greenpeace are highlighting the numerous issues surrounding......

[jojojojoanne]

palm oil. to what extent can palm oil be said to be responsible for the obesity epidemic that we are in the midst of today?

[Theland]

Riveting question 4xj, I've often wondered the same thing myself.
It will be interesting to hear from health workers and industry insiders who share our concerns on this issue.
Personally, I would be more inclined to blame a lack of education and discipline on obesity, rather than palm oil, but then again, I do not claim any special expertise in this area.
I have a feeling that if Naomi reads this thread, she will have an opinion on it.

[ruby27]

The food industry is using palm oil because it works well and is relatively cheap. Given that food containing fat will inevitably contribute to a diet that is too high in calories, palm all plays a part. However I would imagine if palm oil was no longer available another product would be used.

The responsibility lies with manufacturers and consumers, those who want cheap palatable food. Palm oil doesn't in it self force itself into the food chain in the same way it doesn't chop down rain forest. We do that because we want cheap food and don't really mind the consequences of this demand as the evidence of our decision making is not usually on our doorstep - its generally other countries that are counting the main cost of the West lifestyle. Though this is changing if we are to believe the warnings about global warming and mortality related to obesity.

Mind you even without eating the food palm oil is added to, I can manage to eat far to many calories through my love of cheese, and when I drank alcohol this certainly contributed to being overweight.

[Theland]

4xj - is palm oil higher in calories than hydrogenated fats then?

[naomi24]

Morning Everyone - and Theland, you old carrot-dangler. My first thought was that, years ago, everyone cooked in lard or butter. Cakes, pastry, pies and fried foods were a normal part of the diet, but people weren't obese. Lack of education has been cited as one of the reasons for the obesity epidemic, but we are bombarded with information now - far more than ever before. Whether people take notice of it is another matter.

The fact is we choose to eat rubbish because it's the easy option - far easier to shove a pizza in the oven or take the kids to McDonalds, than peel potatoes. Our leisure time is spent in front of the TV, or at a computer; few, even children, participate in any form of sport, and we drive the shortest distances - no one walks anywhere any more. We often hear people bleat that they can't afford fresh food, but fresh food is often cheaper than packaged food, and just as an example, Tescos sell two whole chickens for �5, so lack of money isn't a valid excuse. Additionally, many who say they can't afford to buy fresh food still have their Sky TV and their computers - and the kids still have their designer trainers.

As I said, years ago people cooked in lard, but they ate fresh food, and they exercised - even if that exercise only amounted to walking. We now live in a society where convenience is the keyword, and it's a blameless society where everything is the fault of someone or something else - but in this case Palm Oil isn't the culprit

[Theland]

An excellent answer Naomi, I just knew you would have something informative to say. Yes, people using lard but maintaining self discipline and eating healthier flies in the face of a lot of modern thinking.

[jojojojoanne]

jst googled calorie contents of oils, according to simon alexander.co.uk, lard has 8 less cals than the other various oils on offer, i didn't actually see palm oil on the cal content list, though i would say every other oil is listed.

does anyone know if palm oil actually contains more calories than other oils used not including lard?

[Mooria]

In response to Theland's query about Palm and Hydrogenated fats. Palm can be hydrogenated, and until recently was used rather alot. in many different products including Bread - which is what i deal with, Hydrogenated is the procedure that the palm goes through, and has since been replaced with a process called fractionation. According to the Palm Manufacturers that i deal with Hydrogenated was not as bad as everyone thought. - and as normal was the media grabbing hold of something and blowing it up out of all proportion. As far as i am are hydrogenated and non hydrogenated fats are similar in calorific content it is the fat stucture that is different (Slightly Less saturated fat fpr example).

Alot of bad press has occurred recently about the sustainalbily of palm, apprently by using palm we are destroying the rainforest and Orang's home. The Palm companys that we use are part of a scheme called the Roundtable of sustainable palm origins (RSPO). Which is concerned with supplying palm that has onlt come form a sustainable not threahting source. - Hope this helps.

[heathfield]

Palm oil isn't just used in foodstuffs - it has a wide range of uses, like in cosmetics and soaps, for example.