I am the first to admit that I’m obsessed with food. I’m obsessed with the taste of certain foods and definitely obsessed with how food has affected my family, patients, community, and country. My food obsession causes me to often wonder how did one of the richest and most powerful nations become such an unhealthy society?
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food.” Hippocrates
It seems to me that Hippocrates never thought food would become part of such a heated debate and be the impetus behind the growing obesity epidemic. For me his words were obvious indications of the powerful capabilities of nature’s bounty if eaten the way it was intended to be eaten. What man has done to food, I’m sure would disgust the very soul of this great Greek physician who was considered the father of medicine.
Before industrialization, around the time of the early 1900’s, most meals were prepared at home and consisted of foods grown within an individual’s own garden. Since most households did not have the luxury of electric refrigeration, foods with high spoilage rates like dairy were eaten in moderation. Within the span of a couple of decades, refrigerators and the increased numbers of women in the workforce began to change the landscape of the family dining experience.
The 1950’s ushered in the era of the TV dinner and fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s. Kentucky Fried Chicken, which actually began at a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky, is now the most popular Western fast food chain in China. There are actual studies that can demonstrate the deleterious health effect on families in China who started consuming less traditional Eastern diets but more Western diets. In particular, cancer rates rose significantly.
In 2000, Americans ate 57 more pounds of meat a year as compared to the 1950’s per the USDA. But those numbers pale in comparison to the increase seen in the average consumption of cheese which grew from 7.7 pounds per person to 29.8 representing a 287% increase during that same time frame. Some wonder whether or not that increase was a result of the powerful lobbying from the Dairy Associations. Those unbelievable numbers are also related to the large number of meals eaten away from home and the wide variety of convenience foods that are available to consumers. Increased sugar intake has also been well documented and continues to be a growing problem.
Cholesterol is a naturally occurring wax-like substance found in animal tissues. When this product builds up in blood vessels, atherosclerosis develops which can cause heart disease. In 1994, at 23 years of age, my total cholesterol was over 200. At the time, I had no known diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes but I was overweight and sluggish. My diet consisted of various processed foods, sugary beverages, fried foods and minimal amounts of exercise.
As my medical knowledge increased, I slowly began making some lifestyle modifications which at first seemed impossible for this Southern-born girl who grew up on a meat rich diet. We ate meat with every meal and probably for a snack. I’m ashamed to say it but I remember snacking on canned meats as well and who knows what those products contained in them.
But in 2001, I made a radical dietary change and decided to stop eating red meat and pork. I had just been diagnosed with lupus and I felt horrible: joints were stiff and ached, I was tired, and I looked horrible. Lupus, an autoimmune disease, was attacking my body and slowly destroying my organs.
With only that small change, my total cholesterol went from being in the 200’s to about 140. My joints hurt less and energy levels increased. Friends teased me about my excellent cholesterol numbers and even accused me of secretly taking Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering agent.
I have continued my “want-to-live” campaign by eliminating chicken and turkey from my diet and drastically limiting dairy. I have lost weight, my skin is clearer, and my digestive tract has never been better.
So my challenge to readers is to consider the types of food you consume on a daily basis. Did your breakfast consist of processed ingredients? Was lunch consumed at a place that provided toys with the meal? If the answers were affirmative, then changes are needed now.
Please join me in the “want-to-live” campaign and choose life!
Yours in Service,
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor
SLUCare Family Medicine
yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
