I read a great article this week by Mark Bittman, author of the Minimalist food column in the New York Times. The article, A Food Manifesto, appeared in my hometown newspaper, The St. Petersburg Times.

Mr. Bittman offered some suggestions that would, as he put it, “make the growing, preparation and consumption of food healthier, saner, more productive, less damaging and more enduring”.

Among the suggestions he offered, all of which I support wholeheartedly, was one to end government subsidies to processed food.

I immediately thought about how these foods contribute to obesity, poor eating habits and poor health in general, and food addictions.

So why does the government subsidize them and instead focusing on real food, one of the other suggestions listed in the article?

In backing the marketers of junk food, is the government not also supporting poor eating habits, food addictions, and obesity? It may  sound sinister, but you can’t have it both ways.

Maybe it’s time to educate ourselves on what goes on behind the scenes of our food supply. It might help connect the dots and make the big picture a whole lot clearer.

Anyone who has ever struggled with a food addiction or emotional eating problem, or is clinically obese, has Type II Diabetes or any of the other myriad ailments that processed foods promote knows just how serious this situation has become.

Even if Americans can’t agree on foreign policy, guns, or abortion, maybe we should unite on this one. Our food supply is one of our most precious resources and we need to speak out about it.