Plus, her ads are running in major magazines such as Health, with a circulation of over 1 million. While some consumer groups have questioned this blatant government promotion, a HHS spokesperson defended the ad, saying no money was accepted and no ethics rules were breached. Yet another way the USDA supports the meat and dairy industries is through cash grants. These grants represent a disturbing tax dollar trend toward government-industry partnerships which promote questionable practices. Having the same government agency charged with educating Americans about healthy eating also promoting industry interests is an obvious conflict of interest and explains in large part why the American public is not being told the entire truth about the nutritional value of its food choices.
Big business has much at stake when it comes to maintaining the status quo.
Until the USDA is reorganized to split these two competing interests, the American public will continue to be fed misinformation and unhealthy foods, resulting in ongoing high rates of chronic disease and related suffering. On the other hand, if consumers rise up and demand that government be made accountable to the people it is supposed to be serving, perhaps then we can begin the necessary changes towards improving nutrition policy in this country.