Food—it is that precious substance our bodies need to survive. Whether it brings feelings of nostalgia and comfort, or unites families together, we can all agree that food is a vital source of nourishment. However, our definition of food has changed drastically with the advent of modern technology, which has given rise countless food trends. The desire for the cheap mass-production of food has induced an unspoken transition from slow cooked chicken and steamed veggies to frozen tv-dinners disguised to look like actual food worthy of consumption. Hence, food trends and technology effects the way we produce, purchase, and consume food in the United States. The peaceful farm of decades ago, with green grass, a red barn, and frolicking chickens, has been completely erased. In its place, another form of food production has taken root: the factory farm/assembly line. Though this system utilizes machines to produce food on a mass scale, it pays a heavy toll on the health of the animals as well as the workers in this industry. On these “farms” chickens are raised in dark, crowded, chicken houses and are injected with growth hormones/antibiotics as soon as they hatch. They grow so big that their bones cannot hold up the extra-weight and end up breaking. These crowded conditions also result in a wide spread of diseases such as Salmonella, which have adverse effects on the workers, who become resistant to antibiotics after being exposed to so much disease. Another problem we face with the advent of various food trends is the illusion of diversity present in the nation’s supermarkets. Though it looks like the stores have 47,000 different products, this “variety” is actually comprised of th... ... middle of paper ... ...f freedom and the pursuit of happiness, we must exercise our right to choose. We can choose to stand up to the food industry by purchasing food from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect. When going to the supermarket we can choose to read labels carefully and purchase seasonal produce. The only strength the food industry has is what we give it by decided to buy its products. Case in point, rather than entertain a hunger for unhealthy food look-alikes, lets us be hungry for change. A hunger for change, if satiated, will lead to an improvement in our way of life, and make the world a safer place to live and eat. As the saying goes, “you are what you eat”. So, if society continues to eat fatty, cheap, food, then it too will become an obese, disease-ridden race with little standards left for the nation’s health and nutrition.
While shopping at a local Trader Joe’s, Freedman spots a bag of peas, which have been breaded, deep-fried and then sprinkled with salt. Upon seeing this snack, he is in shock to know that this same store, which is known for their wholesome food, would sell such a thing. With a tone of exasperation, he admits that, “I can’t recall ever seeing anything at any fast-food restaurant that represents as big an obesogenic crime against the vegetable kingdom.” It was such an unexpected situation for him to come across this small snack that represented the opposite of what the wholesome-food movement is for. To settle his own confusion, he clarifies that, “…many of the foods served up and even glorified by the wholesome-food movement are themselves chock full of fat and problem carbs.” This further proves that just because a certain food is promoted by a health fad, it does not validate that it is genuinely better than fast-food itself. A simple cheeseburger and fries from any fast-food restaurant would more than likely contain less calories than a fancy salad from the next hole-in-the-wall cafe. Not only that, but the burger and fries will be tastier and much cheaper
The 2009 movie Food Inc. describes the major role that food production plays within many lives. This movie revealed that there is a very small variety of companies that consumers purchase their food from. These few companies actually control what is out on the shelves and what we put into our bodies. These companies have changed food production into a food production business. Many of these companies experiment with ways to create large quantities of food at low production costs to result in an enormous amount of profit for themselves. Some of the production cost cuts also result in less healthy food for the population. Instead of worrying about the health of the population, the companies are worried about what will make them the most money.
Nutritionism and Today’s Diet Nutritionism is the ideology that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its individual nutrients, vitamins, and other components. In the book, “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, he critiques scientists and government recommendations about their nutritional advice. Pollan presents a strong case pointing out the many flaws and problems that have risen over the years of following scientific studies and government related warnings on the proper amount of nutrients needed for a healthy diet. Pollan’s main point is introducing science into our food system has had more of a negative impact than a positive one, we should go back to eating more of a traditional diet. I believe food science has given us
In the article “The End of Food,” Lizzie Widdicombe describes an advancement in our food culture through a new product developed by three young men living in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. After failing to produce new inexpensive cellphone towers on a hundred seventy thousand dollar investment, the three men went on to try and develop software with their remaining funding. While trying to maximize their funding’s longevity, they realized that their biggest budget impediment was food. In fact, it reached the point where their diet comprised mostly fast food, and eventually they despised the fact that they had to spend so much time and money on eating. Due to this hardship, Rob Rhinehart, one of the entrepreneurs, came up with the idea that he could eat in a healthier, more cost effective manner by simply buying the necessary nutrients for survival rather than buying the food.
Michael Pollan makes arguments concerning the eating habits of the average American. Pollan suggests, in spite of our cultural norms, we should simply “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”
Like no other ordinary documentary, Food, Inc. explores the reality behind one of the most controversial part of the human lifestyle; food. The movie starts with the author, Eric Schlosser showing some of the more than 47,000 food brands in a regular supermarket. It’s here that it is revealed that food production has changed from years ago when food was acquired from privately owned farms growing fresh produce, whereas in the current market, food is processed in industries (Food, Inc., 2008). In fact, it is revealed in the film that the American food industry is
We make personal choices about what and where to eat. The government is not going to eliminate the unhealthy food because we think it is the cause of obesity. Ultimately, we must decide to either stay away from unhealthy food or eat them in moderation. Despite all the efforts of education, media and guidance it doesn’t prevent us from grabbing that cheeseburger with fries on the way to work. In his essay “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko argues that society should take full responsi...
