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68 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com before. e more oen our brain's reward center is triggered, the more of the stimulant is required to get the same response. Fear of GMOs It's not just hidden additives and sugars that consumers eat on a daily basis. Many healthy and convenient foods we consume – and feed our children – include genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. GMOs were first introduced into our food supply in the mid-1990s and are now present in most of our foods. ey make up 95% of the nation's sugar beets, 94% of soybeans, and 88% of feed corn, according to the 2011 International Ser vice for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications report. In addition, about 90% of the papaya grown in Hawaii has been modified. While the U.S. is the world 's top food supplier in corn and soybean production, we also produce about 10% of the world 's wheat supply and 30% of the world 's coon supply. e promise of genetically modified seeds to farmers guarantees herbicide tolerance. Seeds were designed to sur vive applications of pesticides on crops, target pests and disease, and withstand extremes, like droughts and rainy weather. Scientists also discovered the modification process could introduce new nutrients and vitamins into foods, mak ing them enriched in the essentials most A mericans are lack ing in their diets today. GM seeds have found their way into the food supply around the world, including the U.S., Canada, China, South A frica, Brazil and A rgentina. To date, there are more than 14 million farmers in 25 countries producing GM crops. at's an 80-fold increase since 1996 when the seeds were introduced, according to the International Ser vice for the Aquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISA A A), a nonprofit that monitors GM crop usage. GM seeds allow farmers to plant the crops year-round, instead of seasonally, to produce more bushels and foods with enhanced taste, size and color. e feed that grows year- round is ingested by the chicken and cale, thereby, mak ing its way to the table in the form of red meat, chicken and eggs. In addition to GMO's, the rBGH hormone, developed by Monsanto, is injected into cows to produce more milk and appears in a wide variety of dair y products for adults and children. Scientists theorize the added hormones ingested by children in the U.S. consumed through dair y products are contributing to epidemic early onset of puberty in young children as early as age 9. Apples to Oranges Like comparing apples to oranges, the GMO regulations on modified foods in the U.S. and Europe are ver y different. e European Union is widely regarded as having the strictest GMO regulations in the world. Public aitudes towards genetically altered food, oen k nown as "Frankenstein foods" has become a public campaign. A ll GMOs and irradiated food is considered on a case-by-case basis through the European Food Safety Authority and must undergo a rigorous review and authorization process before it is allowed. To date, only 49 GMOs have been authorized for use in Europe. Here in the United States, more than 80% of all of our foods – from corn to grain to soybeans – has been modified in some form. But how do you k now what you're geing and whether it has been modified? e hard truth is you don't. ere is no truth in advertising when it comes to food. While consumers are bombarded with labels promoting " healthy," "no additives," or "made with natural ingredients," there is no current requirement by FDA to uniformly label all foods that contains GMOs. Genetically engineered foods are ruled as the equivalent to conventionally produced foods by the government. e FDA does not test genetically engineered crops before they are allowed on the market and have ruled that they are no different from other foods and recognized as safe. Buyers are concerned about the ingredients in their foods and want clearer labels. According to a study by Consumer Reports, 72% of consumers say it is important to avoid GMOs, 40% look for GMO claims on packaging and 92% want genetically engineered food to be labeled. Most concerning is that more than 60% of consumers believe seeing the word "natural " on packaging means that GMOs were not used. Biotech seed and chemical giant Monsanto spent millions in elections in California, Colorado and Oregon to defeat initiatives that would have required food labels on all genetically modified foods. While consumers can now enjoy a bountiful array of foods once only available during select seasons, the hidden dangers of GMOs in the food supply remain unk nown. ere are no long-term studies that show the effects of the modification process, but the debate over GMO safety continues. e A merican Academy of Environmental Medicine (A A EM) has urged doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for patients, citing examples from human studies that showed a transfer of GMO material in our DNA passing between pregnant women and their unborn fetuses. Numerous health problems including food allergies and disorders like autism,