Review Of The Omnivore's Dilemma By Michael Pollan

Few people have ever thought of food as more than just a source of energy, a fount of nutrients, or a delight to our taste buds. The only parts of our body involved in the work of eating are our mouth and digestive system-or so we think. But that’s only a fraction of the whole picture. The book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan reveals the evolution, science, and thinking behind the simple action of eating. In this book, Pollan argues that a long time ago, humans were able to solve the dilemma they had about what to eat, but now, at a time when we think we’re so much more advanced, this dilemma has not only been made harder, but we’ve become even less healthy, and forgotten the point of eating, especially in America. First, Pollan claims

Instead of growing natural foods, food companies have found an easier, more profitable way of selling food to us: they take these plants and process them into something that tastes better and seems more appealing. And they’re also filled with artificial flavoring, preservatives, and all sorts of synthesized chemicals that make our food sweet but are harmful to us. With these processed foods, we can’t rely on tastes preferences to tell us what to eat, because if we want something sweet, we can eat it any time, which is the exact opposite of why we’ve evolved into liking something sweet. Pollan observes that we’re told to rely on science instead, but this ‘science’ keeps on changing. It seems like the only effect of this ‘science’ is that it helps the food companies make more money. The more we worry about eating, the likelier we are to listen to claims that food companies make. In 2002, an article in a magazine said that carbs make you fat. Overnight, millions of Americans stopped eating bread and started eating mainly meat. But there are places around the world where people are nowhere close to being as “health-crazy” as Americans. And yet the people living in those countries are proven to have lower rates of heart disease and obesity. But why? Pollan suggests that how we eat is just as important as what we eat. And that is the other thing that Americans don’t think about. Claims about being healthy aren’t the only way that food marketers draw our attention. There’s another one- convenience. Many foods aren’t meant to be eaten sitting down at a table. The company Campbell’s has even created a microwavable soup that we can eat in the car. This may seem more convenient, but Pollan suggests that this may not be a good thing. He says, “What difference does it make if