Cari Romm : The Psychology Of Comfort Food

In the introduction to “The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Our National Eating Disorder,” author Michael Pollan argues that many American’s in today’s contemporary society have lost touch with where their food comes from and which foods actually are nutritious. We have become an unaware society and allowed our daily simple routine of eating healthy meals to become a complex mess of fear for being unhealthy. I feel that Pollan is making an effective argument in stating his beliefs and factual knowledge on the confused relationship our nation has with food by using factual knowledge and evidence to persuade the audience that he is credible.

Finding this healthy version of a common comfort food brought upon a feeling of freedom, something I hadn't felt in a while. Usually a burger and fries meal would have brought upon feelings of anxiety. When I first saw the meal approaching my table, those feelings of uncertainty began to arise. When the waiter placed

The average American citizen has a higher risk of dying from heart disease than from a gunshot, all because of one thing. Fast food swept the nation after its first known creation in 1921, bringing a whole new era of food that would make The United States one of the most unhealthy nations in the world. “Killer Fries” by Greg Slater was created for the American Heart Association to show the effects that fast food has on the heart of an individual. Slater creates a sense of unease by portraying the familiar object to the fast food eaters of America and exaggerates the effects of what it can do to a person with vibrant shining colors and a startling image that appeals to its viewers.

McCorcle’s essay ‘Her Chee-to Heart is an informational essay with persuasive undertone that’s main point is that food has a positive emotional value. While the essay is best defined as informational, much of the essay's foundation is coming from the author's personal experience and thus, a more persuasive tone becomes embedded. There is a clear limitation exposed in McCorcle’s essay that cannot be ignored. While she promotes food as a form of comfort, it is unhealthy food that is most associated with in her essay. Turning to unhealthy foods as a form of comfort can develop into a detrimental habit.

The “individual consumer” can be taken to be a group of unique personals who each have a distinct idea on any specific topic, and in this case, junk food. The “collective demographic” is defined as the common opinions formed within the “collective demographic”. Even though these two entities are related, the individual way of thinking for the “individual consumer” is much different than that of the “collective demographic”. On the topic of junk food, the “individual consumer”, will report to being cautious about the effects of such foods, for they are aware of the epidemics involved with intakes of excessive sugars and fats. Watters explains the Japanese’s view on a factor they perceived as an illness, “the people’s attitude toward depression was very negative” (Watters 515). This can be used to better understand the “individual consumer"; a group of people who were trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The “collective demographic” held a different viewpoint on the subject of junk food. The posture of the “collective demographic” however is antithesis of that of the “individual consumer.” The “collective demographic” deemed junk food as unhealthy, but still allowed themselves to become addicted to such delicacies. Moss describes a very ironic circumstance with this way of living, “While people like and enjoy potato chips, they feel guilty for eating them” (Moss 272); a scenario in which a demographic would conceive something as harmful, but

With all of these points being made from the factual information to the personal experience to the decoding of a healthy fast food meal we can see that this essay is indeed an effective argument that make the reader think and wonder about what they’re

1. In his article, “The Pleasures of Eating” (1990), author Wendell Berry says that the food industry and its consumers are analogous to Hollywood and its relationship to its consumers. His analogy states that people don't care how bad a movie is, they just care that its a movie and they finally have some form of entertainment, very much like how people tend to do today with their food, eating gross and unhealthy just for the kick of it. He claims that a person who doesn’t realize “the connections between eating and the land” is “passive and uncritical” and therefore, “in short a victim” of Although they sound similar, being a passive consumer of entertainment is different than being a passive consumer of food, because although watching bad movies watching many bad movies is not that bad for your health, eating too much junk food is really bad for you and eventually takes a toll on your body.

Schlosser’s ‘Fast Food Nation’ and Wendell Berry’s ‘The Pleasures of Eating’ have undeniably altered the manner in which I will forever view fast and processed foods. After reviewing the two readings, I am convinced that fast and processed food consumers are the victims of large franchises seeking to make a quick buck at the expense of the consumer’s health. Fast food and processed food consumers are ignorant of the quality of the food that they choose to purchase, solely depending on franchises for the information. Franchisees, on the other hand, choose to conceal this information as revealing it would spell huge losses. They manipulate and decorate food items so as to get consumers to purchase them, with no regard for the health implications they subject their consumers.

Have you ever thought of food as an “agricultural act”? When we are hungry, we eat whatever we want. Food that is available to us effortlessly is the food we go for instead of rediscovering the ‘pleasure’ of food. We do not strive to get the right type of nutrients in what we consume daily or enjoy eating healthy. Wendell Berry contributes in many different ways in his article, “The Pleasure of Eating”, including emotional appeal and reality to explain to us the various questions that should be arising in our minds when acquiring foods.

Zinczenko's is experienced in the matter of fast food and the disastrous effects it can have on a person's health because he experienced it from a first-person perspective. His personal experiences and the knowledge that he gathered through the years enabled him to understand that many fast-food companies make it difficult for customers to interpret information concerning their products. The writer highlights that many people are tricked into adopting particular attitudes with regard to foods because they believe that it is healthy for them to do so. However, it appears that even salads are typically probable to contain much more calories than advertised.

The food we eat and how it impacts our day is a substantial part of being a human being. Food is very effective in a vast majority of ways and can impact a person variously in negative and positive ways. The food we eat is definitely linked to the healthiness and lifestyle that we acquire. In “Escape from the Western Diet”, by Michael Pollan and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield, to the very interesting point of views are sought out, and I am firmly behind one of them. One author believes that the food we eat is an extreme determining factor in how our lives are lived, and the other believes the food we consume has no actual impact on the well being of human lives.

This article shows that fast food today is convenient because people have a lot of work to do in a very short time, so so thinking about driving through the fast food restaurant is easier and better than cooking. Therefore, one thing parents don't know is that fats, sugars, and salts are engaging their children primordial tastes. The most widely recognized disease that impacts children is obesity. Studies show that 15-20% of children aged 12-18 are overweight. In addition, obese children can affect emotional and

Is Greed actually not of a financial use rather than a emotional use. If so would employees who work at fast-food establishments or even major corporate heads of these billion dollar fast-food chains allow their own children to indulge themselves in them, knowingly aware of the vast risks they could embark on later in life due to their unhealthy choices? David Zinczenko brings up valid points on how fast-food is harmful to one’s body in “Don’t Blame the Eater,”. Zinczenko is able to effectively argue against the manipulation of the food industry by showing the reader that the consumer is the victim while the food industry is the one to blame. His use of questioning, personal appeals, imagery, direct tone and colorful diction results in a compelling case that supports his accusations of manipulation by the fast food industry.

This commercial essentially claims that, as victims of constant temptation, people of today’s culture and society cannot easily overcome the urge to eat unhealthily. According to the advertisement, this is due in part to the persuasive ability of the food industry, which instills an entitled, reward-seeking mindset into consumers through advertising techniques—for example, “It’s a special occasion,” or, “If you buy more, I’ll cut you a deal.” It also points out that the absence of eating control can be attributed to social influence: “I just want you to have a good time.” Even further, it shows the addictive, drug-like effect food can have on people by portraying the excessive availability of high-calorie snacks and meals and saying, “You’re in control. You can stop whenever you want—well, sorta—I mean, you gotta eat, right?” (“All You Can Eat,” 2015).

Not only has the fast-food industry the taken health craze wants of the public and implemented them into their market approach, the companies appeal to psychological emotions by creating commercials relatable to all ages, like young children, teens, adults, grandmas and grandpas, and show them psychically enjoying the healthy alternatives.