The Economics Of Obesity- Why The Food Industry Needs Us To Overeat

In 2007-2008, the prevalence of obesity in the American population was a staggering 32.2% among adult men and even higher at 35.5% among adult women.[1] It isn’t a secret that the overabundance of food and the propensity towards overeating are key contributing factors to the lofty numbers of obese and overweight men, women and children here in the United States. But few understand the economics of what brought us to this unfortunate juncture in our health history. Weight problems and the collection of metabolic related diseases that accompany them stem mainly from eating more calories than we need. It might seem a simple cause and effect relationship but is personal weakness really the issue behind our tendency to overeat, or are there significant external factors? A studious look at the economics of food production provides considerable insight into the fact that overeating and excessive consumption of processed foods aren’t simply a matter of personal failing- but are requirements for the continued success of the U.S. food industry in its current form.

As disquieting as it may be, almost everything we hear or see relating to how and what we should eat is influenced in one way or another by major food conglomerates. From the seemingly obvious advertising via the direct media, to not-so-obvious processed food product friendly studies and government issued dietary guidelines. The fact that we are mostly unaware of the effectiveness of advertising and public relations by the food industry in making us eat more of the foods than we should is in itself a testament to its success. Food companies spend upwards of 33 billion dollars a year promoting their wares to the public- a figure that’s hard for most of us to really comprehend. Seventy percent of those funds are used to promote processed convenience foods, candy, snacks, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and desserts compared to the meager 2.2% which goes towards the encouraging consumption of fruit, vegetables, grains or beans.[2] The state of confusion experienced by most members of the public with regards to all matters related to diet and what is or isn’t healthy, is a deliberately planned result of these advertising dollars. Consequently, more people believe they are eating healthy while overeating and consuming the very processed foods and beverages that lead to weight gain.

Understanding The Impact of The Food Industry On Our Eating Habits

People often ask why would the food industry go to such ends to undermine public health and why does our government allow such things to happen? Most dismiss the question with the overly simplistic refrain that food corporations are inherently evil. As tempting as such explanations may be, the question remains unanswered. We are then left unaware of the inner workings of a system that can often mislead us if we don’t fully understand it.

“Know your enemy and know yourself and in a thousand battles you will always be victorious” –Sun Tsu

When I started personal training twenty years ago in Trinidad, there was never any mystery as to why some of the people who worked with me were overweight. They understood very clearly that their weight gain was caused by eating too much of the wrong foods. They could readily identify what those foods were. They also knew that remedying their situation meant regular exercise and eating a diet of natural foods, fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed food products. Now let’s fast forward to my practice today in New York City, where over the last ten years most of the overweight individuals who start our training program don’t understand how and why they put on weight. Many firmly believed that they followed a healthy diet and were baffled by their weight gain. But those diets always included processed food products. These products, marketed under the healthy food banner and or ‘organic foods’, do little but add an abundance of empty calories and are easily overeaten. Given such deceit, it’s hard not to see food corporations as evil troll-like entities bent on destroying our health. But the explanation is far more complex than we tend to think.

Why companies work so diligently to sabotage our health with messages of overconsumption of unhealthy foods? It has to do with economics and with the limitations of our profit driven society. Corporations are just that: corporations. They don’t have conflicts of conscience or moral dilemmas as they aren’t human beings capable of such abstractions. A corporation is an entity whose survival relies completely on its ability to amass growing profits for its shareholders. The ethics of any system usually revolve around what’s required to sustain the life of said system and food corporations are no exception to this rule. Without profit, corporations eventually cease to exist and so, in the name of generating revenue, everything becomes fair game. With regards to food production here in the United States, there are two inter-related economic factors that most of us don’t think about very often. They are that:

1. Food production in the United States is so efficient that it produces a food supply far greater than the caloric needs of the population
2. In spite of profits that seem to be astronomical, the annual growth rate of the food industry has always been very low

The Overabundance of Food and Its Effects on How the Food Industry Operates

The development of agricultural technologies have allowed American farmers (if you can still call them that) to become more efficient and productive while using less labor. Therefore, the American food supply is now large enough to feed everyone in the country twice- even after exports.[3] As encouraging as this may sound, it does impose some very finite limits- namely that there is more food being produced than people in this country can eat. Even the most voracious can only eat but so much, so in order to be successful, food companies not only have to aggressively promote their products as being superior but also must convince consumers to eat more of it. Much more. Economically speaking, overeating is a required condition for the survival of American food corporations because it is the only way they can turn large enough profits to satisfy their shareholders.

Tying in with the quandary of an overabundant food supply is the problem of limited market growth. With so many different products on the market, the annual growth rate of the food industry is only one or two percentage points. Thus, companies do their utmost to ensure that nothing interferes with this growth as it isn’t very much to begin with. Hence, they spend billions not only in advertising but in influencing government officials, nutritional authorities and the media to either say that their products are healthy or say nothing that could be construed as negative about their products. Lobbyists from the industry pressure Congress to see that no restrictions are placed on the consumption of their foods. The government has little choice but to be swayed by such lobbies as food sales in the U.S. account for 8% of the gross national product which works out to more than a trillion dollars in sales.[3] Equally persuasive is the fact that the food industry employs 12% of the American labor force. So, Washington has no alternative but to look out for their interests – given the enormous impact food production has on the stability of our economy. We tend to see our government as a system designed to protect the interests of its citizens and forget that for our current society to continue, they must also consider the well-being of corporations within its borders.

