It is a wonder when someone who occupies the news everyday all of a sudden is gone.

As I explore the soul of Nature in my own way I am in awe of the beauty and complexity of Nature and have respect for the ability to crush life without seemingly a second thought. I do hold that we have eternal souls that enter and leave our bodies with a purpose and so if someone dies early, the soul had achieved its purpose for this round.

But not wishing to tempt fate, I would rather eat and live healthy. Western Civilization has taken a wrong turn in its quest for cheap and plentiful food. Yes its important that everyone have enough calories to exist, but we should examine the consequences of a narrow focus.

At least one third of babies born since 2000 are likely to suffer diabetes 2. It will be the first generation whose life span is not longer than their parents. We spend less on food per capita as a nation and more on medicine than any other population.

What’s wrong with this picture? Netflix has a great documentary called “Ingredients” about buying food local. There are a lot of reasons to encourage farmers who are now less than 1% of the population. It is no longer listed as an occupation.

Half the seed production for the globe is controlled by three companies. That creates concerns for biodiversity. Food production is only profitable in large scale but 20% of our oil consumption is engaged in the production, packaging and transporting of this food.

We do place more emphasis on the “hot” electronics than we do on spending more money on more nutritious food. Saving money on food often becomes the priority after we struggle through the rest our obligations.

It does not cost a lot to eat right. Exercise can be free. Sickness is very expensive.

We are eliminating farm land with suburban growth. Population is increasing and farmland is decreasing. The emphasis to make food production more efficient rather than more nutritious is having dire consequences. Local food saves energy and is more healthy.  At a point, food production doesn’t feed the population, but maybe sickness kills off the excess population and people don’t live as long; Efficiency vs Value.

We can influence the choices government, food consortiums, and we as a population are making.

In an article by the National Center for Policy Analysis

“Denmark has imposed what it calls a “fat tax” on foods such as butter and oil as a way to curb unhealthy eating habits.  While the country has already implemented initiatives to tax unhealthy products such as sugar and soft drinks, the breadth of the fat tax is largely unprecedented, says the Washington Post.

• Based not only on the presence of saturated fats in the finished product but also on the fats used to make it, the fat tax is set at approximately $2.90 per kilogram of saturated fat.
• It is expected to raise the price of a standard burger about 15 cents.

The purpose of this new tax, says the Danish parliament, is to increase the life expectancy of the Danish population.  While above the world average, the life expectancy of Danes lags behind that of their European neighbors.  Placing this issue at the forefront, government officials cite the correlation between fat-heavy diets and cardiovascular disease and cancer when justifying the new tax.”

The U.S. is contemplating the same measures but is not likely to tax sugars in sodas. It does show the U.S. is behind other western countries in legislating health for its populations.  Unfortunately nations find themselves  needing to make citizens more healthy because they have previously chosen to give them a health care safety net.

Shouldn’t the population care as much as the government?

The government has to pay, but the population has to suffer. It is no fun having diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. There is a lot of suffering. People around you have to suffer as well. You can lose body parts, become indigent, immobilized, weak, and pitiful. You don’t live to participate with your kids and grand kids for as long those in healthy cultures.

It costs a lot of money to cure your ailments and may strap future generations with your costs and the burden of taking care of you not to mention the costs born by the public.  Living to the end with health and fitness is a wonderful experience. You can lead your family on great adventures and still enjoy hiking, skiing, surfing, and running into your 70’s and maybe 80’s.

The movement has begun world wide to make people healthier. If people learn to eat natural, they will enjoy the benefits without too much prodding or too many taxes.

We need to raise 700,000 signatures. (Natural News article)

Some people don’t like the idea of GMOs.

What I don’t like is that the big food consortiums in partnership with government law makers and regulators can force small farmers and organic growers out of business with raids and crop confiscations.

The GMO growers also tried to prevent small farmers from growing crops contaminated by GMO seeds blowing into their fields. They lost this battle.

The loser when big money and influenced government law makers get together is the general public and the democratic system that is supposed to be by the people for the people.

If the ballot measure forces food providers to declare when their products contain GMOs, it gives the public a right to vote.  It would be one way to put the GMOs in the face of a democratic process.

If the vote is not positive it might force government regulators and law makers to give more consideration to organic growers and small farmers who can provide produce to local markets and street fairs.  I like to buy produce locally.

Big business grows corn at a loss made profitable by government subsidies. This provided at a loss product becomes low quality food stuffs that wind up requiring high cost medical coverage.

Instead of subsidizing corn, soy, and oil, why not subsidize high quality fruit and vegetables and reduce the nation’s dependence on the pharmaceutical industry. If Medicaid is breaking our backs, let’s treat the cause. Lets give kids apples instead of French fries.

GMOs stamp out the little guy. This is an instance where big money backed regulators in government are helping. The fact that GMO’s can save the world is a front for putting more control in fewer hands. Let’s have less efficiency and more choice and innovation.

 “A new report released this week has found that, among the billions of dollars spent each year in federal subsidies for commodity crops, a steady flow of these taxpayer dollars are going to support high fructose corn syrup and three other common food additives used in junk food.

The report, “Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Federal Subsidies of Fresh Produce and Junk Food” by CALPIRG and the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, studies the interesting question of whether the nation’s problem with obesity is fueled by farm subsidies.

In another article is a quote from a citizen: “I think that the number one problem that is causing childhood obesity is that it costs so much more to eat healthy,” she wrote. ”It is cheaper to buy a huge bag of frozen French fries to feed your family than it is to buy them each a nice apple. Us lower and middle class people are stuck between a rock and a hard spot.”

At the same time Congress is torn by reducing the entitlement safety nets, it continues to sponsor producers of food that eventually creates the need for safety nets. Is Congress stuck on obesity because it is cheaper to make people fat than make them skinny?

If people are getting all the calories they need rather than starving, does that make the population more stable and therefore more likely to reelect their representatives? The ensuing medical costs can be blamed on the public and their inability to pay for cures can become their problem.

If the government were really here to help, it would confess that most other countries of the world are healthier than we are because their diets have less calories. Rather than spending more money on defense, infrastructure, and entitlements, why don’t we spend more money on subsidizing healthy food and education?

If we are laizzes faire and capitalistic, make the population healthy and smart and they will take us out of our economic doldrums and entitlement heavy budgets. If the government was more like it was at the inception of the constitution, it would give the states and the people more freedom to create their own prosperity.

The heavy hand of government has led us astray and wastes our resources. We, the people, have to see the light and find our own way. This begins with taking back our health and fitness.