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The Land of Plenty
The land of the plenty,
The home of the obese.
Why are 1 in 3 adults obese here?
Why are 1 in 6 children obese here?
Refined white flour:
Twice as addictive as cocaine.
How?
Take apart the wheat berry,
You get wheat bran, wheat germ, and wheat endosperm-
Wheat germ and wheat bran?
Bah! Too lumpy, too bland, too nutritious!
Wheat endosperm?
Ooh yes! Lose the bulk of the protein and nutrients, take the starchy part, ooh yes!
Least nutritious? Check.
Most addictive? Check.
Greedy people? Check.
Fast food? Check.
Nutrition facts? Ingredients?
Who cares?
It sure tastes good!
More, more, more...
Portion sizes doubled in the 70's,
I'll take a large,
No, make that an extra large
Soda sales spike,
Coca-Cola used to contain cocaine,
Now you're addicted to sugary acid,
But it sure tastes good!
Desert at every meal,
Restaurants are stuffed to the gills,
Fast food chains are growing,
Bakeries are everywhere,
Vegetables?
Bah, too bland.
Fruits?
Sometimes. They are mostly sugar anyway.
Fried food?
Ooh yes, bring it on!
It sure tastes good!
When did we stop caring?
What our food was made of?
Where it came from?
If it contained harmful chemicals?
What nutrients and vitamins were in it?
Why are 1 in 3 adults obese here?
Why are 1 in 6 children obese here?
Convenience.
Addiction.
Because it sure tastes good.
In the land of plenty,
Where food is easily obtained,
Where sweets are plentiful,
And refined white flour
And refined white sugar
Are everywhere.
Who needs a vegetable garden,
And a homecooked meal,
In the land of plenty?
Refenences:
The Craving Cure by Julia Ross &
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
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I am allergic to gluten and finding that out was probably one of the best things that happened to me. I highly recommend The Craving Cure by Julia Ross if you are interested in what is considered food today, and the obesity problem. Thank you for reading my poem.