Who are they kidding? The Washington Post in a recent article in The Reporter posted February 2, 2013, announced government proposals for healthier food at schools. This is a complete joke. First of all, this ban on sugary sodas was supposed to have been solved in 2006 when then President Clinton was applauded for achieving the reform. However, according to Mike Adams of Natural News, even four years after this ban, sodas had vastly expanded their reach in U.S. schools. Second, the proposal is touting low calorie sports drinks, diet sodas, and baked chips instead of their unhealthy counterparts of high calorie sports drinks, sugary soda, and fried chips.

So the corn syrup sodas are pulled out of schools, but it is okay to promote aspartame consumption by children? Aspartame, which is the ingredient in diet soda, is even worse for your health than sugar. A combination of the amino acid phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol (wood alcohol) which are contained in aspartame, are known to be toxic. As it degrades, it forms formaldehyde—a highly toxic chemical! It is a neurotoxin and endocrine disrupter and can lead to depression and panic disorders. It is found in more than 3,000 foods. Phenylalanine has been linked with carbohydrate cravings, PMS, insomnia, convulsive disorders, and mood swings by blocking production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. So, those who drink diet cokeare more likely to become serotonin depleted. According to Dr. Hugo Rodier in his book, Sweet Death, aspartame has been shown to rob the body of chromium causing severe hyperthyroid symptoms called Grave’s disease, and cause irritable bowel disease and cancer. Eighty to eighty-five percent of all food related illness complaints to the FDA can be traced to artificial sugars, reports Rodier.

Next, “sugar-free” or “diet” is not sweet free. All artificial sweeteners are potent chemical agents that fool the brain cells by masking as sugar. Sweetness normally translates to energy into the body. The sweeteners, through the taste buds, program the brain to behave as if ample sugar for its consumption has reached the body and will imminently reach it through the circulation. Since there is strict control of the level of sugar in the blood, the brain calculates the outcome of the sweetness and instructs and programs the liver not to manufacture sugar from other raw materials, but to begin storing sugar. When the sugar that was promised through the taste buds is nowhere to be found, the brain and the liver prompt a hunger sensation to find food and make good on the promise of energy. The result is a state of anxiety about food. It has been shown that people who consume artificial sweeteners (“Sugar-free” alternatives) seek food, and eat more than normal. This is part of the reason why more than 37 percent of the population are obese and why they cannot lose weight. But the government’s proposal states that these diet sodas are in line with healthy standards.

Not only is the new healthier diet sodas not healthy, but baked chips are not any healthier than fried chips. Most of these baked chips still are saturated in some oil, such as canola or cottonseed; two of the most notorious oils that are genetically modified.

As for low-fat hamburgers? Let’s see. What was taken out and replaced to make that burger low-fat and still taste good?

In addition, the proposal by its very definition is seriously deceptive and is alluring to the unaware. Do Americans think that the US government as no intention of hurting the profits of its most powerful supporters—the food and drug corporations? Remember, the goal of the USDA, says Mike Adams, whom I agreed with, is to make it appear like they are doing something to improve the health of children under the guise of “healthy.” The word “healthier” in a news report does not make the food healthy. Don’t fall prey to this outlandish deception.