Through the Eyes of a Stranger: Food

I don’t think there is another country on this planet where obesity is as pervasive as in the US. As somebody who moves between different countries on a regular basis, I see the reason for that clearly: the food in the US is bad.

As regular readers of this blog know, I spent this week in Canada. When I’m in Canada, all I do is eat. My mother wants to feed me every dish I missed while being away in the US. My sister wants to show me the new restaurants she discovered. My brother-in-law strives to show his hospitality by feeding me. Friends want to meet and catch up. And where do you go to meet friends at my age? Restaurants, of course.

On my visits to Canada, I also never manage to walk even closely as much as I do in the US. People I know in Canada miss me and want to spend time with me, so I can’t just abandon them to go on my regular daily 2-hour-long walks.

And you know what the result of this week-long eating binge and lack of exercise in Canada is for me? I lost 8 pounds.

This always happens to me whenever I go back to Canada. In the US, I eat a lot less, I don’t buy any processed foods, and cook everything from scratch. I haven’t ordered any take-out in years. I don’t remember what a pizza looks like. I eat fruits, vegetables and supposedly fresh meats and seafood. I don’t even touch milk because I know what a disaster milk is in the US. I don’t eat American bread for the same reason. And I weigh a lot more than I do in other countries. Of course, this has gotten a lot more serious since I moved to the Midwest.

I know that nobody wants to hear this but the truth is that food in this country is disastrously bad. It’s all messed with, doused with pesticides, genetically modified, injected with crap, etc.

Of course, it’s easy to dump on the obese people by labeling them all as lazy, stupid junk food lovers. But doing that does not change reality and does not make the food we eat any less dangerous.

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177 responses to “Through the Eyes of a Stranger: Food”

scratchy888

November 8, 2011

Isabel :
Face it, this whole thread has been about the fact that you live in the midwest and don’t drive. Which you are blaming on lazy, childish Americans who have forgotten their consumer rights. No, that’s not disrespectful at all. Go ahead and ban me. I don’t respond well to threats anyway.

Gosh, I wish all sorts of people, especially those in the English speaking first world would forget their “consumer rights”. It would make them far less tedious as human beings and far more humane.

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Sister

November 8, 2011

Isabel: It is interesting that my quest to find fresh organic produce and meat during a trip got me classified as a clueless tourist. I imagine I should have resorted to going to one of maaaaany fast food joints to fit in and be less clueless. Oh well – you live & you learn, I guess. I do want you to notice though that I did not insult you or use any descriptive adjectives to classify you in any way. Your reaction and explosive remarks are alarming.

Stringer Bell: my “clueless husband’s” business trip was to Wisconsin and, as I had mentioned, he had major trouble finding any good (ie: healthy) food in that area.

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Isabel

November 8, 2011

The need to eat organically while on a trip is a little over the top. What did you think would happen if you didn’t get it? It’s also pretty elitist. So where were you in Florida that there were no restaurants except fast food? I’ve been to some nice restaurants in Sarasota for example, but I’m obviously not as fussy as you are. People from Montreal *love* Florida btw, as I’m sure you know, and they seem to survive without declaring the entire state full of bad food. That was what I was responding to. How many times do we have to go over this? Again, what is so weird about locals getting products from local farms, and surprising about tourists not being able to easily get this inside information by simply driving around and asking people? You were the one who started with the snarky mockery about Mennonites.

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Isabel

November 8, 2011

What is explosive and alarming about my remarks? I am curious.

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November 8, 2011

Curious, I looked for health oriented restaurants in Milwaukee and came up with this tempting sounding list: http://www.urbanspoon.com/t/43/2/Milwaukee/Vegan-Friendly-restaurants

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N G

November 8, 2011

In Toronto we have organic and vegetarian food banks for the poor who can’t afford this type of food at the stores. You can check it out here:

http://www.vegfoodbank.ca/photo-gallery-donated.html

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November 9, 2011

Today I’ve been reading a popular science book “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body” by Jennifer Ackerman (a Russian translation) and she says that people, who don’t get enough sleep tend to gain weight. In one study volunteers, who slept only 4 hours a day, wanted to eat a lot high calorie foods, like bread and cakes. As if their bodies reacted to lack of sleep as to lack of ~ 1000 calories: signaling to slow down metabolism, store fat and heighten appetite. The scientist conducting the survey suggested mass lack of sleep could be one of reasons of obesity epidemic. In 2005 scientists asked 9.5 thousand US citizens aged 32-49 from all states and found out that people sleeping 5 hours a day were 60% more likely to be obese than those who slept 7 & more hours. Now I see a possible problem with this study – may be poor people with several jobs sleep less than richer population, but there was another study published in 2006 which showed a different, very interesting picture.

