Oprah Stiffs Indigenous Amazonians

Fat, balding, baby boomers, libido in decline and cholesterol rising, could perhaps represent the single greatest threat to the environment and the benighted savages who inhabit exotic corners of the world.

A helmet-haired huckster made of plastic goes on Oprah touting the latest miracle food and five minutes later some multi-national is paying indigenous people to strip their own forests bare to feed the insatiable Americans.

May 14 (Bloomberg) -- Rising U.S. sales of acai, a purple Amazon berry promoted as a “superfood” on Oprah Winfrey’s Web site, are depriving Brazilian jungle dwellers of a protein-rich nutrient they’ve relied on for generations.

Spending on acai-based products by Americans seeking to lose weight, gain energy or slow aging doubled to $104 million last year, according to SPINS, a Schaumburg, Illinois-based market research firm. Since U.S. demand took off early this decade, the fruit’s wholesale price in Brazil has jumped about 60-fold, Embrapa data show.

People in this country need to slow down and face reality. We all age; there is no fountain of youth. Hair goes gray and falls out. We get wrinkles, paunches, and saggy butts. Libido peaks in the early 20's for men.

There are no miracle cures, so leave the poor of the world alone with their berries and fruits. You already have a longer life span than they do, so why would you think their food is so miraculous, anyway?

So, boomers, stop being so gullible. The key to happiness doesn't lie in miracle foods or magic potions. Live right, eat right, enjoy your pleasures in moderation, get some exercise, and say your prayers. We've all got to die of something.