HAS OUR FOOD INDUSTRIES GOT TOO MUCH INVESTED IN UNHEALTHY FOODS TO CHANGE? PART 1

You look around you today and you will probably find that most of the foods and drinks available for purchasing is unhealthy, to varying degrees. Much of it has been contaminated with too much sugar or salt, or additives, too greasy, not cooked sufficiently to get rid of parasites, and might not have been prepared in good hygienic conditions. Of probably even greater significance, might be the likelihood of, in the case of agricultural produce, it having being contaminated by harmful chemicals in its production. 

Notwithstanding such unpalatable facts, much of this 'bad' food might be 'tasty' and addictive', leading to us wanting more and more of it; much the same way as we might be addicted to smoking, alcohol, khat chewing, etc.

The industry which is producing this 'unhealthy' food is massive, and it is employing millions of people around the world and contributing massively to the economic activities and economies of many, if not all countries, since food is an essential requirement of living. Of course, it would not be sensible to label all the food industry as irresponsible exploiters of our health, whose sole motivation is to make us into addicts for their unhealthy foods and drinks, so that they can maintain their high profit margins. But many of them are; like Pavlov's dog, the food industry - like the cigarette industry - spend time and money researching how they can shape, condition and programme us into wanting more of their processed foods and consistently coming back for more.

So, how can governments and societies fight against this insidious attack on our health? Should governments  become more prescriptive in their regulation of the food and drinks industry? Well, yes, that has to be part of the fight back, notwithstanding the fact that it will have to contend with conflicting views and research about what is good and what is healthy foods, and what harm it can causes, and over what period of time, etc, etc.

Challenging the purveyors of unhealthy foods and drinks is undoubtedly a massive endeavour, as the purveyors and their investors have a lot of money and jobs invested in the industry. Of course, just as how there are profits being made from 'creating'  a market for and supplying unhealthy foods to people, so is there a consequent health demand for treating those affected by the supply and consumption of the unhealthy food and drinks. 

This, of course, results in an additional 'market' and demand for the medicines and healthcare which is given rise to, as a result of the unhealthy foods and drinks entering the economy. And so we have a very complex situation, in which a lots of suppliers are involved in helping to sustain the production and supply of unhealthy products, and consequently become dependent on, and have a vested interest in, the maintenance of that industry.

At a certain point, it no longer becomes a matter of whether or not the individual and collective harm being caused by unhealthy foods and drinks exceeds the amount of jobs and wealth being created and sustained by  the industry. But rather that of whether  government in action or willingness take effective measures to stop it, continues.

To be continued.