I knew processed foods were bad...

[lekate]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neal-b..._b_919034.html

Are hot dogs a political issue? Surprisingly so.
On Monday July 25, my non-profit organization, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, erected a billboard outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The picture was stark -- a cigarette pack emblazoned with a skull and crossbones. But sticking out of the pack were not cigarettes -- instead there were hot dogs. The message said "WARNING: Hot dogs can wreck your health."



The issue is cancer. Every year, about 143,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 die of the disease. About half of all cases are already incurable when found. The U.S. Government and other entities have poured millions of dollars into the search for the cause. But one of the causes they found turned out to be too hot for the government to handle.



It's the ordinary hot dog. At least 58 scientific studies have looked at the issue, and the jury has rendered its verdict, which is now beyond reasonable doubt. The more hot dogs people eat, the higher their risk of colorectal cancer. And it's not just hot dogs. Any sort of processed meat -- bacon, sausage, ham, deli slices -- is in this group. And here are the numbers: Every 50 grams of processed meat you eat on a daily basis (that's about one hot dog) increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent. And just as there is no safe level of smoking, no amount of hot dogs, bacon, sausage, ham or other processed meats comes out clean in scientific studies.



The problem goes beyond colorectal cancer. An NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study found a 10 percent increased risk of prostate cancer for every 10 grams of increased intake of processed meats. Other studies have linked these same products to leukemia and ovarian cancer. Exactly how processed meats do their dirty work is not clear; it could be their nitrites, saturated fat or other ingredients.



But here's where politics come in: Even though much of this research was paid for by the U.S. government, the government also subsidizes meat. It supports feed grains to fatten cows and pigs, buys up meats for the school lunch program and helps the meat industry in countless other ways. So I think that the last thing the government wants to do is to publicize the cancer risk of one of its favorite products. I believe that this is why there are no government billboards, radio ads or television spots to warn anyone about this easily preventable cause.
At a ballgame, if you're thinking about buying your daughter a hot dog, there are no notices, no warning labels on the food product, no nothing. Meat industry lobbyists have made sure that your government won't breathe a word.


The fact is, hot dogs are not fun, cute or "All-American." If you are not convinced, just ask to see how one is made.



When good research finds a potentially fatal risk to Americans -- one as close as our refrigerators and as dear to us as our children -- the government needs to let Americans know.
And when it does not, we will.





The sad thing is that lobby groups are extremely successful in the US, so despite the research pointing out that processed meats can cause serious problems, the gov't will never back these claims...

[gryphon]

Well I only eat kosher foods anyways.

[vibrantflame]

Doesn't surprise me really, it seems everything will give you cancer now a days...and the amount of additives they put in that stuff...Scheinders (sp?) has come out with all natural hot dogs and lunch meats, and Maple Leaf now has all natural hot dogs too, they're priced the same as those Red Hots but they come on sale sometimes. I have to buy those for my husband as he can't eat processed meats (his stomach can't handle them).

[TaraF]

Our food is KILLING us and governments are standing by and watching it unfold because they are getting their share of the profits, it's sad. I'm currently reading a book called, "Nature's cancer fighting foods" and it talks about the sheer crap we are ingesting and backs up the the claims with resaerch information as well and 80-90% of cancer is due to Diet and Environment. I've mentioned here before that my cancer is being studied and more than likely will be determined to be due to extremely poor diet over the years. It's a tough pill to swallow to have to realize that you, "did it to yourself" simply by eating "what most other people are" but that stuff was crappy through and through.

It's scary to think that cancer is as prevelant as it is and that 80-90% of it could possibly be avoided if we made better food choices and moved a little more, but not as scary as the Government sitting back and pushing this crap they call food to people or turning their heads the other way simply because they can make a good buck on it.

[ninna]

yaaaaaackkkkkk.

We just had a campfire tonight...oh yeah....there were hot dogs...and then i came inside to surf SC and read this article. Totally resisting the urge to stick my finger down my throat. ok. so that's gross and I wouldn't do it, but them hotdogs ain't sittin' so pretty in my belly right now.

But it shouldn't come as a surprise to me--honestly, the "convenience" of our food has GOT to have a price somewhere and human health risks are just the start-- cancer causing agents in food, a burgeoning obesity epidemic etc

And don't kid yourself. There are VERY strong lobby groups in Canada as well. You can bet your bottom dollar we're not too far off the Americans in that regard and that blind eyes are also being turned in this country too.

ugh. makes me want to go forage in the woods and live off wild berries and roots or something.

[Shwa Girl]

O.k.
I'm going to poke fun at the article.
Why blame the hot dog alone?

I bet the study did not look at other things that those with colon cancer were doing?
How much fibre do they eat? How much water do they drink, or are they drinking pop? And, how much exercise do they get?

I hate when the experts do not give the full picture or do not look at all the aspects.

[TaraF]

O.k.
I'm going to poke fun at the article.
Why blame the hot dog alone?

