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October 9, 2013
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Why Are We Eating in the Dark?
Shining a light on genetically engineered foods
BY
. I I ill
I I R
R ichardson
If N A U IK H M
by J
_
________
i
papaya, and a small amount of
H ave you e v er
zucchini and squash. You prob-
eaten a genetically
ably aren t eating cotton, and
engineered food? If
maybe you don’t like papaya,
y o u ’re lik e m ost
but avoiding com and soy-
Americans, you have
beans while eating in America
no idea. Genetic engi-
. .
-
*s nearly im possible. And
neenng ,s a controversial technol- nearly all of the com and soybeans
r" W hKh, gel\es fTOm ° ne Spe~ grown here are 8ene,ical|y en8'-
cies (say, bacteria) are inserted into neered.
cxamrd A ° f 3 ,d 'fferen‘ SpecieS <for
Most o f the corn and s°y we eat
70 percent of all food U.S. consum-
ers buy is genetically engineered,
But none of those foods are labeled
as such.
W hen you grab a box o f corn
flakes off the shelf, it looks like the
exact same corn flakes v o u ’ve
eaten for decades. W ithout send-
ing it to a lab for scientific testing
. .•
8’
w hether the DN A inside thT com
example, com).
sasIm Ple ’ u“ yo“ cantake
to figure out whether you ve eaten
any of thts newfangled stuff: Have
comes to us in processed foods -
oookies.cereal,crackers,chips.etc.
Soybean oil, often labeled as “veg-
etable oil,” is the most common f!t
in that cereal box is different So
m o s to fu s ju s tg o a b o u to u rliv e s ,
buying our favorite foods like we
alw ays have a n d s “ m n g h L
£ X a " , 20 t"el se, , f ‘ed T *
n the last 20 years. If yes, then
rtdn»Ve.h ™ stcertainlyea'f nst>me-
n e e L ha
genetlcally eng1'
“ T T " “
And yet, most Americans have
n° idea whether genetically engi-
neered foods
in ° ur supemtar-
haVe"'* Ch“" ^ ' d
industry wants.
“If you put a label on geneti-
cally engineered food you might
*
..
.
ow can I be so certain. Start by
kets and pantries. That’s no acci-
dent either, because the food indus-
d X k aS in,entiOna" y kept US in ,he
as well put a skull and crossbones
on it,” Norm an Braksick an ex
eCU,iVe i a Compa" y thal
canola, cotton, sugar beets, alfalfa.
It s not exactly a secret that 60 to
it
m X ' l y U d Z ' k in 7
Let me get this straight. Y ou’re New York are considering lab el
afraid we w on’t buy your product ing bills as well.
unless you slip it into our food
Out west, W ashington State is
secretly without a label?
gearing up for a ballot m easure
And because of that belief, Big requiring labeling that they will
Food has made darn sure that the vote on in November. As before in
governm ent didn’t require com California, companies like biotech
panies to m ention genetically en giant M onsanto are sp en d in g
gineered foods on their labels. heavily to keep consum ers in the
Until now.
dark.
W hen surveyed, consum ers
It’s outrageous that the m anu
overwhelm ingly say they want ge facturer of any product fights so
netically engineered foods to be hard to avoid telling consumers what
labeled. In 2012, a ballot measure they’re buying (and, in this case,
to label these foods narrowly lost eating). Big Food needs to come
in California after the food indus clean. If there is something wrong
try poured over $45 m illion into a with genetically engineered foods,
m isleading cam paign to oppose stop selling them. If not, label them
it.
so an educated public can decide
This year, the m omentum to whether we want to eat them. It’s
require labels continued on both that simple.
coasts. C onnecticut was the first
OtherWords colum nist Jill
state to pass a labeling bill. Maine Richardson is the author o f Recipe
follow ed soon thereafter, but the for America: Why Our Food System
sta te ’s governor refused to sign Is Broken and What We Can Do to
it. Vermont, New Ham pshire, and Fix It.
