In 2004, at the age of 49, my uncle was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes, or late onset diabetes. He had been an unhealthy eater much of his life. At the time of his diagnosis, he weighed two-hundred forty-seven pounds. That may not sound like a lot, but at five-foot two-inches tall, he was ninety pounds heavier than average male of his height should be. Although, possible in the future, he was spared from daily injections of insulin. However, his battle with a new enemy was only beginning. In lecturing him on better eating habits, his doctor indirectly blamed sugary foods such as soda for his weight and overall health. Not knowing any better, my uncle took what he was told as grave warning. For the first time, he was forced to change what he eats. His life-long relationship with fast food and casino buffets were over, and in their place came a new and healthier diet. He is not alone, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are over twenty-six million people living with diabetes, seven million of that the CDC believes are undiagnosed cases. For my uncle’s age group, 40-49, the percentage of people with diabetes increased by fifty-five percent between 1990 and 1999. Furthermore, there were over one-million new cases of diagnosed cases for his age group, in 2010. (National Database 1-12). Does eliminating sugar intake and eating fresh foods equate to better health? Learning to eat differently is no easy task for, especially when someone has eaten the same foods their whole life. It is even harder when the food you are transitioning to is not that appetizing. My uncle was now part of what author Michael Pollan calls the “omnivore’s dilemma.” My uncle knew he needed to eat healthy, but was left w... ... middle of paper ... ...ct involvement of sucrose, other sugars, and starch in the etiology of lifestyle diseases” (Keelor). The stances by all four organizations have not changed since the initial reports. All the statistics and expert opinions reveal one thing – there is possibly a link between sugar and diabetes, but it is inconclusive to say whether it is or not, in a definitive way. There is an established link between soda and diabetes, but that seems to be as far as it goes. My uncle, had his share of soda, but he also had his share of high calorie foods. However, there does not seem to be a solid link between the foods he ate and diabetes. In short, it was necessary to cut back or reduce the amount of sugar he was consuming, but there was no reason for him to eliminate sugar intake as he did. In moderation and on a properly controlled diet a minimal amount of sugar would be fine.
Increasingly, scientists are focusing on a common set of underlying metabolic issues that raise people's risk for chronic disease.
There are many different beliefs about the proper way to eat healthy. People are often mislead and live unhealthy lifestyles as a result. Both Mary Maxfield and Michael Pollan explain their own beliefs on what a healthy diet is and how to live a healthy lifestyle. In the essay, “Escape from the Western diet” Michael Pollan writes about the flaws of the western diet and how we can correct these problems to become healthier. In the essay, “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, Mary Maxfield criticizes Michael Pollan’s essay about eating healthy, and explains her own theory on how to be healthy. She believes that Pollan is contradicting himself and that what he is stating is false. Mary Maxfield ponders the
However, the outcome was different from his desired result due to strong protest from the dairy and livestock industry, so the Congress instead urged people to buy lean meat and less fat food so the dairy and livestock industry do not go out of business. This created the fat-free boom in the market in the 1980s. However, food companies began to put more sugar in their products because the taste was bad when they reduced fat in the food. Now, the sugar intake of Americans has doubled compared with before. In the American market, there are approximately 600,000 different food products, and 80% of those include sugar. Although sugar is written in various forms and names, one suggests that it’s bad in any form, especially if taken too much. Sugar consumed naturally through fiber-rich fruit or vegetable should be fine, but the added sweeteners stimulate the hormones that increase insulin. High insulin prevents people from thinking they are full, and thus crave more food. This causes many diseases. Of course one meal high in sugar will not kill them, but the problem is that people generally exceed daily sugar intake in one meal alone when consuming process food. We eat more processed and convenient food instead of fruits, vegetables, and
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012), the diabetes rate has more than tripled since 1980 from about 5.6 million people affected, to nearly 21 million people. And, of the 2.9 million Native Americans, approximately 16% have been afflicted with type-2 diabetes (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). These rates were more than twice the rates for the white population and strongly correlated with income level. One factor that is believed to have contributed to the high rates of non-insulin-dependent diabetes is dietary changes from traditional foods to processed foods (Reinhard et al., 2012).
