With the advent of the fast-food
industry, food manufacturing
companies had the perfect
recipe to deliver low nutrient,
high caloric foods on a mass
scale. The animal agriculture
industry, along with processed
food manufacturers then went
after their next high value target
to secure the hearts and minds
of the ever-confused food
consuming general public, the
National Dietary Guidelines
committees. Over the last
few decades, government
dietary guidelines have been
heavily influenced by the very
companies whose products
have fuelled the ever-increasing
rise in chronic disease and
cancer. Through cleverly crafted
financial sponsorships, the
animal agriculture industry has
purchased a seat at the table of
many national dietary guideline
review committees, using their
influence and repertoire of
self-funded nutritional studies
to support the inclusion of
animal products in dietary
recommendations meant to
improve the general health
of the community. Corporate
sponsorship of health promotion
organisations for diabetes, heart
disease and cancers, to name
just a few, is a common trick of
the trade by the processed food
companies to leverage their
advertising to the very people
that have often been harmed by
consuming these products in the
first place.
There has never been a time
in history where the waters
have been so muddied and
the level of confusion so high
in relation to what foods we
should be nourishing our bodies
with to achieve optimal health
and wellbeing. In the age
of the internet, social media
and steaming video services,
it has never been easier to
communicate ideas, research
findings and opinions. Along
with this gluttony of information
comes the inevitable swathe
of false data, opinions and
“alternative facts”. Fortunately,
when it comes to the basics of
nutritional knowledge and the
pathophysiology of diseases
caused by poor lifestyle, we
truly do have all the information
we need right now to make an
informed choice for ourselves
and our loved ones.
Polo De’Marco July 2020