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Julia West
Response essay
English 1010
Food for Thought to America
“You are what you eat.” This saying depicts a widely accepted and accurate
correlation between what people consume and the overall health of their body. In the
article “Escape from the Western Diet,” written by Michael Pollan, emphasis is placed
on the importance of consuming whole foods in the place of the modern industrialized
alternative of vitamin enriched processed foods, which the food industry as well as the
drug companies have capitalized on today. By switching Americans’ diets to primarily
whole foods Pollan suggests his theory will begin to decrease the rising health crisis that
is currently plaguing the modern American society. With obesity in America linking to an
increasing amount of health issues and higher death rates, it is safe to say all Americans
should implement some sort of change in their diets and Pollan’s suggestions are a good
first step.
Although Pollan’s theory of “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” is seemingly
contradictory upon first glance, the core principles and concepts within it would greatly
benefit the overall health of those who chose to follow it. The proposition of his
particular dietary plan having the cure to the health crises parallels the scientifically
“proven” diet propaganda and food industrialized diet gimmicks fed to Americans
everyday. This seems interesting considering that he actually criticizes the diet gimmicks
for capitalizing on ultimately the same proposition he makes. Some may say that by
Pollan arguing that the science and food industry are inaccurate in their practices of
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“fixing” the health crisis and introducing his own theories in such a way that it is the only
true option he falls prey to hypocrisy, a move that ultimately discredits his theory
altogether. Although he seems to show signs of hypocrisy it cannot be ignored that his
findings are absolutely right in his implication that the scientific community is too
focused on finding a “miracle cure” to obesity, and not focused enough on the
significance of which types of foods Americans are ingesting. The science industry views
that by isolating the specific micronutrients and adding supplements to our food it will fix
our problem but instead of taking unhealthy processed foods and adding things, like
omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants to it, we should be focusing on eating whole foods
which already contain these essential vitamins without the excess garbage that is
embedded into industrialized processed food. But what is a “whole” food really?
Most people when asked to define a whole food will simply say whole foods are
things such as fruits and vegetables and meat such as beef or chicken and that is correct
to an extent, but America has industrialized our food to such a level that even our meat
that is mass produced is processed to certain consent. Pollan writes
The steer has itself been raised on a Western diet, and that diet has
rendered its meat substantially different- in the type and amount of fat in it
as well as its vitamin content- from the beef our ancestors ate. The steer’s
industrial upbringing has also rendered its meat so cheap that were likely
to eat more of it more often than our ancestors ever would have. This
suggests yet another sense in which this beef has become an industrial
food: it is designed to be eaten industrially too- as fast food.
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From the soil Americans use to raise crops to the corn filler used to feed American cows,
processing food starts at the beginning origins of the food itself. Furthermore, studies
have shown that the consumption of processed meats is linked with a higher prevalence
of coronary heart disease and diabetes. Naturally, with the rise of diabetes being over 20
percent in the last decade it is hard to ignore that there is something causing Americans’
medical health downturn.
Some may argue that processed foods are not the cause of Americans’ health
atrocity and that the decline of America’s healthy population is simply poor genetics
prevailing through the aid of modern medicine. Admittedly they are partially correct in
that health anomalies and poor genetics are passed genetically from generation to
generation, but it does not explain why people with seemingly perfect inherited genetics
are being diagnosed with conditions such as: diabetes, irritable bowl syndrome or small
intestinal bacterial overgrowth. These conditions are directly linked to an unfavorable
diet. As the saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay.” Ignoring the potential
of allergic affiliations, when was the last time a whole food such as an apple caused
negative side effects such as IBS to an individual? In the case of processed foods it is not
genetics that is flawed, but rather it is Americans’ approach to their diet that needs
improvement.
Pollan insists that the attitude of the American society towards their eating habits
is flawed, stating that “Americans spend less than 10 percent of their income on food;
they also spend less than half an hour a day preparing meals and little more than an hour
enjoying them.” With how fast paced society is today there is a McDonalds at every
corner and a Wendys on the adjacent side of the street. It is hard to not fall prey to
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processed foods in the on-the-go culture, this cannot be denied, but it does not constitute
a good excuse to allowing one’s personal health to diminish. Pollan’s theory of “Eat food.
Not too much. Mostly plants,” although as radical as it may be, is more effective and
ultimately a better alternative to injecting processed food with vitamins and expecting a
change in Americans’ health.