Quote:
Originally Posted by 107barney  Would it surprise you to know that some of these very highly regarded experts have the very opposite view that you've stated? They would most certainly pick quality control and scientific features over a well launched and funded marketing strategy by companies who shirk things like science and professional nutritionists. I can't say which companies are good or bad but I know I would look first at who is making their food -- and in most cases, it is not a veterinary nutritionist! Why spend millions on marketing and not spend a fraction of that to have a salaried nutrtionist on staff. Hospitals certainly wouldnt hire a painter to make up meals for their patients, so why should pet food companies hire advertising people or relatives to make up our pets food?
Not everything you buy at whole foods is nutritionally superior. I don't shop at walmart much, but when I have, I have seen organic foods and grass fed meat options. There are canned items that are "processed" like coconut milk that are no different than WF and wild caught salmon or sardines that are no different in nutritional value than a fancier more expensive brand. The frozen food sections carry local fishes, and they may not say "wild caught" but when you see "cod" in New England, there is really nothing farm raised. I'm sure local catfish or the like end up in wamarts down south. Do you really think that a major buyer like Walmart isn't sourcing their foods from many places including local dairies, fisheries, or slaughter facilities? Many people save a lot of money shopping at Walmart for their families, and there is nothing wrong with that! |
It would not surprise me at all. I should explain why I feel the way I do about these cheap, processed brands full of corn and filler. Although my first degree is from a liberal arts uni, I stumbled on to nutrition as a side career, and I will tell you anyone can call themselves an nutritionist and becoming a registered dietician is a far more rigorous process. I went as far as applying to school again to be an RD and stopped because I completely disagree with most ADA and FDA guidelines that are allegedly backed by scientists and doctors, and the pushing of processed foods by companies like Nestle (which makes Purina) and Unilever. Large multi-national corporations care most about profit, bottom line and they drive much of the hedgemonic norms we live by. I could not endorse a way of eating that may be backed by paid "scientists" and "doctors" but has left many, many Americans overweight, sick, unhealthy, and dependent on pharmaceuticals for things like blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc. However, due to lobbyists, politics, profit, monopolies, companies like Monsanto, the FDA will approve things like sugary processed cereal w/ added fiber instead of telling people just to eat steel cut oats, quinoa, lentils, fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats not from factory farms, etc. I do not know whether you have lived abroad or researched food and diet and seen a difference in the say, the Japanese or French eat/ their general attitudes towards food and health, but it's quite interesting to learn about! You mention that a hospital would not hire a painter to create a menu for them but hospitals often have absolutely terrible food of the white bread and mayo variety. It's quite perplexing to me, and probably due to the fact that drs are not nutrition experts, bad food is cheap, and the food is meant to be universally palatable, which is not necessarily a good thing. My roommate is a doctor and the discussion here inspired a discussion of our own regarding the relationships between doctors and food. He is not American and said he feels the food companies have too much money, power, and influence here, but obviously other doctors would agree.
As for Walmart, I should clarify- I was using Walmart to refer to crappy food like oscar mayar meats and and WF to refer to whole, real foods. It was erroneous of me to assume people I don't converse with regularly would know what I mean, and I apologize for my mistake. You made several statements I have not researched, so I do not know whether they use small, local farmers instead of huge, horrible factory farms that abuse both animal and worker but I will not accept or reject those statements unless I can back it up with research rather than assumption. I can confidently say, from a well researched standpoint, I think they are a disgusting corporation with deplorable labor policies and a low quality of cheap, crappy product who treat their employees terribly. However that it off topic, and as it pertains to the discussion at hand, I simply meant it makes more basic sense to me for a human to eat choose things like kale and beans and root veggies from a local farmer's market over a "fortified" fiber one bar w/ HFCS made by some huge company, and to me, it seems that logic should extend to animals but using Walmart vs. Whole Foods was not a good shorthand. As I said initally, I am not an expert and see that I have far more research to do. I am definitely willing to admit my ignorance on animal nutrition (although I do consider myself very well educated on human nutrition), although I'm not sure why this topic is contentious enough that people are getting personally offended and perhaps even sarcastic. You and I disagree on Walmart, and that's cool and ok, I appreciate that you made your point in a way that was not attacking me. I came here to learn, and share the information that seems relevant to me, and really appreciate posters like YorkieMom and several other posters giving me links personal anecdotes, and feedback.