Bad Choices In Our Food System

Globally, our food system contributes to resource and habitat depletion, climate change, pollution, social injustice, economic hardship for small and medium farmers, and a public health crisis. The environmental, social, and public health costs of this current system are not properly acknowledged. Agriculture is the leading user of land and water, and a significant contributor to greenhouse gases, while farmers and agricultural and food workers are struggling to make a living. Diet is implicated in one in five deaths worldwide and diet-related illnesses are the leading cause of deaths in the US. Unhealthy diets occur across all countries and all income levels. Despite this, we are told it is the consumers’ fault. Putting the blame on individuals deflects attention from the policies that created the problems in the first place. With a focus on US policies, this book examines how our global food system has given us bad choices.

This timely Handbook synthesizes and analyzes key issues and concerns relating to the impact of agriculture on both farmers and non-farmers. With a unique focus on humans rather than animals or the environment, the book is interdisciplinary and international in scope, with contributions from sociologists, economists, anthropologists and geographers providing case studies and examples from all six populated continents.

Harness the Psychology of Food for a Healthy Lifestyle “...essential read for those of us trying to understand the mysteries behind the food choices and eating habits of today's consumer.” —Stephen M Ostroff, MD, former deputy commissioner, Foods and Veterinary Medicine, FDA 2021 International Book Awards finalist in Health: Diet & Exercise #1 New Release in Vitamins, Food Counters, Vitamins & Supplements, and Agriculture & Food Policy Author and CEO Jack Bobo is a food psychology expert with over 20 years advising four U. S. Secretaries of State on food and agriculture. He’s here to personally guide you on smarter food choices and improve your quality of life. Overweight America. We have access to more nutrition facts and diet plans now than ever before. Consumers have never known more about nutrition and yet have never been more overweight. For most Americans maintaining a balanced diet is more difficult than doing their taxes. What are we doing wrong? Learn to eat better. Jack Bobo reveals how the psychology of food has been invisibly controlling us, in the grocery aisles, at restaurants, in front of the refrigerator, and in every other place we make crucial food choices. Now behavioral science is changing the way we think about food and showing us how to develop healthy meal plans and deliver more balanced diets. Apply behavioral science to your diet plan. A balanced diet creates healthy routines and a better quality of life. You can move beyond fad diets, pop science, and calls for ever greater willpower. Explore the deeper causes of hidden influences and mental shortcuts our minds use to process information and how they often prevent us from healthy eating habits. You can: Understand the psychology behind hidden influences Make better food decisions Fear less and enjoy more the food you eat If you enjoyed books like Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy;SuperLife; How to Be a Conscious Eater; or How Not to Die; you’ll love Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices.

In Rebuilding the Foodshed, Philip Ackerman-Leist provides a roadmap to re-localize our food systems. How? by rebuilding our foodsheds to keep more of our dollars in the local economy, meet food needs affordably and sustainably, and make our food systems more just and resilient. This book showcases some of the most promising, replicable models that are trying to tackle tough issues like distribution and transportation, energy costs, fair labor, rampant food waste, and institutional food needs. By answering these questions, and more, Rebuilding the Foodshed leads us to the next phase of the local food revolution.--COVER.

The new Kenyan government faces a complex domestic and global environment, and it is widely expected to address key food and agricultural challenges with a new set of policies and programs. This policy brief presents key recommendations from a forthcoming book, Food Systems Transformation in Kenya: Lessons from the Past and Policy Options for the Future, which provides research-based “food for thought and action” to support the Kenyan government’s efforts to improve food security.

World-renowned WWE Hall of Famer turned fitness guru Diamond Dallas Page wants to transform your life. After decades of helping others make radical transformations in health and fitness, Diamond Dallas knows what is really holding you back from profound life change. He has watched countless people take ownership of their lives, physically, mentally, and emotionally—and he has witnessed, time and again, the precise instant when a real and massive shift occurs in a person’s attitude. In Positively Unstoppable, he brings his understanding of what really moves people to change and own their lives. It begins when we discover what we really want, and then commit to follow the steps that will turn that goal into a reality. Regardless of where we are at in our lives, it’s possible to have a breakthrough. Filled with lessons from Page’s life that share his own struggle to find his calling, overcoming one obstacle after another, Positively Unstoppable is a bible for anyone who needs to be re-inspired to follow their dreams and take real action towards the things that matter most to them. Page’s gift of authenticity has helped him motivate those who may have lost hope, because he truly understands the incredible power of self-belief. Page includes powerful transformation stories, goal-setting guides, as well as a sample workout, eating plans and delicious gluten-free, non-GMO recipes from his wildly popular fitness program, DDPY. Positively Unstoppable is your roadmap to getting “unstuck” and taking the steps needed to create a healthy, magnificent life.

Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices explores the hidden influences and mental shortcuts our minds use to process information and how that often leads to unhealthy food choices.

We Americans love our food. It’s part of what has made this nation great. Our fertile farmlands and the abundance and variety of our agricultural output are the envy of the world. For most of our history, we lived close to the land, food was accessed locally, and we processed it in our own kitchens. But as our population and economy has boomed in the last century and we concentrated in cities, we industrialized our food system—with food coming far from home and processed multiple times. As foods rich in natural taste declined, we relied on high amounts of added sugar, fat, and salt to entice our palates. And it has taken a toll: our soil is polluted, our practices are unsustainable, and our health problems, including everything from allergy-related disease to obesity, are on the rise. This has all contributed to historic levels of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other causes of preventable death. The good news is that people are starting to find solutions. They’re voting with their pocketbooks for a new kind of food system—family farm, 21st-century style. Suburban and urban moms (and dads) want to know what’s in their food and where it comes from. No more snack packs, Ding Dongs, and soda for lunch. This revolution is not only in how people eat, but also in how they grow, distribute, shop for, and prepare food. And the food is better tasting, better looking, and better for you.The Real Food Revolution by Congressman Tim Ryan is a manifesto for this new food movement. In it, readers will find information on: • The history and current state of our food systems • Myriad negative impacts of our present food practices on our health and our planet • Pros and cons of the current farm bill and what changes could help restore our nation • What’s happening both at the national and local levels • How people can get involved, with actionable steps at the end of each chapter This is a non-partisan, good-news message that will inform, inspire, and help readers around the country get involved. The era of the Twinkie and the hot-dog-stuffed-crust pizza has been fun, but now it’s time for a change.