Over-consumption of food is killing us!

POSTING # 2

In my continuing story of Planet Satiety, our planet in peril --- www.planetsatiety.com --- I’m here today at my desk in the old Papal Palace in Avignon, France – in the heart of altar-wine country – and the seat of my continuing investigation into our culture of excess food consumption.

I’m actually sitting in the original bedroom of Pope Clement VI. Curiously, the Vatican has authorized this old Palace be remodeled into a combination sushi-bar, sound-stage and modern haberdashery… my prediction is that this idea will struggle to survive!

I don’t want to be a naysayer… but in my last post, I talked about the problems of over-consumption and what it portends. I’m not an ‘I told you so!’ kind of guy, but here are some grim statistics. (My news get better as you read.)

A Dismal Picture

Health statistics point out that nearly two-thirds of all Americans are overweight or obese. That’s over 200-million people! About half of our youth and young adults ages 6 - 20 (55-million+) have the same problem and half of them are defined as clinically obese. (Check out the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) at www.jama.ama.assn.org They list nearly 100 articles, studies or reports on this problem… and that’s just the current stuff!

One last bit of bad news: it’s estimated that over 400,000 Americans weigh over 400-pounds. (I have amorous tendencies but I can’t imagine thrashing around on a motel floor for a couple of hours with someone that size! Wow!)

Now for the good news… I’m predicting a gradual revolution against all the bad stuff we eat which causes a lot of the overweight and obesity we suffer in our culture. I predict that our American youth will read the story of Planet Satiety and adopt the Code of ECCE… a simple guide to better eating and nutrition.

Here’s a little background on the Code of ECCE:

Long ago in 17th Century Togomia, there lived a man named Young Burgerstein. Blessed with fortuitous foresight, he created the Order of ECCE -- Eat Carefully, Control Excess. He also made the Codex, a small stone block upon which he carefully carved sacred words and symbols which remind everyone that Purity, Sanctity and Enlightenment lead to good health and Longevity.

The inscription in the top triangle …

ECCE VERITAS

means: Behold the Truth!

Reading across the column tops:

EDÉRE RECTE – CONTINÉRE LUXURIA:

means: Eat Carefully – Control Excess!

Atop each column is a special icon:

The Unicorn has long been revered as the symbol of PURITY;

next over, SANCTITY, is symbolized by the Nyame Dua;

next, the Ankh symbolizes ENLIGHTENMENT;

and on the far right, the Celtic Knot, stands for ETERNITY.

Therefore the pillars of the Codex represent this equation:

‘Purity, plus Sanctity, plus Enlightenment = Longevity’

The bottom inscription reads:

RÉCORDE: NON PALMA, SINE PULVÉRE

Which means something we all know:

REMEMBER: NO PAIN… NO GAIN!

“For hundreds of years the secret order of ECCE quietly grew in numbers as its members enjoyed a healthy lifestyle. The Codex was passed down from generation to generation. Then came the advent of fast food and the many unhealthy eating habits that followed. Gone were the days of men and women hunting, gathering and preparing their own foods. Pre-packaged and processed foods were the new way. Suddenly the sacred words of the Codex were more important than ever!”

In my next posting, I’ll set the stage for how we got where we are and give you my predictions about where we could be heading. Stay tuned!

Cordially yours for the future: Nostradamus.

Over-consumption of food is killing us!