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SAD - Standard American Diet
By Ninja Guru
Look what the Standard American Diet spells when you put it all together. It spells SAD and how appropriate that title is when you think about it. In a span of over thirty years (in my lifetime) the rate of obesity has skyrocketed exponetially. Also, the rate of people getting adult-onset diabetes (type 2), stroke, hypertension, cancer and other obesity related diseases has increased dramatically. The statistics tell the whole story. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), obesity in adults has increased by 60% in the last twenty years and obesity in children has tripled in the past thirty years. A staggering 33% of American adults are obese and obesity-related deaths have climbed to more than 300,000 a year, second only to tobacco-related deaths. Why are so many Americans so fat. This is the problem of overabundance and convenience.
In this age, Kali-yuga, gradually food grains will be reduced. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Twelfth Canto. No rice, no wheat, no milk, no sugar will be available. One has to eat meat. This will be the condition. And maybe to eat the human flesh also. This sinful life is degrading so much so that they will become more and more sinful.
~ Srila Prabhupada (Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 2.6, London, August 6, 1973)
The Age Of Convenience
After World War II the modern American housewife was searching for an easy and convenient way to feed her family efficiently and affordably. The answer came in the form of the now famous T.V. dinners. Coupled with this was the building of America’s national highway system. This meant that American’s were on the move. Diner’s dotted along the highways provided travellers with a quick and affordable meal on the go. The emphasis was on convenience. Eventually, these diners gave way to the modern fast-food chain, McDonald’s being one of the first. As the economy of the 50’s and 60’s kept humming so did the stagnant American lifestyle. American’s were increasingly relying on fast-food as the main staples of their diet. This, in addition to processed foods, refined sugars and inactive lifestyle has lead to the modern obesity epidemic.
And we have seen even in our childhood that poor men, the laborer class, servant, they came from village in the town. We were residents of town, Calcutta, The servants class, they would come... Everywhere, not in Calcutta, everywhere. The villagers would come, and the small salary. Even in our young days, we were paying salaries to the servants, twelve rupees, fourteen rupees, without any food. And still they would save at least ten to twelve rupees out of that. And this money, the servant would send to his wife at home, and as soon as there is two hundred rupees, he'll purchase a piece of land. And in this way, when he has got sufficient land for producing food for the whole family, then he would no more come to city for working. We have seen it.
That means as soon as one has a land sufficient to produce, he is safe. His food problem—that is the real problem—is solved. So people are not being trained up to... In America, I have seen. Now the farmers, the father is working on the farm, and the sons, they do not come. They live in the city. This is the tendency all over the world. They are not producing food grains. Therefore there is scarcity. There is scarcity of...
So anyway, the whole world situation is degrading, that people are not producing their own food. This is the problem, real problem. Ksetraksetra-jna. This example is given. As every man must possess a piece of land... ~ Srila Prabhupada