenfoods.
In the checkout line I see obese people with carts full of things that do nothing but add fat to their bodies. I feel sorry for them, because without your health, you have nothing, and all that extra fat will most likely take its toll on their bodies and it will probably be too late to completely un-do it.
I play music for retirement communities, yacht clubs, country clubs and other adult venues to make a living. It's a huge market in Florida. I see people who can't get out of their chairs to dance. I talk to 300 pounders telling me about their hip or knee replacements.
We go back again and again so we know many of the people. They tell us their sorrows and their joys. Much of our audience is like our extended family.
Have a friend/fan who got cancer 5 or so years ago. We felt we could tell him about the sugar connection. You know the first thing to say, "When they want to find out where the cancer is, what do they do? Inject some sugar that has a tracer added, and where does it go? Straight for the cancer."
We've been playing at a marina for 12 years, one day a week, at lunch time. They sit up front, and after their lunch husband and wife have huge sugar laden desserts. I said something once, I won't nag. After clearing the cancer up years ago, it's back, all over his body, and it's stage 4. They are such nice people, it brings a tear to my eye knowing I'm going to lose them.
Is a piece of pecan pie or a huge slab of chocolate cake worth that?
And to get back on track. The children and grandchildren often come to visit the grandparents here in Florida and the children are more often than not obese. Or you will see fat parents with skinny kids and you know those kids are headed in the same direction. Now matter how hard we try to teach our children better, they often turn out just like their parents. You have to set an example.
You have to not only set an example but also uuse positive reinforcement to get them to do what you want them to do. It's important to start that when they are very young and like a puppy, want to please you. You have to let them know how, praise them, and keep that up through adulthood. Save the punishment and negative reinforcements for important things.
Sorry, I'm on a rant.
Take care of yourselves, and try to get your loved ones to do the same.
We only have one vehicle to take us through life. If it breaks, the repairs are never as good, and there will come a time when it cannot be repaired. The proverbial ounce of prevention is the best way to take care of that vehicle so it will serve you well until the end.
Bob
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