Better Food and Health

Though the recent Institute of Medicine report (Oct. 1) on preventing childhood obesity should be praised for going beyond the food industry’s self-serving focus on personal and parental responsibility, it fails to mention a key component of the problem: how our food is grown, processed and sold. Real change must mean reorienting our agriculture and nutrition policies so that the healthiest foods -- unprocessed whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and nuts -- are also those that are most easily accessible and most affordable.

Josh Miner

Food System Analyst

UC Cooperative Extension