Medical-industrial complex impedes proper nutrition

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There is an epidemic in the United States of such degenerative ailments as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, cirrhosis of the liver, hypertension, and diabetes. The origin of these diseases is not an esoteric mystery.

Almost one half of the 1,987,000 annual deaths in the United States are attributable to problems arising from what we eat. Improper diet causes 84 percent of stroke and heart attack fatalities and 35 percent of all cancer The high incidence of colon cancer has been correlated to a diet high in fat and low in dietary fiber. Today, 40 percent of the typical American diet consists of fat. A diet high in fat has been linked to arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), the leading cause of heart More than two people each minute (1,250,000 annually) suffer a heart attack in the United States.

Almost half of these attacks lead to immediate death.

More than one in five victims is under the age of 65.

It has been difficult to gain public acceptance for the notion that life-threatening ailments such as cardiovascular disease and cancer could be related to such a simple factor as what we eat. But the accumulation of scientific evidence within the last 30 years has finally forced the American Heart Association, the American Enormous profits are at stake. The meat, dairy, and Institute for Cancer Research, and other institutes and egg industries now provide some 60 percent of all food agencies to issue warnings on fat consumption. consumed in the United States. Our major agricultural These institutions have now established dietary resources, our stocks of grains, are primarily devoted to guidelines which call for reduced consumption of red feeding the livestock that produce this food. Ninety-three meat, egg yolk, salt, sugar, refined flour, and alcohol, percent of wheat, 90 percent of oats, soy beans and while recommending increased intake of fruit, vegetables, barley; and 80 percent of the corn produced in the United There is a plethora of scientific and nutritional data confirming that this damages our resource base and The potential impact of these recommendations on the national health. The very grains, legumes, and vegetables food economy of this country is immense and can be produced in abundance for animal feed could provide measured in billions of dollars. This has been duly if amply for our daily protein needs. The protein analysis ominously recognized by the powerful meat, dairy, and of soy bean, for example, is remarkably similar to that egg industries. Over the years they have funded studies to of most animal protein-including milk protein. refute the evidence and have lobbied powerfully to The meat, dairy, and egg industries are not the only prevent either implementation of change or widespread food conglomerates which feel threatened by potential deaths.

Colon cancer alone kills 50,900 people than any other form of the disease except lung. It is the most frequent cancer killer who do not smoke.

attack and stroke. and whole grains.

Food for profit a year, more cancer of the among those understanding of its necessity. States are used to feed livestock. and soft drinks. pound of sweetener each day. the gums and bones that support them.

cause of death. In 1974, it rose to fifth place.

excess intake comes from processed foods.

nutritional research. fat and cholesterol. medication inflicted on the American people. Medical-industrial complex