In chapter one (Escape from the Western Diet) of Michael Pollans book In Defense of Food, Pollan informs people about what he believes needs to happen in order to change the health issues that many people in American are facing today. Pollan begins the chapter by discussing the many different scientific theories that have been presented in response to the western diet and the western diseases that follow. He informs the readers that many of the theories conflict with one another and that even scientist gravitate towards simple one part solutions that many time fail to see the bigger picture of the problem. At this point in his book Pollan (2008) states one of his many thesis’s that, “People eating the Western diet are prone to complex of chronic …show more content…
He goes on to insist that the medical community just like the food industry also make money off of theories. New theories mean new drugs, treatments, procedures, and let’s be real here the medical industry does not make money off of healthy people it makes money off of sick people. When using this argument Pollan (2008) refers to Walter Willett who said, “You would not expect such a medical community to be sensitive to the cultural or ecological dimensions of the food problem-and it isn’t. We’ll know this has changed when doctors kick the fast-food franchises out of the hospitals.” (pg. 142) Denis Burkitt presents and answer to the question of what to do to stop the western diet. He says that the human race should go back to the diets and lifestyles of our ancestors or in other words go back to the bush. Pollan however disagrees with Burkitts drastic solution and instead agrees with Gyorgy Scrinis’s (2008) solution to the problem, “the most important fact about any food is not its nutrient content but its degree of processing.” …show more content…
To refresh In Michael Pollan’s (2008) book, In Defense of Food, Pollan maintains that, “…instead of worrying about nutrients, we should simply avoid any food that has been processed to such an extent that it is more product of industry than of nature.” (pg. 143) Basically Pollan is warning people that they need to eat whole foods no matter what, because processed foods no matter their nutrient content are bad for you. I agree with Pollan when he says that we need to not eat processed foods that are more industry then nature, but I still do not agree that have whole foods is more important than the nutrient content of the food. Think about it this way almost anything sold in the supermarket these days is considered processed for example even flour is processed. Flour is processed because flour is made of wheat and other grains but in order to make “flour” those grains need to be ground thus processed. On the other side of the issue Pollan is talking about things like cheese in a can that is not even cheese. These are over processed foods that are more man made then naturally existing. So yes I do agree that we should not eat things that are overly processed because we were never made to eat them. But I must again state that I do not agree that have whole foods is more important than
In turn, he provides his own rules for escaping the western diet as well as the idea of nutritionist set forth by scientists. Then Pollan explains that scientific theories of nutritionist focus on individual nutrients rather than foods as a whole. He further goes on to refute this claim mentioning that these scientific theories contradict with one another. Pollan explains “the scientists who blame our health problems on deficiencies of [micronutrients] are not the same scientists who see a sugar soaked diet leading to metabolic syndrome and from there to diabetes, heart disease…” (Pollan, 421).
Before my seventh grade science unit about food and nutrition, I simply thought our food sources were healthful and reliable. However, since then, I have changed my mind. When I read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, I quickly learned how our country’s food system actually works and was astonished by the ways in which our food is made. For example, animals that we eat like cows and chickens, are fed corn which causes them to get sick because the corn is not the animal's natural diet. As a result, the animals are given antibiotics which can cause humans, who ingest these animals, to become antibiotic resistant.
This source is perfect at describing the history and possibly the future of processed foods. The author does a very good job at laying out the history of processed foods and goes into great detail about the current state of our foods. The source also provides tons of information on the current status of corn and soybeans and how they have become building blocks for many processed foods we have today. Pollan also describes the impact that processed foods have had on our society and what we could expect if things continue the same way. This is one of the most in depth articles I’ve had the pleasure of reading about processed foods and the reality of processed foods.
“Michael Pollan’s ‘ The Consumer- A Republic of Fat analysis” Michael Pollan is an established writer who has, in fact, won many awards. He has written several books, including The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006), as well as, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (2008).
which can be loaded with preservatives and artificial flavors. Overall Whole Foods are better than processed when shopping for groceries. While processed foods can be convenient and affordable, they often come at the expense of our health. By choosing Whole Foods, we can ensure that we are getting the nutrients we need to stay
With this in mind, Freedman claims that the whole-some movement also believes that processed food has more sugar, salt, and fat, which means the unprocessed foods, have notably less sugar, salt, and
All around the world people have different opinions about what can be fixed in their lives. There are so many proposals that are given daily, in an attempt to “fix” every issue found. Writer and Director Michael Pollan, addresses the issue of contaminated food in his essay The Vegetable-Industrial Complex. His short paper provides excellent detail on his topic, and strong examples are provided, however there is no official solution to the initial problem. If a proposal is given it must contain details that will help readers understand the situation.
He continues the rest of the chapter talking about how most foods have traces of corn in them, by following the industrial food chain. All foods by the FDA must have their ingredients posted on the wrapper, so buyers know exactly what they are eating. Michael Pollan knows he has to look at the wrapper and see where all those ingredients are from to really see where the food he is about to came from. 2. Pollan describes American farmers today as “the
Both Pollan and Maxfield’s arguments go hand in hand with one another, even though they may not be talking about the same diet. Each argument is stating that even though people know that their diets have flaws and that they are being lied to, they are still using these diets. The people know that it is not healthy for them and that it is not the right way to become healthier, but yet
To Meat or Not to Meat? There is No Question. Two strips of crispy hickory-smoked bacon and a thick, tender, juicy beef patty, topped with gooey cheddar cheese and served on warm grilled buns, with fresh crisp lettuce and cherry red sliced tomatoes, describes the perfect combination of ingredients for a delicious bacon cheeseburger. As a meat lover, it is hard to resist the delectable and intoxicating flavors that meat provides in a meal.
Anything processed had been automatically eliminated from the diet, and the body no longer received any unhealthy fats from processed foods because the gluten free diet restricts them. An article written by Amie Valpone about gluten free living stated, “the more a food is processed, the less of its original nutrients remain.” Since most processed foods are restricted from the diet, they may receive even more nutrients from a meal or snack. Also, processed foods contain artificial flavors and chemicals which need to be removed from the everyday diet
Processed food is causing some kind of illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Freedman and Pollan addressed gave some solutions of how processed food should improve in our society. Pollan states we should make everything natural and
All are guilty of devouring some decadent food item, of course, that item of food differs from person to person. For some fellow food lovers, their dietary plan is simply to appreciate the vast variety of food. While for health-conscious people, their objection is to eat pure foods that will allow for a clean bill of health. Meanwhile, there are some that try to cheat the system of eating to try to lose weight. However, one must be in charge of their dietary patterns to guarantee a sound personality and body to guarantee what 's the best for their well being.
First we need to address the accessibility to cheap processed foods compared to healthy foods. Maybe we should acknowledge and address those issues first, rather than burdening people with an extreme diet many wouldn’t be able to abide
The videos narrated by Michael Pollan and Bryant Terry communicate many important topics regarding the agriculture industry and reasons why eating healthy, unprocessed foods is crucial to preserving our health and the planet. Important topics from the videos: Fundamentally, all food is solar energy accumulated by plants during photosynthesis. As the human species, we are genetically accustomed to thrive on natural products. The industrialization of food and introduction biological of food novelties have become obstacles for our bodies to properly metabolize and utilize nutrition.