Don’t Jump Off the Deep End

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  My grandmother used to tell me that when I was little.  I am not sure how much I believed her but I ate my apple anyway.  I probably would have rather had a candy bar.  But I am glad my grandmother was looking out for me.  She helped me develop some of the healthy habits I have today.

Like most adults, my grandmother made sure I was eating a well-balanced diet.  Of course she did let us indulge in the occasional chocolate chip cookie, candy bar or homemade ice cream but she was smart enough to know that moderation was the important factor. 

Unfortunately, some people just don't get it. Take the television commercial that links children’s consumption of hot dogs with colon cancer. The ad, sponsored by a pro-vegetarian group calling itself the Cancer Project, uses children to grab viewers’ attention.  One child says, “I was dumbfounded when the doctor told me I have late-stage colon cancer.”

While advertisement grabs your attention, it’s simply not true. None of the children who claim in the commercial to be afflicted actually has cancer. It is a dramatization that highlights research linking processed meats with higher odds of getting colon cancer. But the connection is based on studies of adults, not children.

Yes, hot dogs aren’t exactly a health food, but eating one every now and then probably won’t hurt you.  The truth is processed pork fits into established nutrition guidelines, including the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity and an average of 5.5 ounces from the Meat and Beans Group daily.

It’s like what grandma taught me, the important thing is moderation. And remember a balanced diet and exercise is the key to staying healthy.  Pork can fit into that healthy lifestyle, too!

- Teresa Roof