UPDATE: In my Wednesday column, I said I'd post some more resources for folks interested in the authors recommended by John Mackey, the Whole Foods CEO. Here are some audio and video clips:
ORIGINAL POST: I'll bet you were expecting this one: My column this week is about the Whole Foods boycott, a topic that's generated heated debate from Facebook to Whole Foods' own web site.
If you haven't heard about the fallout caused by John Mackey, the chief executive officer of Whole Foods, read my column first. Then you'll see how his Wall Street Journal essay about health-care reform has kicked Whole Foods into damage-control overdrive.
I have different reasons for spending less money at Whole Foods. (See the second half of my column.) But I did want to point out something about the company.
Whole Foods courts politically active customers who vote with their forks (and wallets). For example, one of its pamphlets encourages folks to "take action by urging your Senators and Representatives to support prominent labeling on irradiated foods. Tell them that consumers have the right to easily discern which foods have been irradiated."
Well, just as Whole Foods thinks we have a right to labeled foods, many of its customers believe we have a right to health care - and they want to support companies with like-minded leaders. So calls for a boycott shouldn't be any surprise.
What do you think? Are you shopping differently at Whole Foods after learning of Mackey's views? Or not? Share your thoughts below, and check out a related discussion hosted by my colleague, Lisa Boyles.
just went to whole foods last week, after reading the op-ed! i usually dont go there because it doesnt fit into my budget as a college student, but any company who lays out ways to reform health care without a public plan gets my money.
Here's the thing, Brittney: We already HAVE a public plan. It's called going to the emergency room for people who don't have health insurance. We all wind up paying for the care in the long run. And it's so whopping expensive that the whole system is eventually going to collapse. If you're a college student in your 20s, as I assume you are, that means that when you're hitting your 40s or 50s -- and you'll be at higher risk for getting a serious illness -- your precious private insurance company monopolies will stick up their noses if you get sick and say, "Sorry, you're cancelled." Of course, then you'll only have a couple of decades to wait until you're eligible for Medicare, which is -- guess what! -- a public plan that seems to be working rather well, if all the vocal seniors out there clamoring for its continuation are any indication.
hi donald,
a few thoughts on your response, i do want there to be reform in the health care system. i agree with you that pre exisiting conditions should not be a factor in insuring someone. if the democrats really want there to be competition, why cant let people buy health care across state lines? something else now this really made me laugh, "your precious private insurance company monopolies will stick up their noses if you get sick and say, "Sorry, you're cancelled." i feel like all those who are opposed to HR 3200, the left automatically puts them as pawn of the insurance companies. donald, i dont think any insurane company is "precious". i went to whole foods to thank thier CEO for laying free market reforms to our health care system.
Brittney, if you believe that pre-existing conditions should not be a factor in insuring someone, then you are advocating a NON-free-market approach. Which is a step in the right direction when we're talking about a system in which one-third of every health-care dollar goes to administrative expenses and insurance-company profits.
Yes if pre-existing conditions were not a factor then who do you think would be clamoring to buy up these great policies? Insurance companies go out of business being forced to sell $300/mo policies (if you're lucky!) to people who cost them much more than that in claims. How much do you think insulin costs? What about all the pregnant ladies who can't get coverage because their fetus is "pre-existing". Obviously this doesn't work without some fundamental change to our current system. Private insurance can continue but there needs to be a public option (this is where pre-x should not be a factor) for those who don't work for a company that offers insurance or are one of the millions of people out there who work for themselves but can't qualify for private Individaul insurance.
I support a CEO's right to free speech.
I will not be boycotting Whole Foods. He doesn't speak for his employees, the produce, or the delicious salad bar.
I am definitely not boycotting Rock Star energy drinks because a website has mistakenly tied the idiotic ramblings of Michael Savage with a company his son and wife own.
I AM boycotting Michael Savage, and if John Mackey wants to have a debate, we can go at it.