Antibiotics are injected into hens to create “immunity” to their unsanitary living conditions and prevent them from falling susceptible to disease. These antibiotics may work in the short term, but they encourage the evolution of bacteria and the rise of drug-resistant pathogens. If people come into contact with their meat and other consumable products, these bacteria can be transmitted, causing a wide range of illnesses that can’t be easily treated with antibiotics. Consequently, battery farms produce low-quality food, in comparison to free-range farms. Many of these hens are bred through artificial processes and raised in an environment that stresses them out, both of which can also lead to food products that have poor quality. There may be more food products available with the development of battery farming, but they are not entirely as healthy as the foods that were eaten in the past. Battery chickens have changed over time - in a study conducted by scientists, they have proved that today's chickens are bigger simply because they were bred to be bigger. But although the weight of the average chicken might be more than double what it was 60 years ago, the fat content of the animal proteins have also doubled. The fat content of chickens can rise up to over 220% higher today than it
It is horrifying to know the fact that the processed food that we eat today is once animals that are processed alive. The ignorance of the companies has caused the suffering of these poor animals. Gale (2013) writes, “.[media] do not tell us that chickens are the most tortured animals in factory farms and that most chickens have to stand on their own feces all day and end up getting litter burn from their manure. hens are often crammed together in cases so tiny that they do not get enough room to even lift a single wing—which then immobilizes them for their entire lives.”
America is a capitalist society. It should come to a surprise when we live like this daily. We work for profit. We’ll buy either for pleasure or to sell later for profit. It should come to no surprise that our food is made the same way because we are what we eat. We are capitalist that eat a capitalist meal. So we must question our politics. Is our government system to blame for accepting and encouraging monopolies?
Many people in America, from toddlers to the elderly, have shown numerous signs of bad health. People have the desire to keep on eating due to more, new things being merchandised as “new and improved items” from the producers. For example, nowadays, people are eating pure junk that they find satisfying on the grocery food shelf. As, stated by Michael Pollan, in his article, “Eat Food: Food Defined” he affirmed that “real food is the type of things that our
A nutritious diet is required to ensure a healthy and active lifestyle is maintained. However, not all countries are privileged enough to have the opportunity in maintaining that particular regime. Australia is classified to be fortunate to have ready accessible healthy, nutritious food. Australia produces adequate amounts of food, feeding 60 million people yearly. Although Australia is fortunate and a third world country, it is estimated 5% of Australians cannot access adequate, nutritious and safe food. Therefore, approximately 1.2 million individuals are experiencing food insecurity (Burns, 2004). Financial stress, unemployment, illness/disease, homelessness, lack of health and nutrition education are factors that contribute to poor access
American culture is changing dramatically. In some areas it’s a good thing, but in other areas, like our food culture, it can have negative affects. It is almost as if our eating habits are devolving, from a moral and traditional point of view. The great America, the land of the free and brave. The land of great things and being successful, “living the good life.” These attributes highlight some irony, especially in our food culture. Is the American food culture successful? Does it coincide with “good living”? What about fast and processed foods? These industries are flourishing today, making record sales all over the globe. People keep going back for more, time after time. Why? The answer is interestingly simple. Time, or in other words, efficiency. As people are so caught up in their jobs, schooling, sports, or whatever it may be, the fast/processed food industries are rapidly taking over the American food culture, giving people the choice of hot
Fast food has been a commodity of the United States going back as far as the mid-twentieth century to accommodate the influx of people living in the United States. Because of this, the trend began and withstood the test of time; however, today the overall standard of living has changed. Most people in America have access to a local grocery store as well as a kitchen to cook food, so it seems odd that Americans would choose to buy food from a restaurant when all that is needed to cook is right at home. The answer is quite simple. Fast food restaurants have worked their way to become a part of the American lifestyle because of the convenience offered for the lifestyle of a typical American. Fast food
In America, many are not aware of the inequalities that exist in the Food Service. The food service sector has at least 125,951 companies and approximately 12 million employees with almost 7 million foreigners. This sector includes individually owned restaurants, mid-priced chains, quick service (fast food), hotels, and beverage establishments. Food service plays a major role in institutional establishments like schools, hospitals, prisons and meals on wheels. They cater to the tastes of their particular customers and are often leaders of food innovation. In the food service, we find: bartenders, wait staff, hosts, busboys, chefs, cooks, managers, and dishwashers .The food service workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation and cleaning tasks, all that which are very important to keep a business running. More concerning , some of the major working conditions that foodservice workers face with daily is no health benefits and significantly low wages. These employees working in the food industry make it possible for millions of people to enjoy food in restaurants but are not being treated or appreciated fairly.