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Government:
Is It for the People?
DURING THE PAST TWO TO THREE DECADES, we have acquired substantial evi-
dence that most chronic diseases in America can be partially attributed
to bad nutrition. Expert government panels have said it, the surgeon
general has said it and academic scientists have said it. More people die
because of the way they eat than by tobacco use, accidents or any other
lifestyle or environmental factor. We know that the incidence of obe-
sity and diabetes is skyrocketing and that Americans' health is slipping
away, and we know what to blame: diet. So shouldn't the government be
leading us to better nutrition? There is nothing better the government
could do that would prevent more pain and suffering in this country
than telling Americans uneqUivocally to eat less animal products, less
highly-refined plant products and more whole, plant-based foods. It is a
message soundly based on the breadth and depth of scientific evidence,
and the government could make this clear, as it did with cigarettes.
Cigarettes kill, and so do these bad foods. But instead of doing this, the
government is saying that animal products, dairy and meat, refined sugar
and fat in your diet are good for you! The government is turning a blind
eye to the evidence as well as to the millions of Americans who suffer
from nutrition-related illnesses. The covenant of trust between the U.s.
government and the American citizen has been broken. The United
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