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diabetes: scarier than terrorists and gays combined
Jars
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I heard a story on marketplace about how diabetes is going to cost 10% of our total expenditures on medical expenses in the next ten years. So out of every dollar spent on diagnosis, treatment, care, and burden of families 10 cents goes to diabetes. The only other medical condition that comes near this is Alzheimer's. At this rate an easily preventable disease could bankrupt the country. While not much can be done about type 1 diabetes, type 2 is heavily influenced by lifestyles and the current american lifestyle promotes very high numbers of diabetics.
To me this just screams that it's time to do something. The easiest thing to finger with the rising diabetes rate is high fructose corn syrup and the vast amounts americans and children in particular consume. But it's not that easy to compete with cheap sugary goods because people can't seem to get enough of them. Though there are other factors, like the severe lack of fiber in most american's diet.
I though Arnold Schwarzenegger actually had some good input on the situation, though in regards to childhood obesity which is closely connected to diabetes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IspMQlT9jj0
one of his ideas about combating the fact that people really like HFC with star power, this reminds me of the NFL's play 60 every day movement.
so do you think we can actually reduce the amount of diabetes we see in this country? or will sugary treats rule the day.
To me this just screams that it's time to do something. The easiest thing to finger with the rising diabetes rate is high fructose corn syrup and the vast amounts americans and children in particular consume. But it's not that easy to compete with cheap sugary goods because people can't seem to get enough of them. Though there are other factors, like the severe lack of fiber in most american's diet.
I though Arnold Schwarzenegger actually had some good input on the situation, though in regards to childhood obesity which is closely connected to diabetes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IspMQlT9jj0
one of his ideas about combating the fact that people really like HFC with star power, this reminds me of the NFL's play 60 every day movement.
so do you think we can actually reduce the amount of diabetes we see in this country? or will sugary treats rule the day.
Jars on
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Posts
I am very happy that I tend not to buy stuff with lots of sweetener in it.
http://www.fff.org/freedom/0498d.asp
Hint: The more times a person uses the word "freedom", the more likely they are to be crazy.
Freedom Tally:
Hexmage: l
Care to make it ll young man?
I have diabetes on both sides of my family and have been brainwashed since a young age to avoid a diet high in sugar and low in getting off the couch.
...no,no,no! If you break down my post, rearrange the letters, and spell "freedom" my tally is up to ll! Noooooo!
A better plan, IMO, would be to replace sugar with alternative sweeteners such as stevia. That way you eliminate a negative possible choice (excessive consumption of sugar) without causing too much outcry in the general public. I reckon that changing the environment around the populace to prevent excessive sugar consumption would be much more effective than relying on individuals making positive personal choices or restricting their ability to consume sweet products.
It's easy to finger HFCS, but in the end people can't be lazy assholes and eat whatever they want. if you replaced HFCS with sugar, or removed it, I dont think we would see a serious decline. (see the health nut thread we have, I was surprised to find HFCS is literally in everything and alot of shit it doesnt need to be. E.G Bread)
Also, have you seen the cost of supplies for diabetes? I both work for a major supplier and have type 1, and I can tell you it is insane. If you are on a pump you are kicking out upwards of 60$ a day/every 2 days for supplies, not counting the 5k minimum for the pump(replaced every five years as designed). And that is just the "life support" end, not testing your blood sugar. The industry is well formed to roll itself over like this while "A cure is 10 years away!". I think I have been told this since I got diabetes and at least 1ce a year since then from way back in the 90's.
But I wouldn't underestimate the power of PSAs. People are more easily influenced than you'd think. It shouldn't be the only step taken, though. They should cut the corn subsidies.
It really, REALLY annoys me how I can't have anything without HFCS, aspartame, or splenda in it.
It's a major problem that you almost can't find food without inappropriate levels of sweetener (usually HFCS) but it's sort of a chicken-egg problem. Our culture is used to consuming stupidly sweet things, like soda, and businesses are more than happy to support this habit. Now, you could make an argument that these businesses are causing health problems because they overuse HFCS, but that does nothing to address the demand for sweet food that makes overuse of HFCS a winning strategy for these businesses.