But boycotting thier companies is silly.
BOYCOTTING MICHAEL SAVAGE? He has the right to free speech too...I boycott any company that uses the phrase STIMULUS FOR YOU in its advertising. The CEO has the right to his opinion and his company. I like the variety at WHOLE FOODS. I dont like the prices of most of the inventory. I like the fresh food area, the steam trays, the bakery, and once again THE VARIETY of goods.
While I agree that Mackey's essay on eating mainly a plant based diet with very little meat seems somewhat hypocritical of him, since he sells those items in his store, it is no more hypocritical then a liquor stores selling cigarettes and alcohol, then putting warning labels on them. It doesn't keep folks from buying either, and the store has sense enough to supply the demand.
That said, I have to agree with Mackey’s thoughts on health care. Why would we want the government to run our health care system? And yes, I agree that everyone has a right to health care, IF they can afford to pay for it. And those that can't, already have medi-cal or some other type of low-income medical care avalible to them, so I'm kinda not understanding the whole need for the heatlh care for “everyone“ reform deal. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don't think so.Just my humble opinion. Thanks for allowing us to voice one!
You're obviously forgetting an entire segment of the population that WANTS to pay for insurance but doesn't qualify. What about all the people whose employer recently shut their doors which cancels their guarantee-issue group policy (Gottschalk's + countless other small businesses around the valley), there is no COBRA for them and it's very hard to get an individual policy if you are 1) a couple pounds overwight (who isn't) 2) take a single Rx (oh it's only Lipitor) or 3)have any other of the thousands of conditions which will deem you "uninsurable"
What then?
I am all for Health Care reform and don't understand why, as Americans, we wouldn't want everyone (EVERYONE) to have access to quality care.
That said, I don't understand this boycott. Whatever Mackey said doesn't change the fact that Whole Foods is a company that encourages fair labor practices and treats its customers, community, vendors and, most importantly, its employees fairly (I could just be naive).
It seems to me, if there were more companies like Whole Foods and more CEOs like Mackey, this whole debate might be going down differently.
Back in 2008, this Whole Foods, CEO John Mackey (how old is this kid?), was caught posting negative comments (trash talk) about a competitor on Yahoo Finance message boards in an effort to push down the stock price. So now I am suppose to take this loser seriously? Please, snore, snore.
It’s funny we hear Republicans say that they do not want “faceless bureaucrats” making medical decisions but they have no problem with “private sector” “faceless bureaucrats” daily declining medical coverage and financially ruining good hard working people (honestly where can they go with a pre-condition). And who says that the “private sector” is always right, do we forget failures like Long-Term Capital, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Enron, Tyco, AIG and Lehman Brothers. Of course the federal government will destroy heathcare by getting involved, Oh but wait, Medicare and Medicaid and our military men and women and the Senate and Congress get the best heathcare in the world, and oh, that’s right, its run by our federal government. I can understand why some may think that the federal government will fail, if you look at the past eight years as a current history, with failures like the financial meltdown and Katrina but the facts is they can and if we support them they will succeed.
How does shouting down to stop the conversation of the healthcare debate at town hall meetings, endears them to anyone. Especially when the organizations that are telling them where to go and what to do and say are Republicans political operatives, not real grassroots. How does shouting someone down or chasing them out like a “lynch mob” advanced the debate, it does not. So I think the American people will see through all of this and know, like the teabagger, the birthers, these lynch mobs types AKA “screamers” are just the same, people who have to resort to these tactics because they have no leadership to articulate what they real want. It’s easy to pickup a bus load of people who hate, and that’s all I been seeing, they hate and can’t debate. Too bad.
Food Maxx FTW!!!
