Big Food Makes Big Americans

July 31, 2008 | 2 Comments

It’s not shocking that Americans eat too much. I just didn’t know how much.

“We’re eating 3,747 calories/day on average when the recommended average is somewhere around 2,000?!?!?!!!!” (source)

I’ll put that into perspective. I’m 5′10″, which is about 4 inches taller than the average American woman. I weigh around 170 pounds, which is about 10 pounds heavier than the average American woman. I eat about 1600 to 2600 calories a day depending on my activity, my weight loss goals, the food available, my mood, etc. I am right at the cusp of “healthy weight” and “overweight” according to US governmental guidelines.

The average American eats over 1000 more calories a day than I do and I’m sure they don’t burn it off at the gym or on the farm.

Since it’s the average, that means it’s a social problem. Certainly some people do manual labor and require 3000+ calories. Some people are athletes and require 3000+ calories. Some people have medical conditions that require 3000+ calories a day. But on average, 3747 calories a day is too many. On average, it’s wasteful, it’s unhealthy, and worse, it’s not being dealt with properly.

While the mainstream media is talking about “The Obesity Epidemic” and making individuals feel guilty, few are seriously tackling the root causes of this problem:

School Cafeterias: unhealthy school lunches that are packed with meat, dairy, and junk food and light on fresh fruits and veggies, (read more regarding cafeteria lunches here)
The Government: inadequate guidelines for nutrition and nutritional data for processed and fast foods,
Big Food: misinformation and propaganda regarding nutrition in schools, on TV, and elsewhere.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Food, Health, big, calories, diet, excess, fat, nutrition
2 Comments to "Big Food Makes Big Americans"

Moving into our new place slowly but surely

July 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The movers came yesterday so we finally have our stuff. Now we just have a ton of boxes to unpack…

I hate moving. Its so stressful.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Miscellaneous
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Idiots

July 27, 2008 | 3 Comments

Maybe it’s just me, but I think people who claim that humans are so much smarter than any other animal that all other living beings are merely resources for human use rather than individuals should learn how to copy and paste.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under anti-animal, anti-veganism, idiots
3 Comments to "Idiots"

Babysitter: "I’ll starve the child because I can’t be bothered to feed him healthy fruits and vegetables."

July 27, 2008 | 2 Comments

I think the most difficult things about veganism and vegetarianism is when the vegan or vegetarian can’t prepare his or her own foods and must rely on omnivores, some of whom are not at all accommodating. For example, when the veg*n is a child, hospital patient, or prison inmate and the care-giver or guardian is an omnivore who doesn’t understand or doesn’t respect vegetarianism or veganism.

Having been a vegetarian child and also a vegetarian “hospital” patient I know first-hand about some of these difficulties: having to constantly defend your habits, and having to ask for or demand fair treatment. Now that I’m vegan, some of these things are even more difficult, though luckily for me, I’m no longer a child or patient. But now I’m also seeing veg*n life from another angle: my vegetarian sister and her vegetarian son experience some of the frustration.

Today, my nephew’s babysitter complained that she didn’t want to watch him because he “doesn’t eat anything.” She complained that he doesn’t eat chicken and so she couldn’t feed him.

Ugh, I just wish it were easier for people like my nephew. And I hope experiences like this don’t mean he’ll grow to share my resentment of omnivores.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under -Kids, children, nephew, omnivores, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian kids
2 Comments to "Babysitter: "I’ll starve the child because I can’t be bothered to feed him healthy fruits and vegetables.""

SLO Dream Town

July 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

My mom likes to remind me why she won’t move to Las Vegas (yet):

“The current issue of Sunset magazine shows San Luis Obispo a lot of love this month, featuring the city as one of its top 10 Dream Towns - or, as the editors say, places to go ‘for the perfect vacation, or the perfect rest of your life.’” (source)

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Travel, california, dream town, san-luis-obispo, sunset magazine, vactation
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