This study watched patterns of sleep & weight gain in 68,000 women for 16 years. As before, women sleeping < 5 hours a day were more inclined to gain weight than those sleeping 7 hours, but (this surprised me very much) not because of eating more or doing less sport. On average, those who slept less, ate *less* calories and were on ~ the same level of physical activity. Ackerman says that the problem may be low metabolism or ослабленный термогенез неосознанной активности. All those changes may be caused by lack of sleep.

Imho, this second study points that there are more complicated mechanisms than "calories in = calories out + fat" formula. May be you'll post whether there is a difference between sleep patterns in FSU & US and in different parts and/or social groups in US? Could lack of sleep be a contributing factor to obesity?

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bloggerclarissa

November 9, 2011

Of course, sleep deprivation has many negative consequences. However, the obesity map I provided shows a dramatic difference in obesity rates between the US and Canada. Nobody can reasonably claim there are any differences between sleep patterns in these countries.

However, on a purely anecdotal level, my sister hasn’t slept much in the past 2 years (she has a small child) and never gained an ounce of weight. When she went on vacations to Florida, though, she immediately did.

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1. Isabel
  
  November 9, 2011
  
  She said she ate a lot of salty food. It was probably water weight.
  
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2. Isabel
  
  November 9, 2011
  
  “However, on a purely anecdotal level,”
  
  On a purely anecdotal level, my fat cousin lives in Canada and has terrible insomnia.
  
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Sister

November 9, 2011

Isabel :The need to eat organically while on a trip is a little over the top. What did you think would happen if you didn’t get it? It’s also pretty elitist. So where were you in Florida that there were no restaurants except fast food? I’ve been to some nice restaurants in Sarasota for example, but I’m obviously not as fussy as you are. People from Montreal *love* Florida btw, as I’m sure you know, and they seem to survive without declaring the entire state full of bad food. That was what I was responding to. How many times do we have to go over this? Again, what is so weird about locals getting products from local farms, and surprising about tourists not being able to easily get this inside information by simply driving around and asking people? You were the one who started with the snarky mockery about Mennonites.

Oh well, not only am I clueless, I am now also elitist and fussy. The name-calling ensues..

I do know that Montrealers (among many other people) love Florida – as did we, by the way. We had a phenomenal time & loved the people, the beach, the nature.. just really didn’t like the food options.

I certainly would not have had the need to eat organically while on vacation, had the non-organic products been of semi-acceptable quality. We were travelling with our 18-month old and buying milk from hormone-injected cows and yoghurt full of corn starch hardly seemed acceptable for a baby.

We did go to nice (ie fancy) restaurants, but the food simply did not taste like the food we are used to – everything seemed either (deep) fried or drowning in thick and creamy sauce or over-salted. And I just generally felt overly full and bloated most of the time. Somehow I did not have this problem in Canada, France, Germany, Belgium, Monaco, China, and so forth.

Facts are facts and the US is the most obese country in the world, with Canada slowly following suit. I truly believe (& agree with Clarissa) that the problem lies in food additives and hormones. Lack of exercise hardly seems to be the culprit. Take Ukraine where I am from – people eat a lot and most don’t exercise. Yet, obesity is not an issue.

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bloggerclarissa

November 9, 2011

Oh, you are such a Monaco-loving, globe-trotting, organic milk drinking, expensive restaurant visiting, Mennonite-mocking, Montreal elitist! 🙂 🙂 It’s a pity you don’t like lattes all that much because that would have completed the image of you as a total hippie. 🙂

Don’t you love it how “elitist” is supposed to be some form of an insult? I always find it very funny. The horror of “elitism” is, of course, closely related to the silly belief that there are no social classes in the US.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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1. Isabel
  
  November 9, 2011
  
  “Oh, you are such a Monaco-loving, globe-trotting, organic milk drinking, expensive restaurant visiting, Mennonite-mocking, Montreal elitist!”
  
  Jerk.
  
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  1. bloggerclarissa
    
    November 9, 2011
    
    Please go take a pill for your hysteria. Your affliction is getting out of control.
    
    Good luck!
    
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Isabel

November 9, 2011

“The name-calling ensues..” name-calling? You call that name-calling? Wow, I thought Americans were the ones sensitive to straight talk and criticism. 🙂

So what does one call your snickering about my comments? I call it passive aggressive.

“US is the most obese country in the world,”

How can a country be obese?