I consider it a privilege to have Whole Foods in my neighborhood. I am a careful shopper and have found many excellent values among the wonderful selections of healthful foods. I am so tired of the chain store alternative that only offer sales on their store brand. The employees at Whole Foods are the most helpful, knowledgeable and courteous, and even at the checkstand the focus is on the customer -- which I rarely find elsewhere. It would take a lot more than the political opinions of the CEO on a very heavily debated proposed reform to get me to stop shopping there. FYI -- though I'm a several times a week visitor, I don't buy cheese or meat or bakery items there. That's MY choice.
I rarely shop at Whole Foods, simply because I see no need to pay premium prices for the same merchandise that I can get at Save-Mart, Vons or elsewhere. But, after reading the column in today's Bee, I plan to do this week's big shopping trip at Whole Foods!
It is refreshing to hear a CEO speak frankly, rather than reciting the PC party line that he knows his sprout-eating customers want to hear.
Good for Mr. Mackey!!
This is why I don't shop at Whole Foods:
"I picked up two limes, a bunch of cilantro and two avocados. My bill: $7.27."
And that's not even ALL the ingredients for guacamole. ;)
Whole Foods isn't fundamentally different from any other chain, they just sell better quality food than most.
Well, life looks a great deal different from a millionaire's ivory tower, I suppose. As Marie Antoinette so famously said, "Let them (referring to the un- and under-insured millions of Americans) eat (vegan, unprocessed, unrefined, flourless) cake!"
Note: This historical quotation was slightly edited to assure that the prescribed "cake" is not “designed for disease” or causes “self-inflicted” heart disease – so certainly not that killer unhealthy cake that they sell at our local Whole Foods!)
Providing health care for the working poor by voluntary donations is on IRS tax forms is the ultimate Mackey ivory tower proposal, however. (“Permit individuals to make voluntary tax deductible donations on their IRS tax forms to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren’t covered by Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP or any other government program.”) Un-huh.
It all comes down to this: What kind of America do we want to live in?
Do we want to live in an "every-human for himself" society or do we want to provide access to health care for those whose circumstances do not allow this level of self-sufficiency? Do we allow the free market for-profit health insurance companies to continue to be the sole determiners of whether certain health conditions are covered, and at what level, standing between the patients and their doctors? Do we let the newborn handicapped infant die if his parents cannot provide adequate health insurance coverage throughout his life without becoming bankrupt, or after becoming bankrupt? Do we let the old woman die by the side of the road because she did not have the income or insight to save enough money for her ongoing care after Medicare and Medicaid are “reformed?”
That is not my America. My America is a community of people who care for each other, a community that cares for its most vulnerable citizens. Right now 43 million of us are uninsured and without access to health care. Many more are one serious illness away from medically-related bankruptcy. Mr. Mackey has so much money that he need not be concerned about himself under the current health care disaster,and perhaps the health insurance plan provided to his employees is first rate, but what of the rest of us?
FYI: I am recently retired after 26 years of being a small business owner and employer.
As it is I don't shop at Whole Foods simply because the store seems to want to look like a food boutique so they can price things higher. On my one and only visit there to check out the store, I found several packages of bad meat (green and brown colored). I alerted the staff and they removed them. It wasn't something I would of expected from a store who brags on fresh.
Now about Health care Reform, I just can't understand why people are so against it. Everyone should have a right to affordable health insurance. I for one don't care if the government is running it, why should we care? If it's taking care of you? This John Mackey seems to be naive at best. We could be doing everything right to take care of ourselves but we would still need medical care if we suffer an injury by falling down the stairs, catch the flu through contact with others, we women need to see a gynocologist every once in a while, how about a mammogram and a colonoscopy at 50? How would we pay for all these things without insurance? It would cost a great deal of money. Prescriptions cost a lot of money without insurance as well.
Currently in our family two of our kids were dropped from our family plan when they turned 23. With the Reform they would be able to stay on it till 26. Their place of work does not offer insurance coverage unless they work 40 hrs per week. We got them insurance independently to cover them in case something serious were to occur. Their friends are in the same boat. One of their friends recently injured her ankle and cannot afford to go to a Dr. to have it looked at without insurance.
