American Dietetic Association and the Obesity Epidemic

My friend Jason C. Brown brought this article to my attention today: America: A Big Fat Stupid Nation. The author, Justin Stoneman, levels some very interesting (and if true, appalling) accusations at the ADA.

Some things I did not know before I read this article:

• The American Dietetic Association is the only organization in the United States legally able to dispense dietary advice.
• In most states, if you are not registered ADA dietician, you can be prosecuted for hanidng out nutritional advice.
•  The ADA is sponsored and assisted by "Coca Cola (revenue $31.4 billion), GlaxoSmithKline (revenue $42.5 billion), Hershey's (revenue $5.3 billion), Unilever (revenue $55.8 billion), Aramark (revenue: $12.3 billion). There are even some 'premier sponsors': Mars (revenue: $30 billion), PepsiCo (revenue $44.3 billion), Truvia sweetener (revenue of parent company Cargill: $116.6 billion), Kellogg's ($12.7 billion).
  ADA 'sponsors' have combined revenues of over $400 billion."

The ADA is of course is happy with this arrangement. $400 billion dollars in corporate sponsorship? Who wouldn't be happy with that? And what do these sponsors get in return? For one thing, they get to sit at the table and help write policy. But another very real benefit of such a cozy arrangement with the organization that has a legal monopoly on what are and are not healthy diet recommendations, these companies can also rest assured that the monumental policy shift that occurred in 1977 regarding healthy diet stays buried deep, at least officially, in the black hole of forgotten history.

So the questions for you are when your dietician recommends a diet based on the current food pyramid is she recommending a diet fit for a human being or is she implementing the money making strategy of Industrial Food, Big Pharma and Big Agriculture? Is she giving you the best advice there is, or is she merely a pawn?

The ADA is dispensing advice that will make you fatter and sicker because of these blatant conflict of interest sponsorships. Not good news for you, but good news for businesses that make money of the misfortune of the malnourished. The Health Club Industry will happily sell you memberships and personal training. Diet book authors will sell you their books. Weight Loss companies will sell you processed food and semi-starvation diets delivered to your door. Big Pharma will sell you statin drugs and your health care provider is more than happy to take your ever more expensive health insurance payments.

Why is America obese? Getting people fatter is making wallets fatter too.

Bon Appetit.