To be honest, I really do not like the idea of genetically modified food, and I can't say that I blame the EU for not wanting to import modified food. "They" say that it's safe, but I am not so sure that I agree. And I think it's the kind of situation that could take a lot longer than however long they've been growing GM-food to really know what the long term effects of it are. I mean, nature developed a fine system, but it entails working to make your crops grow. And quite honestly, I agree (at least in principle) with the bunk that says that our bodies were not even designed for an agrarian lifestyle. If you look at the history of humankind, you find that obesity didn't become an issue until we stopped being hunter-gatherers and became agrarian.
Remember so many Renaissance paintings? Rubens' ideal feminine form was "festively plump." The inferred meaning of that, as I recall from my art history classes at University, was that a plump woman generally did not have to spend time laboring, she was free to eat and gain weight and so forth.
Of course, these standards all changed with the industrial revolution, and American's weight did especially, but the other thing that really hurt us, I think (and no, I don't really have that deep of a scientific knowledge of nutritition but I know my own body and my own history with my weight and diet experience), is the advent of processed food with trans-fats. (So it was rather ironic to read this article about a man who's sueing to ban Oreo cookies because they contain trans-fats)
Notice, though, that obesity is so much more of a problem in America than it is in Europe. Having spent 3 weeks this year in Europe, I can tell you from first hand experience, there are less fat people in Europe than there are in the States. They eat a more natural diet - less ultra-processed foods, and they also spend more time walking and just... living, than the average American does.
But for some reason, GWB (the guy in the White House, not the Bridge to New Jersey) seems to want to impose the American Way on the rest of the world. I say, what they got ain't broke. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
And we're supposed to listen to you, anyhow, Mr. I-Don't-Think-We-Really-Need-The-Kyoto-Treaty-To-Help-Curb-Global-Warming-But-We-Should-Destroy-Wildlife-To-Drill-For-Oil-In-The-Pristine-Arctic-Rather-Than-Investigate-Alternative-Fuel-Sources-Because-The-Auto-Gas-And-Oil-Industries-Have-Such-A-Strong-Lobby-In-My-World President.
Oy. I think I'll go pander to rich people at the hotel. But I'm going to have an organic lunch on the way.
Posted by Jon at May 13, 2003 01:39 PM | TrackBack