When it conies to Health, Place Matters
All people should have equal opportunities
R V R I? I A Kl Ç i u m i
by
B rian S medley
I
a
a
_ i _ . •
. •
- _
Unfortunately, in conversations, viduals to take steps to improve
The implementa people often reduce health issues
their health. Neighborhoods with
tion of the Afford to questions of access to health
high rates of poverty are subject to
able Care Act is an care or to behavior; in other words,
significant health risks, from the
achievem ent Am ericans can be if people only ate right, exercised, or
presence of polluting industries to
proud of. Making sure that all our saw a doctor regularly, health ineq
the absence of a grocery offering
brothers and sisters, children and uities could be eliminated.
fresh fruits and vegetables.
grandchildren, have proper health
Now, to be sure, access to high-
These same communities typi
insurance makes us a stronger, more quality health care is important, par
cally have poorer quality housing
prosperous nation.
ticularly for those who face health and transportation options, and are.
Amid this im portant change, risks. And individuals should strive
hit hardest by the home-mortgage
however, we cannot ignore the work for active lifestyles and healthy diets.
lending crisis, which crushed wealth
that remains to be done, especially
But a large and growing body of opportunities and disproportion
in communities of color. Insurance research dem onstrates that the
ately affected communities o f color.
cards are not enough.
spaces and places where people
Many o f these neighborhoods
To become a society with better live, work, study and play power
also experience high rates of crime
health - not just better health cover fully shape the opportunities they
and violence, which affect even
age - we must also look at the role have to achieve good health.
those who are not directly victim
place" plays in the lives of minority
People of color - who are still ized, as a result of stress and an
communities.
subject to persistent social, if not inability to exercise or play outside.
Where we live, work and play is legal, segregation - are dispropor
Even healthcare providers, hospi
surprisingly predictive of lifespan. tionately located in unhealthy
tals, and clinics are harder to find in
Within the city of Boston, for in spaces. This is a major factor that
these neighborhoods.
stance, people in some census tracts helps explain the poorer health of
It's no wonder life-spans vary so
live 33 years less than those in many minority groups.
greatly among neighborhoods, even
nearby tracts. In Bernalillo County,
Consider the numbers: One in those close to each other.
N.M., the difference is 22 years.
four African Americans, one in six
Some policymakers are working
A new report presented at the Hispanics, and one in eight Ameri
to address these place-based dis
Place Matters 2013 National Health can Indians in metropolitan America
parities.
Equity Conference in Washington, lives in a census tract in which 30
Federal programs that stimulate
D.C. last week demonstrates that percent or more of the population is
investment in the nation's hardest-
where you live is a powerful deter in poverty.
hit communities are working to at
minant for how long you'll live.
But only an estimated one in 25 tract businesses, create jobs, and
“Health equity” may sound like a non-Hispanic whites live in one of
reduce the concentration of health
jargon term, but it's really a simple these tracts.
risks.
and just concept: all people should
Neighborhood conditions can
The Healthy Food Financing Ini
have equal opportunities for good overwhelm even the most persis
tiative creates financial incentives
health.
tent and determined efforts of indi- for grocery stores or farmers' mar
kets to open in "food deserts." And minorities - was nearly $230 billion
the Obama Administration's "Prom between 2003 and 2006.
ise Zones" initiative will streamline
Add the indirect costs, such as
a host of federal "place-based" lost wages and productivity and
projects and offer technical assis lost tax revenue, and the total cost
tance to jurisdictions that seek to o f health inequities for the nation
stimulate economic activity and was $1.24 trillion.
build ladders of opportunity.
Our nation's poorest need health
Investments in vulnerable com insurance. But we cannot afford to
munities may be among the most stop there.
cost-effective strategies to close the
Only by recognizing and then
health gap and improve the overall erasing the deep divides that create
health of the nation.
communities with fewer health op
A study commissioned by the portunities can we create a nation of
Joint Center for Political and Eco individuals given the chance to reach
nomic Studies found that the direct their full potential.
medical costs associated with health
Dr. Brian D. Smedley is vice
inequities — in other words, addi president and di rector o f the Health
tional costs of health care incurred Policy Institute o f the Joint Center
because of the higher burden of fo r Political and Economic Studies
disease and illness experienced by in Washington, D.C.
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