I urge everyone to really think about why they are so against Health Care Reform. I don't think they debated going to war as much as they are debating this.
I wish all CEO's would come out and state how they really feel about this issue. Then the boycotters will have to boycott EVERYTHING and they're lives will be miserable. It will almost be like Atlas Shrugged comes true!
I've never been miserable about anything I boycott. It's actually very freeing to take a stand.
Does my boycott make a difference in the company's life? Maybe, maybe not. Does it make a difference in mine? Yes. I step away from the crowd and take a quiet stand for what I believe. It's the building of character and I sleep well, knowing that I'm not whoring out my personal morals for materialistic wants.
I could say that those who call those who boycott idiots can in turn be called sheep. It's all perspective.
I think there is great need for healthcare reform in this country. However, when one looks at what the schools have become since NCLB one can question the wisdom in a government run healthcare system.
I voted my conscience and I hope that my representatives do the right thing ( and by right, I mean what brings about healthy change, not moral or financial happiness for one group or another). I do know that some kind of change needs to happen and soon. I simply am not sure if Big Brother should have a finger in every pie. At the same time I dream of a day when my dearest friend in the world can go in and see a doctor without having to decide which bill to hold off on paying.
I will also state that I don't give a Stewart Little's behind what some CEO, sitting in his multi million dollar office building thinks. He (and all others who fall into his position) is but a gilded butterfly in all senses of the phrase.
I rarely shop at Whole Foods because they are expensive. It has nothing to do with their CEO or his political beliefs. That being said, I'm lactose intolerant and have a huge allergy to MSG (it gives me terrible migraines). Whole Foods is one of the few places in town where I can find a wide selection of items that give me alternatives (wider soy selection, etc...) whereas chain supermarkets don't. I like chips as much as the next guy/gal, but sadly am limited to a handful of flavors (most I don't care for anyways) when trying to avoid MSG at places like Vons, Save Mart, Foods Co, Food Maxx, etc.
As for healthcare, not everybody fits into being able to afford it, or qualifying for Medi-Cal. To generalize is just wrong. There are always going to be those individuals or families where they make just a little too much to qualify for Medi-Cal yet can't afford to pay for it from, for example Blue Cross, because the monthly premiums are too high - even for the cheapest option. I know, I've been there, and it's hard. Do you opt to make less money so that you can get free healthcare to take care of yourself and your family? Do you pay for healthcare, that has high premiums, co-pays, expensive prescriptions, and then fall back on bills and wreck your credit? Or do you drive yourself insane by getting a second job just to pay for healthcare, running yourself down in the process and not getting much time with your family?
Passing the bill for healthcare for all will solve so many problems. It will allow those individuals with pre-conditions (such as myself) to be given the access to proper medical help, without the steep financial burden. It will allow children, who of all people SHOULD have health insurance, to see doctors and dentists on a regular basis. Haven't you seen the commercials where they give the statistics on how many children out there aren't covered by health insurance? Problem solved!
Anyways, I could go on for ages but the CEO is entitled to say whatever he wants since they are his views and not the company. I applaud him for his honesty, even though I don't agree with it, and think it was pretty ballsy of him to go against the grain. I won't boycott Whole Foods nor will I shop there more based upon his statement. If he lowers the prices then I might be inclined to shop more frequently, but until then I will keep supporting the Vons nearby.
I completely disagree with you Joan.
Mackey has 1st Amendment rights just like you and me.
He also happens to run a business that has been ranked every year for the past 12 years as the top 100 best companies to work for (employees rank their own companies).
WF's provides great benefits.
He spoke out because Whole Foods offers better benefits than the proposed government health care bill and he would probably like to chose to provide those benefits rather than be forced to go with the government plan.
He is right, "every adult is responsible for their own health". Some adults... like me... have been advised by my doctor (due to my particular health circumstance) to increase consumption of milk and cheese!