“that the problem lies in food additives and hormones”

Any actual scientific evidence for this?

“And I just generally felt overly full and bloated most of the time.”

Ah, so it *was* water weight. I thought so.

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Isabel

November 9, 2011

Haha I am testing to see if I am banned. 🙂

And I’m pretty sure I’m not the hysterical one around here – look who is getting all upset and making threats.

This is why blogs are so boring. I thought yours might be different but once again, it’s about the blogger’s ego. Well, I do have a lot of better things to do anyway.

It was fun while it lasted.

See ya, Clarissa!

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bloggerclarissa

November 9, 2011

Imagining threats where none exist is a sign of severe mental disturbance.

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1. Isabel
  
  November 9, 2011
  
  You threatened to ban me if I didn’t comment in the approved way, and stop arguing with you. 🙂
  
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  1. bloggerclarissa
    
    November 9, 2011
    
    Isabel, I’m tired. I did not threaten you. I said I’d ban you but not for the reasons you mention. If you feel like sticking around, please do. If not, please don’t.
    
    If people stop arguing with me, the blog will die, which is something i don’t want to happen, obviously. God save me from running a blog where everybody agrees with me. 🙂
    
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2. Isabel
  
  November 9, 2011
  
  You didn’t like being addressed and your opinions mocked the way you address others. Maybe you have that “right” since it is your blog, but that does not make for much of a conversation. Imagine such an intellectual conversation in the cafes and halls of academia that you used to fantasize about. it wouldn’t be much fun if one person was in charge and could silence others abruptly at will, would it?
  
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  1. bloggerclarissa
    
    November 9, 2011
    
    “Maybe you have that “right” since it is your blog”
    
    -Now you are getting it.
    
    ” Imagine such an intellectual conversation in the cafes and halls of academia that you used to fantasize about. it wouldn’t be much fun if one person was in charge and could silence others abruptly at will, would it?”
    
    – Believe me, I’m a lot more aggressive and ready to silence anybody in person than online. And it’s crazy fun. 🙂 🙂 Here I’m a total wallflower in comparison. 🙂
    
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Jennifer Frances Armstrong

November 9, 2011

Haha I am testing to see if I am banned.

i.e “take me or leave me”, but if you “leave me” then you ought to feel really guilty about it!

And I’m pretty sure I’m not the hysterical one around here – look who is getting all upset and making threats.

i.e. The Western trope of emotion as the “hot potato” — the one nobody wants to be left holding.

This is why blogs are so boring. I thought yours might be different but once again, it’s about the blogger’s ego.

i.e. the goal of morality is to overcome one’s ego in order to tolerate others.

Well, I do have a lot of better things to do anyway.

i.e. you thought you had power to influence me, but I’m showing you by walking away that you haven’t.

It was fun while it lasted.
See ya, Clarissa!

i.e– where is the fun in life anymore? I can’t seem to find it.

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bloggerclarissa

November 9, 2011

This is absolutely brilliant!!! I SO love this.

It is a precious skill indeed to see through such pronouncements and be able to translate them.

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Isabel

November 9, 2011

“i.e “take me or leave me”, but if you “leave me” then you ought to feel really guilty about it!”

Guilty? More like intellectually weak and hypocritical. You are quite a projectionist! You’ve never even met me. I would never worry about how guilty others on the internet, or anywhere, feel. The thing that bugs me is hypocrisy. People do project, but deny it. Everything I complained about was clearly in evidence, and was left unanswered, while you and Clarissa can only come up with weird accusations. I’ve really never come across a forum on the internet that doesn’t end up with the blogger exercising some sort of authority and censorship, as here, or some nutcase dominating every conversation, as on open forums. I am admittedly looking for a solution to this, but haven’t found it. So there can be no discourse that doesn’t end in predictable ways.

Now you will exclaim delightedly “oh she is lying, she can’t stay away!” See? Predictable. I am just curious to see your reactions. It energises me while I write my grants. Don’t worry, I will fade away soon! As I have from other forums I have become bored with for the same reasons.

“i.e. you thought you had power to influence me, but I’m showing you by walking away that you haven’t.”

Huh? I am talking about having adult conversations. Now you are back to power issues? What am I trying to prove?

“i.e– where is the fun in life anymore? I can’t seem to find it.”

This is odd also. I am seeking vigorous intellectual conversations. Arguing is fun also, but is strictly policed here. As elsewhere. That isn’t fun. Do you know of any exceptions to this rule, online?

“i.e. the goal of morality is to overcome one’s ego in order to tolerate others.”

