Pharmacuticals/free market/rant

[PJgunner]

Fabs said, "I went to Italy in 2001 for a 3 week vacation, and I never noticed any obese people. It was insane."

Yes. It does make one wonder. Now this is just something I have thought about, but maybe it will makes sense to you and others as well.

A rancher raises his beef to sell to the owner of a feed lot. The owner of the feed lot feed the beef (could be pigs, sheep, whatever) grain laced with hormones designed to make the animal gain weight rapidly. He also laces these animals with massive doses of antibiotics because of how the crowded situation that these animals are kept. I think we can pretty much agree on that.
So you go to the store and you buy this hormone and antibiotic laced meat, what happens? Does all that hormone and antibiotic go away when the meat is cooked? I seriously think not. My question is this; and yes, I know we Americans have crappy diets, Could those hormones used to make animals gain weight rapidly also be contributory towards the obesity problem here in the U.S.? And, as long as I am asking questions, could all those antibiotics used to prevent disease in those meat animals be a big part of the cause of antibiotic resistant germs? Is there a causal effect? Somehow, my gut tells me this may be a big part of the problem. Maybe that greasy Big mac may have hidden factors that we don't hear about. After all, the meat packing industry, like the pharmacutical companies has a strong lobby.
When I lived in Nevada, I was told that it was illegal for me to go to a ranch and buy a beef animal to slaughter. I would have to pay a brand inspector to come out and check out the brand prior to the sale. The brand inspector is not about to come out and check one brand as he gets paid by how many brands he checks out. Guess what lobby place that into effect? yet the rancher could slaughter a beef cow to feed his family and ranch hands. I was fortunate in that I had "connections" on a couple of ranches due to the fact that I shot pocket gophers literally all year round. When rancher would do a beef, I would get a hindquarter sometime, other times a front quarter and one Christmas was give a whole side of beef. He could give me the meat but he legally could not sell it to me. At least that meat was not laced with garbage in order for a greedy meat packer to gain more profit at the risk of my health.I do believe there is some merit to what I think is part, yes a big part towards the obesity problem in this country.
Paul B.