I Love to shop at WholeFoods and will continue to shop there all the more!
Bravo to Mr. Mackey (and to you) for exercising your 1st Amendment rights to speak out, but leave my health care and shopping choices for me to decide!
Get over it. People who boycott over speeches are idiots. Only when it's beneficial to someone does anyone care.
To Joan....you have first amendment rights as does the CEO and you can buy your food (junk or otherwise) anywhere you choose....
A good diet is essential, and if Whole Foods floats your boat...shop there, if not...don't...
I do understand their employees have a wonderful compensation package, and it is they that would suffer if there were layoffs due to low store figures if it came to that.....
Health Insurance?.....Just had to get a major medical policy for a uninsured 22 year old with a pre-existing condition and found one (under $100 month) with a major carrier....so it can be done...and IS available today.....
There are the options like Health Savings Accounts that are available, and credit options to pay for smaller things....but by taking the end consumer out of the equation you lose the responsibility and accountability for the individual.....I haven't seen the government run a program well yet....and to have their fat fingers in my Health Care, and have them making mass decisions regarding various scenarios (like a certain procedure can be delayed for a specified number of weeks)and a cookie cutter recipe for others will become a very important liberty relinquish......be careful what you wish for......
To Joan:
Number one, I seriously doubt that you have eliminated all dairy, meat, and alcohol from your diet for any reason, much less because of John Mackey. Please enlighten me if I'm wrong in assuming you haven't actually switched to a strictly all-veggie diet.
Number two, you may have "lost your appetite" and decided to buy very little during your trip to Whole Foods, but I'm sure you enjoyed having the freedom to make that decision for yourself. Freedom to make choices and be responsible for ourselves is something we should treasure as Americans.
I find this whole attack on Whole Foods sickening. Even if Mackey's statements had been unreasonable, he has just as much right to voice his concerns and opinions as anyone else. That's right, I'm daring to say that conservatives should be able to voice conservative viewpoints without being targeted for economic impugnment. *gasp!* Or do we no longer believe in freedom of speech in this country?
Moreover, the mere idea that adults should be responsible for themselves should be regarded as a given, a no-brainer. The fact that people have actually gotten angry about it, especially enough to stage a boycott, is an indication of the disturbing amount of immaturity and selfishness in the liberal mindset.
I for one will be making a conscious effort to shop at Whole Foods even more.
Rachel:
I don't remember reading anywhere that the writer was switching to an all-vegetable diet. Also, I don't remember anyone attacking the freedom of Mr. Mackey to make his statements.
And there certainly was no mention of suppression of conservative viewpoints. My opinion? You should not fear so much the 'liberal bogeyman' you've built up in your mind. Step out of your house, take a deep breath of the smoggy central valley air, and head to Whole Foods and pay out the nose for the (tasty) salad bar.
And if you see protesters, just walk right on by them...or throw a granola bar at them. It's your right.
While I believe in the CEO's right to speak his mind, I believe equally in my right to find his remarks absurd and choose not to frequent his business.
In his piece, he boasts over the premium coverage allowed to his "team members". That is all fine and good, but what about the 40 million without insurance and the millions more with insurance but insanely high premiums. He better start opening a lot more stores so all of those people can work for him and become "team members". He also somehow wants deregulation yet expects the customers to be able to choose what will be insured and won't be insured. Uhmm, in what world does he live in where he expects the private industry to allow such choices. You cannot have it both ways. He pines for tort reform that will limit lawsuits against doctors, yet it has been proven that in the states that have done this, it has had zero effect upon health coverage costs. Typical CEO talking point that is. He thinks that forcing hospitals and doctors to itemize costs for sake of transparency will help. Whether or not I know that I am being charged a hundred dollars for a cotton swab treatment does not do a thing. It is not like there are other choices out there to pick in order to get a cheaper swab treatment. You cannot assume that spending money on health care is equivalent to buying a flat screen tv. Another laugher was the expectation of donations from good samaritans to cover those with no coverage whatsoever. To say that this guy is a wishful thinker would be the biggest understatement of the century. His whole Canada-UK employee bit is weak and manipulative as well. Sure, the foreign employees would choose his coverage over their own back home. It is like turning down free money. It by no means that the systems back in those respective countries are not working. All in all, I am suspicious of his motives, and his reasoning certainly does not help matters. I don't boycott things very often, but do not feel that it is an "idiot"ic thing to do if it is something you feel passionate about. Without protest, there is no change. When does Fresh and Easy open again??
