America, you in danger

On a positive note, this administration is doing wonders for my imposter syndrome.

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I have lots of thoughts about this current regime administration that’s in charge. None of them are good. It seems that the only qualifications to be in charge of some of the most important positions in government are being a snake oil salesman, fear mongerer, having thoughts and opinions that are not backed by science or evidence, and, of course, having zero credentials. What could possibly go wrong?

It’s going to be a long 4 years…

Well, we currently have an administration with strong anti-vaccination views, strong anti-chemicals in food views, and strong anti-anything related to science views. I bet you’re thinking, but chemicals in food do sound bad. Let me clarify, everything we eat is made up of chemicals of some kind. There is nothing wrong with being curious about ingredients and what they are, but just because something looks unfamiliar or is found in another product, doesn’t make the food toxic or bad. Our vitamins and minerals are written out in long form on nutrition labels. So, vitamin B2 is written out as riboflavin on nutrition labels. Spreading fear because you don’t understand chemistry isn’t a “gotcha” moment to take on Big Food, it’s chemophobia.

I also kinda expect the Health and Human Services Secretary to know what riboflavin is, even if you can’t pronounce it, and know that it is, in fact, a necessary vitamin that our body needs. The bar is kind of on the floor here. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a dietitian with a degree and certification, who had to spend a ton of time studying the human body and the chemical processes of the human body in order to obtain said degree and certification. But that’s neither here nor there.

Lots of big words here, but surprise! These are the chemicals that make up a banana.

It is, in some ways, comical to me that people come after dietitians as one of the top reasons why people in this country are so unhealthy. Lengthy exposé articles are written about us (looking at you, WaPo!) because we are apparently just bad people. We are taking money from Big Food! We are promoting the food pyramid! We are promoting sugar, which is toxic! I personally am waiting on the articles written about the wellness influencers who are not only also taking money from Big Food but have investments in it. And when they say “Big Food”, I am assuming they mean the food companies with which folks decide to do partnerships. General Mills is a food company, but so are the small indie brands that wellness influencers have a stake in, investment-wise, who are profiting off of nonsensical words like “clean” and “superfoods”.

I am not saying that dietitians are above criticism, but I do find it laughable interesting that it seems to be totally fine for wellness influencers to promote their own views and products under the guise that they are the ones who truly care about health. So, the folks who don’t know what riboflavin is, think fluoride is a bad thing, think that we still abide by the food pyramid which was retired in 2011, and wear glucose monitors when they don’t have diabetes because they don’t realize that blood spiking while consuming food is normal, are the ones to listen to for all things health and wellness? Ummm, sure, okay.

I mean, none of this is surprising at all, and the whole idea of snake oil sales is very on