Netflix has a brand new video out based on a Stanford Univ. study of 21 sets of twins. 4 sets are used throughout and these 4 give the video a more entertaining side. It's a must see and I know of one family that drastically changed their diet due to this study. It is said the Standard American Diet is a SAD diet. The program even studied female libido (that part was verry interesting and funny)!

Truth. Why must cigarettes have health warnings on the package, but all these processed foods, scientifically proven to have a negative effect on health, do not?

Yes, ultra-processed food causes health problems. A simple rule for most is avoid anything with added sugar, and never consume industrial oils. My genetics are such that carbs are particularly bad for me. The big area where you and I differ is red meat, but we certainly agree on the foundations of a healthful diet.

I bought the paperback, "New Hope For The Arthritic" in the early 80's, and it was a diet with no red meat or dairy, or artificial ingredients. Just whole food. It took 6 weeks, but after that 90% of my pain disappeared, and I lost 20 lbs, and never put it back on. And I love real food !! Lots of veggies, fish, etc.

The average person and/or family cannot afford to eat organically. Within the general population, this is a growing and growing issue. A few weeks ago, some one posted an article about how one food corporation had figured out how to artificially digest a certain food, for it to then be somehow regurgitated to accomplish some higher appealing taste. This is what society is up against. They are literally killing people intentionally. Watch for the day Heinz, or Monsanto, Tyson or Sysco begin buying up medical corporations so that they can make money at the other end of the consumer chain.

Eating out for me has been a long time disappointment. I still eat red meat but it is grass fed and finished with organically grown grain. It's local and expensive so I do not eat it very often.
When I had my 10 acres in upper Kittitas County I/we grew a lot of our own food. We had chickens so there were fresh eggs and the hens were fed organically grown feed as well as bugs, slugs, garden weeds and kitchen scraps. When the hens got old we'd let one brood a batch of eggs, we'd kept a rooster around just because my SO liked the crowing but he older girls would go into the stew pot.
I have to say though 2 of my trips driving cross country were fueled by McDonald's cheeseburgers but that was back in late 1978 and 1982 when they used a better grade of beef.
I have not eaten junk food in many years. Real food tastes SO much better!!

I usually eat "real" foods, I try to avoid additives and ultra processed foods. I eat less meat, which essentially means I usually don't eat meat unless my kids are coming over to dinner or I'm at their house for dinner, or I'm picking up fast food lunch. In fall/winter I cook a batch of soup every week, and freeze it in pint jars, and thaw a jar for lunch every day. In spring/summer I make salads with quinoa and lots of veggies for lunches. My downfall is sugar/chocolate. I was avoiding all sugar/chocolate and lost some weight. Then sh1t happened, and I need to kick the sugar addiction again.

Are a family’s problems with processed food related to their DNA?

No one else in my extended family reached their eighty sixth year. I avoid some processed food and I’ve reached my ninety fourth year. My doctor likes my saying I will walk until my legs refuse to cooperate.

Do what your DNA allows, or requires.

I have Type 2 diabetes, and can't eat most of the stuff in the supermarket.

I love hamburgers, onion rings, chocolate shakes, chips, cookies, pie, cake, doughnuts, brownies, etc., but I don't eat much of that stuff. As I have gotten older, I notice more and more that my body doesn't tolerate it very well. I definitely detect a difference in how I feel if I eat it. One of the first effects of junk food on me is constipation. And I hate that feeling, so I'm getting better at avoiding it. So instead of eating pizza, which I pretty much stopped eating 20 years ago, my go-to meal is a green salad. But it's not just any green salad. This one starts with a whole avocado, diced up and spread out on the bottom of a big bowl. Then I add a handful of chopped green onions. Then some sliced and steamed mushrooms. Then half a sweet potato that has been cooked in the microwave for about 5 minutes (4 if it's a smaller spud). Then a large handful of steamed kale. Then 3 or 4 leaves of Romaine lettuce, chopped. Then a handful of blueberries if they're in season; if not, then few pitted Deglet dates, which I chop into about 4 pieces each. The the coup de gras is a can of Moroccan sardines, packed in olive oil. I drizzle the oil on the salad first, then break up the little fish with a fork before dumping them on top of the greens. Then I add some red wine vinegar and some balsamic vinegar, and toss the salad until all the ingredients are well mixed. I eat one of these salads almost every day. It might be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For desert I'll have a Honeycrisp apple and a Navel orange. Or if they're in season, a large mango. For a snack I might have a handful of walnut pieces and some organic dried Turkish apricots or figs. If I want something salty, instead of buying a bag of chips, I'll pop some popcorn using avocado oil (it's much healthier than rape seed oil [aka canola oil] or palm oil, and it stands up to the heat well). I also do intermittent fasting. For me that means going about 16 hours without food, then doing all my eating within an 8 hour period. That's a daily routine. I consciously push myself to drink water. It's very easy to get dehydrated as we get older (I'm 64 now). I never drink soda pop, and beer or wine only socially. I find that the more healthy food like this I eat, the less I crave the bad stuff. I still eat a little junk (yes, I am a sinner!), but only a little. I feel pretty good. In fact, I'm in better shape today at 64 than I was at 44.

Another great argument why you should cook at home!