I totally prefer Trader Joe's anyway. WF is way too expensive.
I'm surprised at your conclusion Joan. While Whole Foods sells a variety of foods - not just "fruits and vegetables" - they do walk the talk. Their own branded products are competitively priced, often below national brands, and I don't have to spend as much time reading the labels of their products. I know I won't find high fructose corn syrup, trans fats or sky high sodium levels. As for dairy and animal fats, in moderation, there's nothing wrong with either; which brings us back to Mackey's central point "every American adult is responsible for their own health".
There are many items at Whole Foods that are cheaper than anywhere else. I shop there often and will continue to do so. I applaude the CEO for speaking out for what he believes in... his 1st Amendment right. If you want to boycott, go ahead - your loss.
I'd really like to know what it is about the Health Care Reform that so many of you are scared of? Caroline says "I agree that everyone has a right to health care, IF they can afford to pay for it." So if people like me who is middle class and cannot afford health insurance because of the high deductibles, we can just die for all you care? What a dear!
I hope for your sake that you don't have to eat your words. But I would love to witness that moment.
I never shop at that pretentious store especially now that I know a heartless neanderthal is it's CEO.
By the way No one is saying he does not have freedom of speech. It's what he's saying that is despicable.
How I disagree with Mr. Mackey's statement and find his opinion very unfortunate, I can not punish the thousands of Whole Foods employees because their boss is an idiot. The employees at my Whole Foods Market work hard and treat me with respect. If I join and stop shopping at WF, that will just put more people out of a job and add to our current unemployment rate. This is the opinion of the CEO, not the business at large. Additionally, being vegan, Whole Foods is one of the only stores in my area that provides me with alternatives to meat and dairy.
Leesa
Los Angeles
I found out today that the UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) union is behind the Whole Foods boycott. The union president earns $626,769 a year. Whole Foods CEO earns $1 a year in salary.
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey’s total compensation is $33,831, and he has implemented executive pay limits for all of his executives.
UFCW wants Whole Foods to unionize so that their union bosses can make more money.
It's not at all about health care, it's about GREED.
Darla, there's more to the story. From Forbes.com:
One company actually receives positive press for its executive compensation. Media reports frequently tout Whole Foods' pay policy, which caps the chief executive's salary and bonus at 14 times the average worker's pay. The Wall Street Journal, Slate.com, Harvard Business Review and BusinessWeek have all mentioned the pay cap, generally in favorable terms.
But they all omitted one thing: stock options.
Last year, CEO John Mackey's salary and cash bonus equaled $436,000, almost exactly 14 times the average worker's $32,000 salary. But he made $1.8 million exercising stock options, and received another $460,000 because of a company error that allowed stock options to expire unexercised. The grand total: $2.7 million. Another $4.4 million of options have vested, so he can exercise them if he wants.
Donald:
The forbes article you quoted from is dated April 20, 2006. Things have changed. As of January 1, 2007 Mr. Mackey makes $1 per year. In 2007 he exercised stock options valued at $399,461 that were previously granted. He instructed the Board of Directors on January 1, 2007 to donate all future stock options granted to him to the companies two charitable foundations! In addition, all other eligible Whole Foods employees receive stock options each year. Stock options are a great way to compensate management. If the company does well, you cash them in at a profit (as a reward for doing well). If the company does poorly, your stock options are worthless. Whole Foods is a “for profit” business. The union is not. I fail to see your point.
