@ Jarrod: I also had something of a fast food challenge four years ago and that’s what changed my attitude towards food tremendously. And I was still eating processed foods from the grocery store a few times a week. Of course at the time I didn’t really know the details of why fast food was bad. I just did it on a whim: “What would happen if I ceased for a while?” I think all of this begs the question: Is fast food worse than food at sit-down restaurants? And are those worse than the processed foods you buy in the freezer aisle of your grocery store? Are they all equally bad?

@ Travis: Right, no one likes to be told that they’re wrong especially if they feel patronized. That’s even IF they knew that something’s not working with the way they’re operating in life. So the default answer, whether it makes sense or not is: “It’s what we’ve always done, so it must be right.” I definitely feel like the avoidance of hurting these people’s feelings is what helped fuel this entire movement.

This really makes me think. This proposal of yours reminds me of a food challenge version of Oprah’s not texting and driving pledge. Where’s the pledge form so that I can sign the petition…lol!

But seriously, this is great food for thought. Thank you, Valerie, for providing such valuable information, and making me laugh.

Great article!

Your friend,
Jarrod
Jarrod@ Optimistic Journey´s last blog ..You Know You’re Favored by God When…

* It’s easy to eat what you were fed as a child. It becomes ingrained in you. For me this was baked potatoes, stroganauf (spelling?), and steak. Not to mention as a child, we’d always stop at a McDonalds and stuff our faces.
* The instant gratification factor is catered to at fast food places. It’s easy to just drive to Burger King after work and get some fries and a burger than it is to go home and consciously decide to cook a healthy meal.

I think until it becomes easy and tasty to eat healthy food regularly (and have it taste amazing), we are going to have a problem in the U.S. Even then, people are so used to going out to eat or buying crap that it’s going to be like pulling Excalibur out of the stone.

I suppose most people could experience a shift in consciousness that then changed their outlook on life and hence cut out the junk food. I’m hoping it’s that really. Someone shouldn’t have to figure out some magical system of healthy eating to try and ‘beat’ the junk food. The real solution is a shift in value for life and your body.
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@Amit: That’s great the schools in the UK seem to be improving, I’m very excited to hear that because I heard the UK was having obesity problems, too. I think the first step definitely has to be with the kids, because it’s very hard to move from eating habits you’ve learned in your childhood.

@ Richard: I think you’re my new best friend! You bring up some excellent points that I didn’t think about. The culture associated with obesity (sedentary lifestyle and high-fat, high-sugar foods) definitely does impact a persons mood. I wonder if the sluggish, depressive behavior happens because of the food ingredients or because of the convenience. I’m thinking it’s a mixture of both. And the sad thing is, depression can result in the person eating more of the foods that causes them to be so sluggish. #2, the work culture is another good point. I fully recognize it isn’t easy when people are working long hours. It wouldn’t be entirely fair especially in the past when families could afford to have one person stay home and cook meals. Unfortunately, change won’t happen if people continue using that as an excuse. This is where creative planning comes into play. This is how we can use modern appliances (refrigerators and freezers) that people in the 1900′s and 1800′s didn’t have to our advantage instead of a reason to continue storing and eating processed foods. Else, in the long run we’ll pay for it because the crappy food we eat now will force us into an early retirement, still eating that “cheap” fast food cause we’re scraping by to make ends meet.

@ Mac: I agree with you, people won’t stop eating the processed foods just because someone says it’s bad for you. It is emotional conditioning, I agree with you 100%! When it tastes good, you want what you want. I mentioned before, when processed foods were first introduced, they probably tasted weird to people… until they acquired a taste for the high levels of sugar, salt, and fat in them. At the end of the day, it takes a conscious decision to reverse it. I don’t know what it’s going to take to break that emotional conditioning. I just know when I cut out a lot of junk food in my life I got desensitized from the taste of it. One day, I decided to have a fried chicken for the first time in years and I just couldn’t finish it because it was so salty and I felt terribly sluggish after eating it. Mind you, in high school I used to love fried chicken and I’d eat it a few times a week (it was offered at my school).
Your last point just emphasizes why I trust the FDA less and less. It’s the same story every time. The scientist comes up with a new chemical or sweetener, the FDA approves it, then a few years later you hear from the same FDA that it’s bad for you. What the heck were they doing before then? Throwing tea & biscuit parties?

Along with that comes the freedom for people to chose what they want to eat. If they think the food tastes good and it doesn’t have any problems that are noticeable within 24 hours of eating it then why should they stop? Because you said so?

Take the same person and give them some unhealthy food and put some poison in there just for fun. After they throw up or go the the hospital or get really sick they will never ever eat that food regardless how safe or healthy it is.

People make their eating choices and most choices based on emotional conditioning. They focus on how thinks look, feel and taste. It works well in nature but not so much in the manipulate science of processed food and fast food and all the rest of it.

For a quick example something that tastes bitter is generally poison (in nature) while something sweet is generally ok to eat.

All it takes is a few scientists to put a bunch of chemicals and what not add some sweeter like aspartame and you got a “ok food choice” that is safe to consume.
Mac´s last blog ..A Pause From Poker…

If everyone ate fresh, healthy food and then burned off the calories by working out a half hour a day, I really feel that it would curb not only obesity, but depression as well.

Unfortunately, it is a lot easier (and cheaper!) to buy a pizza and nuke it in the oven for 16 minutes then to go to the store, select the fresh vegitables, find a recipe, cook the food, and clean all the pots and pans. There really needs to be a quick, healthy alternative to fast food or maybe Americans just need to work a lot less. For instance, I drive an hour a day to get to work, work 2 jobs (one in a cubicle where I just sit all day) and then go home. I can’t make a fresh meal for lunch and often times I’m too tired to make a fresh meal for supper. I really think that our American work ethic and lifestyles negatively impact our health and keep us in an unhealthy rut as well. I will have to make more of an effort to cook fresh meals for supper on a daily basis.
Richard Riley´s last blog ..Test Blog Post

I heard about the show and thought that it might be a challenge for naked Jamie! He did some amazing work in schools in the UK and changing the food they give to kids…I know as I’ve had plenty of school meals over the last few years in my ventures in schools and the meals haven’t been too bad…

Good luck with the no microwave challenge, something I might undertake myself in the future!
Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s last blog ..Video – How To Find The Blessing In Even The Worst Of Situations