By Paul J. Rosen, J.D, L.Ac., EAMP

["Our current health crisis didn’t happen overnight, nor are we entirely innocent when it comes to committing often negligent, and occasionally purposeful, criminal acts against our own bodies. 

In fact, you might even say we are accomplices in our own health crisis. 

They say we do better when we know better, but for some reason, this and every other well-meaning truism just seems to fly out the window when it comes to eating. Don’t believe me? How often have you nodded your head over some great wisdom in the latest health journal or written yourself a note about avoiding trans fats or fried foods, all while waiting in the jammed drive-thru lane at your favorite fast-food joint? 

The bad news is your health is still in crisis - or soon will be. The good news is you’re far from alone. Despite record sales of vitamin supplements, the overall health of people today continues to decline. No matter how many warnings regarding the plague of processed foods, people keep eating glazed doughnuts and washing them down with triple lattes. 

Is there any wonder why chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes and heart disease continue to climb? Even real-life demonstrations of rapid health decline, such as those reported in the 2003 documentary, Super Size Me, don’t seem to slow people down! 

Part of the problem is our love-hate relationship with the popular media, and how we trust some blindly, even as we don’t trust others at all. Our main issue, then, becomes one of trust. 

Who to trust? 

What to trust? 

When to trust? 

Case in point: I was reading the paper the other day and, lo and behold, I discovered a group financed by the processed food industry called The Center for Consumer Freedom. Billing themselves as a “nonprofit coalition of restaurants, food companies, and consumers working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices”, this organization was formed in 1995 with money from Philip Morris, now known as Altria, to fight bans on smoking in restaurants and bars. 

They argue that obesity isn’t as bad as everyone says it is because the stats are overblown, advocating that there are only 112,000 deaths attributed to obesity each year instead of the 400,000 reported by the Center for Disease Control. This group goes on to conclude that there is no epidemic and therefore “the obesity thing” is blown “way out of proportion!” What else would you expect from a proponent of the $500 billion a year counterfeit food industry? 

Regardless of whether obesity is directly linked to the premature deaths of 400,000 people each year or 112,000 - or even 112 people for that matter, there is no argument that health-related problems from obesity cost our states and their taxpayers $60-75 billion: money that could be spent on things like improving education for students and displaced workers or finding alternative sources of energy. 

But as one who insists on looking for points of agreement, I find both this group and myself urging the following philosophy: Don’t blame the cow for soggy cornflakes, (My words, not theirs.) In other words, just because processed foods is available doesn't mean you have to eat it. I know, I know. This sounds like the “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” argument made buy the National Rifle Association. But if the shoe fits...

It all boils down to personal accountability. In other words, it’s your responsibility to know what’s best for you, to the best of your ability. This does not mean taking a crash course in nutrition or physiology and it doesn’t mean you should do it on your own. But by now, even the most casual observer of current events knows the bare bones arguments against obesity, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, hydrogenated fat and processed foods. 

I asked earlier who you could trust. The answer: trust begins with someone who will tell you the truth. And in this case, truth refers to an approach that works. 

If you’re the type of person who knows that what you eat has a good chance of resulting in poor health sooner rather than later and you continue to eat it anyway, then I guess you get what you deserve. But if you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and are ready to find the “missing piece” that will resolve your health concerns, then get ready for some eye-opening discoveries.”]

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