Human have been omnivores since appearance on the Earth

To The Daily Sun,

After reading Chellsey Latham’s column in yesterday’s paper (March 7), I am compelled to respond to some of her claims. She stated, "Meat and dairy products are responsible for one of the largest problems among children today, obesity and Type II diabetes due to the high sugar and fat content of these highly-processed products."

She draws no distinction between feed-lot, antibiotic-laden animal products and grass-fed, organic animal products. She draws no distinction between plain whole milk and low-fat, sugar-laden chocolate milk or sugar-laden yogurt/ice cream (which I agree is a huge problem for children.) As written, her statement is flat out incorrect. I have read many books on diet and nutrition, selecting books that have extensive references and are written by people with strong credentials. The latest research is pointing to sugar, not fat and certainly not meat, as the main culprit in our epidemic of metabolic disorders in both children and adults. I have no argument with her suggestions about increasing the amount and variety of vegetables in the diets of our children, assuming of course that there is a corresponding decrease in the consumption of over-processed, sugar-laden, non-nutritious foods. Based on what I have learned, this is a practice I whole-heartedly endorse.

Toward the end of her column she advocates a whole food, plant-based diet, which coupled with her vilification of meat and dairy seems to imply a vegetarian or vegan diet is your best choice. However, there are no documented cultures that are totally plant based, and in fact there are cultures that are almost entirely animal based!

Humans have been omnivores, eating both animal and plant products since our appearance on the Earth. While there are people who seem to thrive on these diets, that does not mean they are good for everyone. Finally, she states that a plant-based diet is more sustainable and better for the environment, without considering the multiple factors involved in producing both plant and animal foods. How we feed ourselves, and our current approaches to food production are complex, challenging issues with multiple dimensions and impacts.

Food is a very complex topic in our time, and it is hard to know what to believe. I have an extensive reading list on the topics of nutrition, agriculture, and diet, and am happy to suggest books to anyone who wants to learn more. Contact me at barkers@alumni.unh.edu. Our health depends on what we eat. As Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

Karen Barker

Laconia