I bet the study did not look at other things that those with colon cancer were doing?
How much fibre do they eat? How much water do they drink, or are they drinking pop? And, how much exercise do they get?

I hate when the experts do not give the full picture or do not look at all the aspects.

The article did say the combined intake of 50 grams of processed meat a day whether it be deli meat, bacon, sausage or a hot dog but the intake is equivilant of 1 hot dog a day. You have a point though on what else these people were eating and drinking or lack thereof but they more than likely went by statistics that show most adults don't get what they need each day in fibre, water, etc.

[Lynn49]

It's been a long time since we had anything that contains nitrites, and hot dogs were also on that list of no-nos for us. Our DD jumped for joy when Schneider's announced their "no artificial anything" in their weiners and deli meats (and now Maple Leaf has jumped on the bandwagon). Up to that time our grandson never had a hotdog.
I admit to giving in to the hot dog craving a couple of times a year, but now I can have them guilt free.

There's so much crap out there that may not be directly killing people, but certainly isn't contributing to a healthy lifestyle, either.
Eat fresh foods or fresh frozen or canned....They're much better for you and your kidlings!

[gryphon]

A lot of crap is in the food. I mentioned I eat only kosher and the fact is that kosher food is healthier due to not having all the crap put in it.

[TudorChick]

i ate hot dogs today..everything we eat unless we cultivate it ourselves is going to give us cancer.the computers we use are giving us cancer.the vehicles we drive,the water we drink...i choose to live not worrying about things beyond my control.i would love to eat completely organic and drive an electric car and not use a cell phone,but then my OCD would be kicked into high gear.what i am getting at is everything can make you sick..

[muggos0101]

i ate hot dogs today..everything we eat unless we cultivate it ourselves is going to give us cancer.the computers we use are giving us cancer.the vehicles we drive,the water we drink...i choose to live not worrying about things beyond my control.i would love to eat completely organic and drive an electric car and not use a cell phone,but then my OCD would be kicked into high gear.what i am getting at is everything can make you sick..

I sometimes wonder how many people have died of cancer in previous generations and it wasn't diagnosed because there was 'no such thing' as colon cancer or breast cancer just because people weren't checking for it.

[muggos0101]

We just had a campfire tonight...oh yeah....there were hot dogs...

You probably were exposed to more carcinogens from the smoke than the hotdog. Does that mean nobody should have camp fires? Even when I was a kid we would call hotdogs cancer sticks, but only when we cooked them over a fire. Not that I'm THAT old, but people didn't seem to worry about cancer as much back then, and we certainly didn't have ads telling us that 2/3 of us will eventually die from cancer. With stats like that it sounds like maybe it's just a normal thing that happens as toxins build up in your body, and the reason we see so much today is party due to greater amounts of toxins, but also just cause we're living longer which gives us more time to poison our body. It's not easy being at the top of the food chain

[urouj862]

omg this is scary, i heard something about nitrates about a year ago and significantly cut down proccessed food consumption in my house, down to 2 servings a month and that too i think is too much,

we eat halal- animal has to be cut with gods nsme invoked upon it, but its supriseing how many companies that are halal certified are introducing things like halal hotdogs/bologne/burgers etc for almost a decade now. With all these health concerns associated with processed foods, its not worth it and should totally be banned or substituted with healthier ingredients.

[Shwa Girl]

You probably were exposed to more carcinogens from the smoke than the hotdog. Does that mean nobody should have camp fires? Even when I was a kid we would call hotdogs cancer sticks, but only when we cooked them over a fire. Not that I'm THAT old, but people didn't seem to worry about cancer as much back then, and we certainly didn't have ads telling us that 2/3 of us will eventually die from cancer. With stats like that it sounds like maybe it's just a normal thing that happens as toxins build up in your body, and the reason we see so much today is party due to greater amounts of toxins, but also just cause we're living longer which gives us more time to poison our body. It's not easy being at the top of the food chain

I'm gonna defend the hot dog.
A hot dog once in a while at a camp fire is o.k. And the new one with ingredients you can understand (Schneiders?) is a step in the right direction. Balance, enough fibre, enough fruits and veggies, enough water, enough sleep, enough exercise and a reduced stress lifestyle.

I think we know more about what causes cancers than before so we we are able to predict the number of deaths due to cancer.

Yes, you are right. We are living longer. As we live longer, and the body gets older, the ability to fight heart disease, stroke, DIABETES (this one is a biggie too) and cancer, decreases. Our T killer cells are not as good as when we are younger.

I say, eat well, sleep well, get moving. Live, love and laugh too.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

[Natalka]

It's definitely not fair to just slam hotdogs, it's all processed meats (deli meats, etc.).
Frankly, it's all pre-packaged stuff, and any additives. A shame that there are so many coupons for frozen dinners, and few/none for produce.

My parents both died in their 60s of colon cancer - I'm sure they had fewer than a dozen hotdogs in their lifetime...