I grew up in the pre-microwave era. We always popped our popcorn in one of those old electric popcorn poppers with corn kernels and a layer of oil. Then we used the revolutionary hot air electric popcorn poppers. Those were the days—free of any microwave popcorn lung disease. I remember our family getting our first microwave and marveling about how it cooked eggs and heated up rolls. I was never much a fan of microwave popcorn. Now I’m glad. My body has been spared the effects of popcorn lung.

Surely you’ve heard of the recent microwave popcorn lung disease now being attributed to the fumes in the steam from microwave popcorn. Chemicals (the flavoring agent, diacetyl) in the butter flavoring of some microwave popcorn are being linked to lung ailments, both to the factory workers testing the popcorn and to consumers. ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), makers of Orville Redenbacher and Act II brands, is the biggest target right now—they say they will change the recipe. This is a good response by ConAgra. My question is: how did it ever get to this point? How could ConAgra and the other producers of microwave popcorn not know about this risk? And if they did (more likely accurate) why didn't they do more about it?

Which leads me to another question: how many other products on the USA market today are causing various diseases and sicknesses without anyone’s knowledge? In this age of fast food, ready-prepared food, and living in the moment, what toxins and poisons are we subjecting ourselves to in ignorance? I shudder to think, as I wrap myself in a protective cocoon of 100% organic twigs and leaves.

Perhaps no one thought the levels of chemicals in the microwave popcorn were substantial enough to present a health risk to the US consumer, but that is a gross underestimation of the addictive nature of the US consumer. We are a society of addicts, from iPods to fast food to drugs to TV. We don’t know the meaning of the term “in moderation.” If any country is at risk of consuming large enough quantities of anything to poison itself, it is the USA. We need protection from ourselves. Please, big corporations of the world, help us help ourselves.