Chapter 6: Choosing a Healthy, Sustainable Lifestyle

Learning Outcomes Understand how modern agriculture creates environmental problems and affects health. Explain how diet contributes to the explosion of modern health problems. Explain how different farming practices can solve environmental problems and improve overall health. Understand how living a more active lifestyle brings a higher quality of life.

Reasons for Poor Health Crop monocultures Contaminated and processed foods Obesity Sedentary living

Chronic Health Problems From Diet Type II Diabetes 1 in 3 chance for Americans born in 2000 Cancer Cardiovascular disease

Food Dilemma Industrialized diet Green and Industrial Revolutions Processed foods high in fat, sugar, and salt Green and Industrial Revolutions Allowed for increased crop yields by using pesticides and fertilizers Higher yields per harvest

Industrial Farming Emphasis is on more yields, thus more profit. It degrades soil. It creates social and ecological problems. It contributes to increased obesity and malnutrition. Leads to chronic disease and increased costs for health care

Farm Economics Governmental subsidies Give a faulty perception of the actual costs of food Corn, soybean, and meat Healthier crops not given the luxury of government subsidy Developed countries spend 10% of income on food; undeveloped countries spend 75%. Fossil fuel use and farming

High-Meat Diet Associated with affluence Problems with CAFOs Energy intensive, creates pollution, degrades soil Causes digestive problems in most animals because they do not naturally eat corn Why can’t animals be put out on pasture? Not enough land; decrease in profits (continued)

High-Meat Diet (continued) Overgrazing results in desertification.

Overgrazing Leads to Soil Failure

Industrial Versus Sustainable Farming (continued)

Industrial Versus Sustainable Farming (continued) Biodynamic farming Three sisters crop system Perennial polycropping Seed banks 90% of crops are hybrid strains or genetically modified organisms Titanic syndrome

Community Agriculture Buy local, seasonal food directly from the farmer. Farmers have a set market. Shared risk and reward promotes a sense of community. Farmers’ markets are an example.

Campus Garden

Smart Choices Campaign “Smart Choice” certification Still contain lots of fats, sugars, salt, and chemical additives Can be highly processed

Healthy Lifestyle Choices Your food purchases are a choice for or against sustainability. Choose foods your grandparents would recognize as food. Avoid processed foods. (continued)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (continued) United States grows large quantities of food. Obesity Malnourishment Creates emotional problems and poor discipline Soils devoid of nutrients (continued)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (continued) Lack of exercise exacerbates the problems of a poor diet. Exercise has many benefits for individuals and the community. Lowers risk for diabetes, heart disease, back pain, osteoporosis Increases social networking in the community (continued)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (continued) Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Each day 1,200 deaths are attributed to bad diet and inactivity. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years and continues to rise. Blue Zones Vitality Project Creating community change in regard to diet and exercise (continued)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (continued) 70% of healthcare spending is attributed to preventable illnesses. Lack of exercise Poor diet Smoking Alcohol consumption (continued)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (continued) What do you notice about people in the 1940s-1950s? Dieting is a modern phenomenon. Healthy lifestyle promotes: Healthy eating Activity Healthy agriculture (continued)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (continued) Sustainability is looking systemically at how you live and making choices to live better. Benefits of 30 minutes of exercise each day Reduces stress Improves self-esteem Increases overall sense of well-being Increases cognitive performance Decreases risk for major medical problems

Good Versus Bad Stress

Esperanza What do you think a trip to the grocery store looks like for Esperanza? Do you like that vision? Why or why not? How does your current lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise look in comparison to that of Esperanza? Do you prefer your lifestyle or would you prefer that of Esperanza? Why?