Is It the Kale or the Conspiracy? A Look at Why Our Health—and Our Food System—Are a Hot Mess

by Bex Lowrance June 16, 2021

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein

🚨 America, We Have a Problem

Let’s get straight to the awkward truth bomb:
Nearly half of all U.S. adults have diabetes or prediabetes.
Three out of four are overweight or obese.
Kids are now dealing with food allergies like it's a full-time job.
And the average senior? On five prescription drugs. At least.

Not dramatic enough? By 2030, heart disease will kill about 24 million people a year—and it’s still holding its title as the world’s #1 death dealer. Gold star?

Scared yet?
Good. Now let’s figure out how we got here.

🏥 The Healthcare System Is... Not Healthy

Medicine used to be about healing. Now? It’s about billing.
We’ve traded prevention and education for prescriptions and procedures. Instead of getting to the root of the problem (like, say, what’s on our plates), we slap a bandage on it made of pills, profit margins, and vague health claims.

We’re living in a system that says:

“Live fast, eat what you want, and when you break down, we’ve got a pill for that. Or four.”

Not exactly a wellness plan.

🍽 The Truth Is on Your Plate

According to actual science (not TikTok influencers), the #1 factor in your long-term health is the food you eat.
But navigating nutrition is like trying to pick the right fork in a spaghetti western standoff.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever wondered:

Is fat good or bad this week?
Am I protein deficient or just tired?
Are eggs friend or foe?
Do I need to go vegan, or is grass-fed beef still invited to the party?
Is organic worth it or just expensive dirt?

If your hand’s up, cool. Same here. It's not you—it's the food system.

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The USDA: Conflicted Since 1862

Fun fact: The USDA is supposed to do two things:

Protect public health
Support American agriculture

Now imagine trying to tell people to eat less meat… when your job is also to promote the cattle industry. Conflict much?

Since its first nutrition guidelines in 1917, the USDA has been stuck in a tug-of-war between science and lobbyists. Spoiler: lobbyists usually win.

🥩 Meat, Money, and Misinformation

In the '70s, when government guidelines dared to suggest eating less red meat (gasp), meat-state senators and industry lobbyists threw a very well-funded tantrum. Result? The guidelines were watered down to please Big Beef, Big Dairy, and Big Sugar.

It wasn’t about health. It was about not upsetting billion-dollar industries.

And it’s still happening.

In 1991, the USDA released the Food Pyramid. Remember that triangle that told you to eat six servings of bread a day like it was your job?
Yeah. That wasn’t science. That was politics—with a side of marketing.

🥖 The Shape of Our Health: Pyramids, Plates, and PR

Let’s review the evolution of nutrition advice:

1991 Food Pyramid: Too many carbs, not enough common sense.
2005 MyPyramid: Slightly better, but still confusing. Also, who exercises 60 minutes a day? (Asking for a friend.)
2011 MyPlate: Finally, a visual we can understand. Half fruits and veggies? Cool. But… dairy still got a VIP seat at the table and the guidance was still vague. “SoFAS” for added sugars? Sounds like a furniture sale, not a health warning.

🏭 Food Corporations: Winning at Spin

Meanwhile, the food industry is out here slapping USDA-approved graphics on cereal boxes like Lucky Charms is a health food because it contains “whole grains.” Spoiler: marshmallows are still not vegetables.

The government’s “checkoff programs” promote products like milk and beef, but where are the ads for kale? Spinach? Legumes? Exactly.

🧠 Be Your Own Health Advocate

If this all feels a little rigged… it’s because it is.
The people and institutions we expect to guide us? Often funded by the very industries profiting off our confusion and chronic illness.

But here’s the good news: you have way more power than you think.

Every time you:

Buy real food
Choose plants over packaged junk
Shop at your local farmer’s market
Say no to another ultra-processed snack pretending to be healthy

…you’re voting. With your wallet. With your plate. With your fork.

🌿 Change Is Happening—Because of You

The rise of places like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and organic sections in every big-box store isn’t random. It’s a response. A signal that people are waking up.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be intentional.

Want a better system? Don’t wait for permission. Start with what’s on your plate.

Because healthy people create a healthier planet. And both are worth fighting for.

So, what now?

Stick around. Dig into the blog. Download a guide. Question everything—especially your cereal box.

Welcome to The Green Thread, where we connect the dots between food, health, and sustainability—without making you cry into your salad.

#EatLikeYouGiveADamn
#TrustYourGut
#TheGreenThread