The saying ‘you are what you eat’, suddenly doesn’t sound as appealing when you think of all the junk food being consumed on a daily base. On the other hand, it does explain the level of health we see in many people today. In the United States especially, the statistics are extremely worrying when it comes to the percentage of people who are obese and morbidly obese.

Two-thirds of all Americans are overweight, one in every three people nowadays is considered to be obese and one in every twenty people is considered as morbidly obese.  These high numbers are accompanied by quite some health issues, with some that can even lead to death.

Here is a list of just a few of the health issues we know can be caused by being overweight:

– type 2 diabetes
– heart disease
– high blood pressure
– nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (excess fat and inflammation in the liver of people who
drink little or no alcohol) – osteoarthritis (a health problem causing pain, swelling, and stiffness in one or more joints)
– some types of cancer: breast, colon, endometrial (related to the uterine lining), and kidney
– strokes

What is leading to these extreme numbers and why isn’t the government doing anything against it?

To make matters even worse, there has been shown a significant link between the subsidy behavior of the government and obesity.

Since the late 70’s the government started subsidizing heavily in seven crops and farm foods. These seven products are: corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, milk and meat.
These products are being used and combined to make junk food which can be offered at such low cost due to the financial aid of the government.

It is quite remarkable to see the chart of the weight gain statistics from the moment the government started funding the food industries.

Less than 50% of the people were seen as overweight before the governmental money flow. Yet when this started at the same time the line started climbing up the chart. Besides subsidizing those seven crops and farm foods, GMO‘s were also approved in 1988. This combination seems to have resulted in mass overweight.

Extreme obesity – Top
Obesity – Middle
Overweight  – Bottom

People don’t have any idea what they put in their bodies anymore. Many do not even bother reading the list of ingredients at the back of a product. Even if they do read the back and come across a whole list of nearly unpronounceable words, they still tend to buy it. It is almost like people do not care anymore.  As long as it tastes good and is cheap, it will be consumed.

Between 1995 and 2010, $170 Billion was used for subsidizing the agricultural products.

And it must be said, these foods are initially not unhealthy but they are being modified in such ways that the original products are hardly recognizable; corn sweeteners, industrial oils, processed meats and refined carbohydrates. All cheap products and not good for our health.

It is stated by the health advocates that half the amount we eat should consist out of fruits and vegetables.  Yet only 14% of the subsidized amount goes to fresh produce farms. Something doesn’t add up.

“Taxpayers are paying for the privilege of making our country sick.”

Of course, in the end, the people themselves choose to eat the unhealthy products. But a lot can be said about the way several products are being promoted. Governmental subsidizing can’t be pointed out a direct result in obesity. But it most definitely seems to be linked.

Why do you think these products get so much help do be produced?