Darla, if John Mackey made $399,461 by exercising stock options -- and let me point out that the source I found online, an article posted on the Austin American Statesman's Web site dated January 2009, says that he earned that amount in stock options in 2008, not 2007 as you wrote -- then why didn't you mention it in your original comment when you bragged about the fact that his total compensation was $33,831? Seems a little disingenuous to me. It's common practice to talk about CEO compensation in terms of salary AND stock options.
As for your salary comparison with the president of the UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) union, I don't see what point it has in this discussion. So the president makes $626,769 a year? That's for leading a union with 1.3 million members. CEOs are traditionally paid an amount commensurate with the size of their organizations. Doesn't seem like a travesty to me.
And I simply don't follow your reasoning that a union-led boycott is about greed, not health reform. Wouldn't a boycott make the notoriously anti-union Mackey and his hand-picked board of directors even LESS likely to allow a union to take hold at Whole Foods?
It's unbelievably selfish and un-christian to read how upset most of you are about the Whole Foods boycott and the possibility that anyone is trying to suppress Mackey's freedom of speech. At the same time you are not supporting something that will help the majority of Americans and keep them from suffering, death or financial ruin. You are giving more importance to your pretentious market than to people's needs.
Nicole:
1. I’m not sure what Christianity has to do with anything in this discussion.
2. The boycott is about the GREED of the UFCW union. The union organized the boycott because Whole Foods is not union and they want the company to be union. It has nothing to do with healthcare, but the union jumped on the statement made by the CEO and tried to make something out of it.
3. Most American’s support health care reform (according to statistics and polls)
4. The majority of American’s are happy with their health care and don’t care to change their health care insurance situation
5. The 30% or so that don’t have health care and need it are the Americans that congress should be focusing on, not the other 70% that are happy with their health care.
6. If you think Whole Foods is a pretentious market, then that is your perspective, not a fact.
7. I love shopping there and will continue to shop there along with millions of others health conscious people around the globe.
I am always glad to see Americans voicing their opinions, I may not always agree with them, but I enjoy it, so please keep boycotting Whole Foods Market, Inc., companies keep dropping sponsorship of the “Glenn Beck” BS, Astroturfers keep showing up at town hall meeting and get your shouts in (we all know you can’t articulate your position and are all about hate) they hate and can’t debate, sweet.
Re: Ms Obra's Whole Foods columns.
The issue with all of the competing nutritional "experts" is that none of them are trained as evolutionary biologists. One can argue that the diet homo sapiens sapiens has evolved to consume is what we have been eating for a very long time; hundreds of thousands of years to a few million years. Our ancestors' diets consisted mostly of in-season fruits and vegetables, punctuated occasionally by meat.
Most dietitians who advise high-level athletes recommend 50% of a 2000 calorie/day diet be fruits and vegetables, with 25% each consisting of high-quality protein and high-quality fat, such as olive oil.
The issue Mackey, Obra, and everyone else seems to ignore is EXERCISE!!!!! An individual can consume 6000 calories/day of high-quality food and lose weight if, through exercise, that person burns off 7000 calories by running, bicycle riding, etc. Just ask Lance Armstrong, for example.
And, of course, if a person consumes food contaminated by pesticides and herbicides (fruit and vegetables) and hormones and antibiotics (beef, pork, and chicken) then any diet is poisoning that person. Organic, local vegetables and fruits combined with moderate amounts of protein (grass-fed no hormone/no antibiotic bison is delicious!) AND lots of vigorous aerobic exercise will take care of our obesity problem, our diabetes problem, and our heart disease.
I don't shop at Whole Foods because it's too flippin' expensive. The one time I went there to pick up an exotic item (popcorn salt, by Morton Salt, wow, exotic) they didn't have it. That was it for me.