This is basically an unsolvable problem in America, because we probably won't accept any kind of governmental interference in our food choices (except the indirect stuff like the tariff that makes HFCS dominant in the first place) and sweet things are delicious. We will continue to buy sweet things. Companies will continue to sell sweet things. Pancreases everywhere will continue to throw their metaphorical hands up in the air and say, "fuck it."
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll return to sipping my double-chocolate mocha (that's where, in addition to chocolate syrup, the milk is also chocolate) while munching on a sandwich made with white bread.
I bought four bottles of pure maple syrup a couple months ago for about $4 each. I love living in Vermont. ;-)
Also, yes, please cut corn subsidies. There's not just diabetes to consider there, but the fact that we're growing a shitload of corn we don't need (fuck you, ethanol), while some of the crops really should be rotating through soy, wheat, cotton, or whatever else they can support.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
Also, corn pesticides killing all the honey bees.
Make your own bread! My wife and I havn't bought any bread other than a sourdough every couple months for quite a long time.
If I have to sacrifice my wants (electronics, nice furniture, new clothes, restaurants, entertainment) to support my need for quality food, then I'll do it with a smile. Unfortunately, a lot of people aren't smart enough or have the time to cook at home.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
I've done that before, but then it smells so delicious I eat way too much. (But it's sooooo goooood.)
Damn you Vermonters, I'm jealous!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W95PM8d1OoU
I buy bakery bread made in my local grocer (HyVee). The ingredients list tends to be, while still preserved to last more than a day or two, more of the 'milk egg sugar yeast' of the classical recipe. It won't last like Wonder Bread on the shelf, but in the fridge it'll keep long enough to use completely. It's about the same price as the brand name stuff, too.
As for maple syrup, I stopped buying that and instead I make a cinnamon sugar blend with Splenda for use on waffles, oatmeal and other breakfast goodies. 1/4 cup sugar/splenda to 1 tablespoon cinnamon, mix and store, easy peasy.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Also I'm apparently one of the very few people I know who doesn't like cake frosting. Seriously, it's so rich and it's like taking a bite into a huge fucking block of sugar. Ugh. Even the "good" frosting is too sickly sweet for my taste. I'd much rather have a "savory" dessert (with just enough sugar to put it firmly in the dessert category) than a sweet one. But I don't get sugar cravings very often anyway.
So the solution is to breed my genes throughout America until Americans don't want sugary stuff all the time. This could take a while, and so I am prepared to begin the breeding process immediately.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
I hate that commercial.
I eat fruit for dessert. crazy!
STRAW LADY: HFCS IS BAD!
LADY #2: Reasonable-sounding refutation of your poorly-worded argument. I shall now proceed to knock you down, straw lady.
STRAW LADY: YOU HAVE KNOCKED ME DOWN
there are problems
Yes.
And fuck fondant. That stuff is terrible.
Edit: Jars, apples are seriously one of my favorite desserts. Though in the summer, nothing beats frozen grapes.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
I have been really trying to drink more water.
Sweet tea you mean.
Theres nothing wrong with just plain tea or unsweetened ice tea.
Actual tea is essentially just water, so let's be clear here. The professor I linked in the video about fructose attributes most of the problem to soda. I'd imagine the sweetened tea is just as bad.
Edit: Damn it Wasser, I like tea more than youuuu...
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
Ew.
That used to sound appealing, but now it's just...
Ew.
Although it does take a while to adapt your taste to less sugar. Now it's like one cane-sugar soda every other week is a treat of sweet madness that is almost too much to handle. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Sandwich shop "drink/chips combo" deals are basically expensive chips because the my drink is always water which is free.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
Yeah I lived in NC for a while - I quickly learned that I had to specify 'UNSWEET tea please' with heavy emphasis on the UNSWEET. They would still bring sweet tea about 10% of the time.
According to this interactive diabetes incidence map of the US, nearly all of the counties with the highest percentage of diabetics are located in the southeast.
Diabetes in America
Well bad news! There's a new one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5TkstcgLYQ
Actually I feel great not wanting sugar all the time. You learn to appreciate more than just that one aspect of taste.
"Sugar is sugar"?! What the fuck?!
These are not the same.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!