Day 61: The Cheese Diet

So I just read this great New York Times article about cheese.  Apparently, the US Department of Agriculture, an organization close to my heart (it helps me pay the bills), has two agencies that are working hard for America by focusing on that wonderful food we lovingly call cheese.  One, Dairy Management, is working hard to increase the amount of cheese in American's diets (apparently 33 pounds per person per year is not enough).  The other, the Food and Nutrition Service, is warning of saturated fat and the negative health effects of cheese consumption. 

Don't you just love the American bureaucracy.  Seriously, this is the only country in the world where a single agency can simultaneously advocate for and against something, without anyone asking any questions. 

Actually, Dairy Management has a pretty good website called "I Love Cheese".  It has phrases emblazoned upon its pages such as "Ahh, the power of cheese" and "The ultimate site for cheese lovers everywhere."  It is essentially a marketing website begging people to buy cheese by giving you recipes, listings of cheeses, special promotions, etc.  Since 1970, Dairy Management has tripled the amount of cheese consumption in the US, which currently stands at about 33 pounds of cheese per person per year (I think I am actually at about 45 to 60 pounds so far this year). 

Anyway, I thought the article was interesting because a few years ago Dairy Management attempted to conduct a study to show that increased dairy consumption actually lowered weight.  I was really excited to hear that the research had been completed and that I could just eat blue cheese and chevre all day.  Alas, after millions of dollars, the research was abandoned because all they concluded is that cheese makes you fat and increases your cholesterol.  Oh well, maybe I can justify having a piece now and then for "medicinal purposes."  It always seems to make me happy, so maybe it is a natural anti-depressant.