Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Health Care Op-Ed article

I mentioned an article in the last post, an op-ed, and linked to it.

This article is well written, full of great one-liners and stingers, and is worth the meager time it asks to be read. It's written by Michael Pollan, journalism prof at Berkeley, author of "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," in which he puts forth the idea that we should stop eating edible food-like substances and eat food. (And while we're at it, actually eat, instead of just stuffing the face.) He points out that, just as health insurance companies took an interest in seeing a reduction in smoking once they realized how much each smoker was costing them, they are likely to do the same when forced to accept people with other preventable illnesses, many of which are direct results of indulgence in what is coming to be called the western diet. He puts forth the idea that agribusiness is so big and powerful that no one has been able to fight them thusfar, but that if insurance companies go after them, well, we might start to see some change in the way food is grown, distributed, prepared, and consumed. Worth reading.


As one who believes that much of our woe comes from imperfect living, much of which is all but required of us to participate "freely" HAHAHA in society, I am hopeful of this change.

I was about to write that "While our abilities to affect the course of things may be quite limited, perhaps we are responsible; perhaps, as my father believes, it is our responsibility to leave the world better than we found it. Well, for our generation, this is an extremely difficult task on some axes. I'd be happy to see a change in sign of the second derivative for now.", but could not in good conscience write the first subordinate clause. Only men, women, and groups thereof ever have "changed the course of history," as the arrogant phrase goes. Be empowered, oh ye with guts and gumption, or the will to get them growing! There is much to be done!


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