People power for vegetable power

CEBU, Philippines - Who exactly is the culprit in the decrease of vegetable consumption? Is it the junk food manufacturer? Is it the fastfood chain? Is it the advertising companies? Is it the vegetable vendor? Is it the farmer? Or is it the carnivorous appetite? Or is it all of the above?

There has been a general decline in the consumption of vegetables in the Filipino diet that has upset Filipino health. The decrease in vegetable consumption has caused the increase of malnutrition, obesity and non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and other cardio vascular diseases.

Yet what is alarming is not so much the rise in non-communicable diseases owing to diets that are high on meat, processed food and junk food. Rather, it is that people no longer fear the consequences of poor nutrition and slow death so long as they can indulge on the food they want, even if this is not what their body needs. People have become too calloused and too seared in conscience that no matter how much “scare and fear” tactic is being done to warn people about the risks of meat based, processed-food based and junk food diets, they can’t seem to say “no” to food temptation.

It needs people power to get people to the vegetable power of nutrition. Just like the 1986 People Power Revolution that caused the historic and pivotal transition from a dictatorship regime, so must it be in ushering a regime of increased vegetable consumption. The media and players in the food industry other than the National Nutrition Council have much to do with a People Power type of pivotal transition in moving the Filipino nation to increase vegetable consumption.

Throughout the month-long nutrition campaign, there has been considerable exposures at encouraging a vegetable diet in different forms of media: radio, television, print and the internet or social media. But these exposures seem to be only a pittance in comparison to the mega-budgeted advertising of junk food, fastfood chains and even those in the liquor and beverage industry.

APPETITE WAR.

Moving the Filipino nation to increase vegetable consumption is an appetite war. The rules of war are such that whoever wins the appetite of most Filipino wins.  The war strategy here is to seduce and lure the mind, to win the stomach. The game plan is to sway and hold the Filipino appetite at bay on meat-based menu, junk-based snacks or pick up and go food purportedly to catch up with fast-paced lifestyle. All these come with just one genre – the Filipino people is programmed to a diet that is present-based and not a diet for longevity, of living a full and healthy life. It is appetite programming where the consumer is made to develop an appetite for food that the human body does not need and food that the human body won’t be needing in excess.

Right now, the advertising industry, the junk food industry, the fast food industry, other meat-based food manufacturers and food supplement industry are winning the war on appetite seduction.

The Vegetable Garden Revolution is nothing but gnats on the back of a carabao when it comes to the powerful advertising campaigns of meat-based diets. For instance, of what use is teaching or orienting children to eat vegetables and encourage them to plant vegetables in the backyard or in school backyards, if they are persuaded to believe that fried chicken and potato fries are more delicious? Of what use is coaxing children to eat vegetables if they watch a scene where a young boy their age can easily become intelligent if they drink a certain kind of powdered milk? Besides, even if a family can have a large vegetable garden, until vegetable is actually cooked and consumed, that garden can become but a flower bed of vegetables. Of what use is promoting a vegetable-based diet if there are food supplement companies that make claims that one capsule contains the nutrients of a garden of vegetables? The time is at hand to dismantle fragmentized ways of getting people to live a vegetable-based lifestyle.

To increase vegetable consumption, there must be a clampdown of advertising that promotes meat-based, present-based diets. In like vein as the way the government imposed heavy taxes on liquor and cigarettes purportedly to increase revenues on products that encourage vice. If the purpose of the law is to discourage smoking or alcoholism, then advertisements on liquor and cigarettes must similarly be levied heavily. Smoking and alcoholism are healthy lifestyle issues. It cannot be rectified with fiscal solutions.

To increase vegetable consumption, the appetite war must be fought in its own turf – mind, media and muscle.  More muscle must be flexed on media regulation of advertisements, themes and media content that tend to promote the proclivity for meat-based, processed-food based, junk food, fastfood diets. More muscle must be flexed on media campaign for promoting vegetable-based menu in fastfood chains, restaurants, hotels and school canteens.

At some point, awareness levels may have increased on the need for promoting healthy lifestyles but unless awareness does not translate to action, there is no muscle, no power to it. The best way to nourish the muscles is with vegetables. Just now it needs people power to gain vegetable power. (FREEMAN)