Most Americans are well-meaning. Given a choice, we’d like to eat more natural locally-grown and healthier food – provided it is easy to find and doesn’t bust our family budget. Ignorance is our real enemy – most of us simply don’t know what is actually in our food. That’s why you have The Real Skinny – now no one can pretend no one ever told them that there might be something really “bad” for them in the foods they consume every day.
You’ll thank me later … much later, like when you’re 90 years old and in great shape because you started eating better and living a healthier life.
Today we are going to talk about Genetically Modified Organisms or “GMOs” as they are commonly referred to. GMOs are organisms that have been created through application of transgenic, gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology. The World Health Organization defines GMOs as “organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.”
As you can imagine there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding GMOs. Proponents of GMOs say they have figured out a way to feed the world affordably because the crops are no different than what you are already eating. They believe GMOs are truly a scientific breakthrough worth celebrating. Opponents maintain that these crops are not natural in any way and blame genetically engineered crops for an acute increase in allergies and diseases sweeping across the world.
Most Americans don’t realize they are eating GMOs at all. They mistakenly believe that the word “natural” on the front of their cereal box actually means what we think it means. I hate to break it to you but as far as the FDA is concerned, it doesn’t mean much. Amazingly, according to our government, GMOs can be listed as “natural” – even though, once again, NONE of them occur in nature.
If you have read my blog prior to this, you can probably surmise that I am suspect of GMOs and try to avoid them whenever possible. At this point in time, the only way to do that successfully is to eat “100% USDA Certified Organic” all the time. That can be tough to do – and it can get expensive. Most of us have to assume that we are consuming genetically engineered crops every day. You see… the FDA does not require labeling of GMOs and as a result, they have crept their way into the American food supply in a myriad of ways.
I am not going to tell you what you should think about GMOs. I understand that we need to find inexpensive ways to feed a growing world. But I also think that we don’t know the long-term effects of GMOs, and I believe our government owes it to us to let us know what we are putting into our bodies.
I personally prefer not to be a science experiment. If you agree with me, you should register your concern with the FDA. You can do this by signing this petition at Just Label It.
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