Embarrassing! How the U.S. Government Spends Millions to Promote Cheese and Pizza

Americans love pizza — 13 percent of people eat a slice or more on any day — and cheese consumption is only rising, so why is our government spending millions of dollars to get people to eat more of these not-so-healthy items?

After all, sure, pizza can be a healthy choice, but the most popular pie topping is pepperoni, with sausage coming in second. And tons of cheese is usually a large part of the pie.

A new report (PDF) released by the USDA reports on people’s pizza eating habits. And yep, we gobble down a lot of pizza, which contributes a lot of calories and also saturated fat and sodium to our diets.

And while you might think — and certainly hope — our government is putting the health of it’s people first, this does not seem to be the case.

Why the USDA gives money to increase pizza consumption

The USDA’s dairy checkoff program is the reason millions of dollars have been spent “to increase pizza consumption among U.S. children and adults.”

The program collects a small amount on all milk sold or used in dairy products, and it raised $202 million in 2011. What does the industry do with these millions?

They promote products like milk and cheese. And pizza, of course, because pizza makers use one-fourth of the nation’s cheese. For example, a corporation funded by checkoff fees, Dairy Management, Inc., spent $35 million in partnership with Domino’s to boost sales.

Why does the government promote milk?

Harvard scientists have come out against milk, and it’s true that humans have no nutritional need for it. But the USDA still spent millions to increase demand for dairy producers — way more than was spent on fruits, vegetables, or any other foods. In fact, only one percent of the USDA’s farm subsidy program gives incentives to fruit and vegetables.

Of course, even if the checkoff programs didn’t exist, people would continue to eat pizza, but these programs are part of the problem, and it’s embarrassing that our government is encouraging us to eat something that, in most cases, isn’t a nutritious choice.

If we want more people making better choices for their health, nutritious items need to be cheaper. And the USDA could help achieve that goal by helping producers who give us food that is actually needed by our bodies.

Looking for healthier pizza options? Check out these amazing plant-based pizza recipes!

 Image Source: Jenn Durfey/Flickr