The film In Defense of Foods is based on the novel penned by Michael Pollan. He is not a doctor or nutritionist, but rather a writer who is researching which foods are truly the healthiest to consume. Throughout the documentary, he takes a look at the Western diet, and the foods that are currently being marketed as “healthy.” Some of these foods include granola bars and yogurt that are manufactured by large companies, where lots of chemical preservatives and sugar are added in order to please the consumer with shelf life and taste. Americans have tripled their sugar intake since the 1970’s, which can lead to an increased risk of type II diabetes. The amount of sugar consumed today is one thousand percent more than two hundred years ago. More
Jost, Kenneth. “Diabetes Epidemic: why is this serious disease on the increase?” The CQ Researcher (March 9, 2001): 185-200
In the article " Don't Blame The Eater" By David ZincZenco he expresses his bad eating habits growing up as an American child. David explains how his mother worked extended hours at her job , and didn't have the time to prepare home cooked meals.In consequence to eating bad foods David resulted torpid and obese at the age of fifteen. David blames the little knowledge he had on the health effects caused by fast food; if he knew better ; he would of made wiser choices. Today in America the epidemic of obesity has increased dramatically due to bad eating habits .One of the results in cosequence to those who follows an unhealthy diet high in sugar and fat ;has been the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes . Unfortinitely, type 2 diabetes has increased by 30 percent in children suffering from obesity, and not to mention the medical costs to treat diabetes has increased to 100 billion a year . However, such deseases can be cured if fast food restaurants stated the health risks involved if such foods are consumed just like the tabacco company states the health risk involved when smoking.If David had known then the damage he was causing to his body he wouldn't have risked his health by eating bad food at such a
In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan ventures out to answer the seemingly simple question of: “What should we eat for dinner?” (L1). Our ability to consume just about anything nature has to offer has left us with what Pollan states as: “the omnivores dilemma”. Throughout his book, Pollan seeks to unmask the secrets behind our seemingly harmless everyday meals.
Diabetes is chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood glucose and insulin resistance resulting in hyperglycaemia and affects approximately 347 million people worldwide (WHO, 2013). Prevention and treatment often include being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet and avoiding saturated fat and tobacco use (WHO, 2013). However, studies have recently shown that carbohydrate consumption may be a risk factor for the development of the disease. The quality of carbohydrates has been of particular interest in many studies because of the rate of digestion and blood glucose response (Manuel-y-Keenoy et al, 2012). Carbohydrates that cause a rapid elevation in blood glucose (high GI) may have unfavorable metabolic effects compared to carbohydrates that cause a slow elevation in blood glucose (low GI) (Similia et al, 2011). The increased consumption of refined foods worldwide has been seen to have an affect on diabetes risk. In western population, the increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage has seen an associated increase in the rate of diabetes (Malik & Hu, 2012). In many Asian populations, a high consumption of refined grains, particularly white rice and noodles, has been reported to be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (Zuniga et al, 2014). However, foods high in fiber are thought to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes (Weickert & Pfeiffer, 2008). There is ongoing research into gene-environment interactions and the way carbohydrate restriction has a varied effect on diabetes risk based on genetic variability . Although type 2 diabetes risk may be increased by consuming high GI, high GL and refined carbohydrates, consuming the right kind of carbohydrates su...
Unlike similar documentaries published, Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” effectively shows how the American diet has failed to produce good eating habits. As members of this modern culture we are exposed to all the wrong eating approaches. Michael pollan successfully convinces the viewer it can be simple. He conclusively defends food as it is intended to be eaten, and exhorts the viewer to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly
In addition, sugar considered to be the cause of organs failure due to its association with cardiovascular disease. This is evident through the research conducted by Mayo Clinic Staff stated that “Cardiovascular disease can refer to different heart or blood vessel problems, meaning damage to your heart or blood vessels by buildup of fatty plaques in your arteries. Plaque thickens and stiffens artery walls, which can inhibit blood flow through your arteries to your organs and tissues” (staff). This shows generally when the blood sugar are elevated, the blood vessels become narrow and block to allow any circulation. Therefore, increase your risk of heart disease by blood from entering into the heart. Above all sugar is the leading cause of organs failure in early childhood obesity because of the simple fact that it causes internal body diseases and its contribution to cardiovascular
I am very tempted to try the new food since it might taste good, but on the other hand it may not taste good and may even give me a stomach-ache or food poisoning. The final decision when trying a new food usually depends on how it looks. In Rozin’s studies, he observed these two emotions in rats. The rats would nibble on the new food and wait to see if it affected them negatively, learning not to eat it if it hurt them. Pollan believed that Rozin’s work on the “omnivoral problem” would explain how animals select food and “adaptations in primates as well as a wide range of otherwise baffling cultural practices in humans” (Pollan 289)....
Proper nutrition is important in maintaining a long and healthy life. Most Americans are rushed due to their busy work schedules, and do not take the time to plan their diets properly. Like me, most Americans are unaware of the importance of eating a healthy diet and consume too many foods without the proper nutrients. Throughout my life I have been fortunate. I have not had any major health problems, and have been able to consume most foods without having to worry about gaining weight. These last two years, however, I started to gain weight and have become concerned with my diet. Changing my poor eating habits has been difficult for me, however, having this assignment has taught me that it is not as difficult as I previously imagined.
In the book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan explores the relationship between nutrition and the Western diet, claiming that the answer to healthy eating is simply to “eat food”.
Point blank, diabetes is a serious disease and causes major effects on people’s daily lives. In a society where food comes in such abundance, people are overeating. Compared to the beginning of the twenty first century when only about five percent of the population had diabetes (Nazarko, 2009), today that number is rising and continuing to do so. This is starting to affect the health of children by being diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. When a child has diabetes it becomes very serious since children are at such a young age to deal...