Morality? You were just talking about the ability to stop and take in what other people are saying. That is all I am talking about. And the ability to take it if you enjoy dishing it out. Why on earth am I being moderated for example?

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  November 9, 2011
  
  ” I’ve really never come across a forum on the internet that doesn’t end up with the blogger exercising some sort of authority and censorship”
  
  -Well, obviously. Why would one fail to exercise control over one’s own space? This is like saying that you’ve never encountered a homeowner who doesn’t exercise control over who is or isn’t allowed into his or her own house. I said many times that my blog is my personal diary. I allow people to read it and even comment but that’s an act of free will on my part. Everybody else can do the same.
  
  ” Don’t worry, I will fade away soon!”
  
  -I can’t say I feel very worried right now. 🙂 Intense emotional relationships with words on a screen written by people one has never met are not extremely healthy.
  
  “Why on earth am I being moderated for example?”
  
  -Maybe you should ask this question of people who moderate you.
  
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2. Isabel
  
  November 11, 2011
  
  Guess who said this?
  
  “Isabel, it makes no sense to try to psychoanalyze people you’ve never met.”
  
  🙂
  
  “-Maybe you should ask this question of people who moderate you.”
  
  Well, yes I *was* asking you. “your comment is awaiting moderation” is pretty unambiguous.
  
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3. Jennifer Frances Armstrong
  
  November 11, 2011
  
  Ok, so you think differently. That is cool. Nothing against it. I see a lot of common Western tropes in many conversations that seem like stand ins for actual content. Maybe you are different. I have no way of knowing. But you haven’t actually been censored.
  
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Jennifer Frances Armstrong

November 11, 2011

Isabel :
Guess who said this?
“Isabel, it makes no sense to try to psychoanalyze people you’ve never met.”

“-Maybe you should ask this question of people who moderate you.”
Well, yes I *was* asking you. “your comment is awaiting moderation” is pretty unambiguous.

Yeah, sure. Nietzsche said, “In the final analysis we experience only ourselves.” I think this is absolutely true.

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Jennifer Frances Armstrong

November 11, 2011

Yeah, sure. Nietzsche said, “In the final analysis we experience only ourselves.” I think this is absolutely true.

Our positive or negative assumptions about those who we don’t know or are still getting to know usually relate exclusively to ourselves.

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N G

November 11, 2011

Let’s get back to the discussion about why more than 25% of Americans are so fat according to international statistics and pointed out in the obesity map. No surprise for a country that gave the world Spam, Reddi Whip (vegetable oil masquerading as whipped cream) and Velveeta cheese slices. Maybe if they stopped stuffing their faces with freedom fries and read ”French women don’t get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano, things would change. Unfortunately Yankee ingenuity is still at work and on November 14th, 2011 McDonald reintroduced the McRib to their chain of fast food restaurants. If you read the list of ingredients on their website, it sounds pretty innocuous – McRib Pork Patty, McRib Bun, McRib Sauce, Pickle Slices, Slivered Onions but the item contains 70 ingredients including 980 mg of Sodium (more than you need in a day!), 10 gm of fat and others such as azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate and polysorbate 80 according to an article in Time Magazine (http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/27/why-lovin-the-mcrib-isnt-a-heart-smart-idea/#ixzz1dQm5sS00) which also stated:

Azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes, is found in the McRib bun. The compound is banned in Europe and Australia as a food additive. (England’s Health and Safety Executive classified it as a “respiratory sensitizer” that potentially contributes to asthma through occupational exposure.)

And the meat in the McRib according to another post (http://theweek.com/article/index/220866/whats-the-mcrib-made-of-anyway) is:

Pig innards and plenty of salt. Typically, “restructured meat product” includes pig bits like tripe, heart, and scalded stomach, says Whet Moser at Chicago Magazine, citing a 1995 article by Robert Mandigo, a professor at the University of Nebraska. These parts are cooked and blended with salt and water to extract salt-soluble proteins, which act as”glue” that helps bind the reshaped meat together.

jt8RMlLW2GpjSsX64b.jpg

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bloggerclarissa

November 11, 2011

Can anybody explain to me what can induce a person to ingest something like this? I don’t even ask what kind of a criminal feeds this poison to their child. I just Googled this McRib thingy and it even looks disgusting.

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1. Helena Suess
  
  November 11, 2011
  
  “Unfortunately Yankee ingenuity is still at work”
  
  McDonald’s “reintroduces” the McRib with fanfare and news coverage every year. It’s not ingenious. It’s called November.
  
  I love my fuckin country y’all.
  
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