What About Food?
Growing up in the 60’s we were the guinea pigs for food manufactures. Partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup became the main ingredients in a lot of the things we ate. Also, there was heavy advertising that sold things as good for you. Saturday mornings were cartoon time on tv. Many commercials were about breakfast cereals and how important it was to start the day with their product. I remember when Fruit Loops came out. I did not like them but many did. I was a Frosted Flakes kid. I like it because “frosted” meant sugar. We were also bombarded with commercials about snacks and sugar drinks: Twinkles, Cup Cakes, candy bars, Coke, etc. Of course, we wanted them too.
All of these products had limited nutritional value, but I for one got hooked. I consumed a lot of sugar based stuff and it reflected in my weight. I was always “the big kid.” I carried these eating habits a long way into adulthood. I did not like coffee, however, Coke was my caffeine in the morning. It has only been in last the few years that I have reduced my intake of Coke. I still really like it but I have it just on Sundays. The same for the most sugar based products. It is challenge at work as someone always brings in brownies. I just have to walk away from them.
I strive to have a different relationship with food. It is a work in progress. Changing habits from many decades takes time. Eating it more slowly, stopping when not overfull are two habits I am trying to ingrain.
The food manufacturers may have hooked us in as kids, but we need to stop this practice with current generations. It is not healthy. Kids need to be put on the right track at a very early age and not buy into the sugar/fat product “drug cartel” that is our food industry.
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