From: allin
The modern food industry and pharmaceutical industry face significant challenges, including concerns about regulatory capture, perverse economic incentives, and the resulting impact on public health [01:25:29] [01:40:35].
Regulatory Capture and Conflicts of Interest
A core issue highlighted is the alleged “corruption in our Regulatory Agencies” [01:26:00]. Agencies like the USDA, FDA, NIH, CDC, and HHS are described as having “become sock puppets for these for the big pharmaceutical big EG big food processing industries that they’re supposed to be regulating” [01:25:35]. This means the entities meant to regulate are seen as controlled by the industries they oversee [01:40:02].
Concerns include:
- Food Recommendation Committees Many members are reportedly part of the food industry [01:40:02].
- Pharmaceutical Decision-makers Individuals making decisions about public health recommendations are accused of having significant financial conflicts of interest [01:40:05].
- Historical Precedents A lawsuit against Monsanto, for instance, allegedly uncovered emails showing the head of the pesticide division at the EPA secretly working for Monsanto, “sabotaging studies creating false science that hide the cogenic nature of Roundup” [01:51:41].
Perverse Economic Incentives
The current system creates “perverse incentives” that prioritize profit over public health [01:52:03].
- Food Industry Profit Foods that taste better and sell better, even if unhealthy, drive economic incentives for companies to produce more of them [01:44:08]. The pursuit of “addicting Foods” is seen as a consequence of this [01:44:46].
- An example cited is Coca-Cola’s study to find the “perfect level” of sugar (42 grams) to maximize sales, indicating a focus on sell-through rather than health [01:45:02].
- Healthcare Industry Profit A “sick child is a lifetime customer lifetime consumer of very very expensive products” [01:40:32]. The insurance and hospital industries are also seen as making more money from sickness than from wellness [01:42:30].
- Ozempic and Chronic Disease Drugs like Ozempic, while potentially helpful for individuals, are viewed by some as primarily “a good profit Center for… Pharma” [01:50:02]. The cost of such medications could be “three trillion a year” if widely adopted [01:51:11]. This contrasts with the argument that a fraction of this cost could provide “organic food three meals a day for every human being in the United States” [01:51:16].
- Government Subsidies and Programs
- Agricultural Subsidies Billions of dollars in agricultural subsidies reportedly go to “commodity agriculture which is bad food” [01:56:41]. These are often “low in nutrients” and “high in chemicals” [01:56:52].
- Food Stamp Program (SNAP) This program supports 42 million Americans with $120 billion annually [01:53:42] [01:54:30]. However, the number one product bought is “soda canned soda” [01:53:56]. Efforts to restrict soda purchases in favor of fresh produce have been blocked by food industry lobbying [01:54:23].
- School Lunch Program Similar issues exist, with “almost 80 I think 77% of food food lunch program is terrible foods that are actually poisoning our children” [01:52:57].
Impact on Public Health
These factors contribute to a significant rise in chronic diseases in the US:
- Diabetes In the 1960s, juvenile diabetes was nearly non-existent, with pediatricians seeing only one case in a lifetime [01:49:01]. Today, “one out of every three children who walks through his office door is diabetic or pre-diabetic” [01:49:10].
- Autism Rates Autism rates were 1 in 1500 to 1 in 10,000 Americans in past generations [01:49:22]. For current generations of children, it is 1 in 34 kids, and as high as 1 in 22 in some states like California [01:49:33].
- Obesity “77% of Americans are out or 74% adults are obese half our kids obesity” [01:49:40]. Historically, obesity was so rare it could lead to jobs in a circus [01:49:54].
- Childhood Chronic Disease Epidemic The percentage of American kids with chronic disease has jumped from 6% to 60% [01:53:22] [01:53:26]. The annual cost of chronic disease is $4.3 trillion, five times the military budget [01:42:19].
[!WARNING|Note on Food Chemicals] Many chemicals found in US foods are “banned in Europe and banned in other countries” [01:41:37]. These “products have been introduced by by chemist that did not exist before and the body does not handle them well” [01:41:51].
Potential Solutions and Perspectives
While the challenges are significant, some believe change is possible:
- Consumer Choice Some argue that the problem is rooted in consumers buying “bad stuff” that “tastes better” and sells more, creating a demand that industry meets [01:44:02].
- Corporate Responsibility Some large food companies, like Unilever and Nestle, have made “stated commitments to improve the health of the food that they produce,” though this is difficult while returning money to shareholders [01:45:47].
- Policy Reform There is a call to change “perverse incentives” in agricultural subsidies and food programs to prioritize health and nutritional value [01:56:59].
- Access to Healthy Food Addressing “food deserts” in low-income and minority communities is crucial, as these areas often lack access to grocery stores with healthy options [01:56:05]. The argument is made that “feeding people poisonous food is racist” [01:55:24].
[!INFO|European Contrast] One perspective highlights a difference in food quality and its impact on health, citing personal experience in Italy. Consuming local produce and fish, not packed in plastic, leads to a noticeable positive change in body composition, even if weight doesn’t significantly fluctuate [01:46:44]. Access to ultra-processed food is limited in Italy, and existing options have a different glycemic and metabolic load [01:47:40].