The Political Consequences Of Food Overproduction

The US need to protect the prosperity of the food conglomerates politicizes all nutritional guidelines. Therefore, policies as words like ‘eat less’, ‘don’t eat’ and ‘bad foods’ are vehemently opposed by lobby groups and seldom find their way into any public statements. Bear in mind that the government also supports financially the food industry to make sure that their profits remain high so it would be ludicrous to think that they would do anything to jeopardize an industry that they help sustain. Our tax dollars subsidize everything from price supports to marketing and food promotion programs. So, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to learn that the government actively works to promote higher consumption levels of foods that may not necessarily be good for us. The recent revelation that the US Department of Agriculture had been working with fast food restaurants to increase the amount of cheese that people eat in pizzas while the administration talks a fighting a war against obesity is a classic example. There is often much going on under the surface. The average citizen isn’t necessarily aware that the government’s public message isn’t always congruent with what goes on behind closed doors.

Read Part 2 of of the Economics Of Obesity- How The Food Industry Makes Us Eat More Than We Should here.

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training. Download a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York City area and need help losing weight or getting into shape give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420. Check out Kevin personal training services here.

References & Sources

1. Flegal KM, Carroll M.D, Ogden CL, Curtin LR- Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, JAMA
2. Gallo AE. Food advertising in the United States. America’s Eating Habits: Changes & Consequences. USDA

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The Dangers Of Visceral Abdominal Fat

In the olden days body fat was considered to be mainly a storage mechanism for our bodies in order to have an easily accessed supply of energy in the event of food shortage or prolonged periods of activity. However we know today that there are different kinds of fat- visceral (surrounding the abdominal organs) or subcutaneous (fat that lies between the skin and the abdominal walls).  The cosmetic considerations aside, several  studies show that  high visceral fat levels increase risk factors for insulin resistance, which sets the stage for type 2 diabetes. (Some research suggests that the deeper layers of subcutaneous fat may also be involved in the development of insulin resistance (in men but not in women).

Visceral Abdominal Fat Plays A Major Role In Developing Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease

These fat cells in the abdominal area are not merely inert storage mechanisms- in fact they are very much biologically active. In a way you should think of fat as an organ onto itself, as it is able to produce hormones and other substances that can have a profound effect on our health. One such hormone secreted by fat cells is leptin. Leptin is usually released after a meal and sends a signal to your brain for you to stop eating. Another hormone produced by visceral fat cells is the hormone adiponectin, which is thought to influence the response of our cells to insulin. Although scientists are still learning more everyday about the roles of individual hormones, it is clear that excess body fat, especially visceral abdominal fat seems to disrupt the normal balance and functioning of these hormones. Thus our body doesn’t secrete insulin the way it should (insulin resistance) and our we overeat because our leptin levels are disrupted by the increased presence of visceral fat.

Visceral Abdominal Fat Creates Chronic Inflammation & Increase Cancer Risks

Another finding that has researchers looking at the link between abdominal fat deposits and increased risk of metabolic syndrome is the role of cytokines. Visceral fat produces these immune system chemicals (namely tumor necrosis factor and interleukin y6) that can bring about an increase in insulin resistance, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic inflammation. Research also shows that there are other biochemicals coming from visceral abdominal fat that appear to have negative effects on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and the body’s blood clotting ability. The alarming news is that the dangers of increased visceral abdominal fat don’t end at heart disease and diabetes, studies have found that a waist to hip ratio higher than 0.85 was linked to a 52% increase in risk for colorectal cancer among women.

Visceral Abdominal Fat Hampers Daily Activity & Brain Function

Another study on atherosclerosis done at Wake Forest University in North Carolina found interestingly enough that even among people of normal weight, those with higher waist to hip ratios had just as much difficulty performing the daily tasks of everyday life as those that with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI).  Apparently having a big belly seems to make simple tasks such as getting out of bed and performing routine household chores far more difficult! More shocking was a study presented at an annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience which found that older people with bigger bellies had on average worse memory and less verbal fluency, and that was even when adjustments were made in the study to take diabetes into account.

How Do I Get Rid Of Visceral Fat?

So how do we combat this nefarious form of fat around our waists? Simple, exercise in conjunction with healthy eating are the most universally accepted and proven methods of reducing visceral abdominal fat. The great part is that by making healthy eating and exercising a regular part of your life not only will you reduce your risk of developing potentially fatal diseases, but you will look and feel better in the process as well!

Related Articles: High Intensity Training Reduces Visceral Abdominal Fat

Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts. Get a copy of Kevin’s award winning free weight loss ebook here and visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. 

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