Big Food vs. Big Insurance

Food Policy = Health Policy

Author Michael Pollan recently wrote an editorial arguing that the proposed health care reform has the potential to trigger major agricultural reform.

It's simple, he suggests: If the big health insurance companies are no longer able to turn away people due to "pre-existing conditions", they will have significantly more motivation to prevent diseases to avoid spending tons of money treating diseases. Since many of the most prevalent diseases, such as heart disease and type II diabetes, result from eating unhealthy foods, the insurance companies will become allies for healthy eating. They will have a new found incentive (saving money), to encourage people to eat healthier foods and to encourage the agricultural sector to produce high-quality, low-cost fresh foods.

It's a compelling editorial written by one of this decade's foremost thinkers on food. Check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html