Hunger And Undernourishment : Positioning Wild Edible Plants On Food Security And Nutrition Essay

As populations become more urban and incomes rise, diets high in sugar, fat and animal products replace more traditional diets that were high in complex carbohydrates and fibre. Ethnic cuisine and unique traditional food habits are being replaced by westernized fast foods, soft drinks and increased meat consumption (Drewnowski, 2000). Homogenization and westernization of the global diet has increased the energy density and this is particularly a problem for the poor in all

The purpose of this project is to compare the lunch menu in two different regions to see if they follow current nutritional guidelines and how they can be improved. We will also look at potential regional differences that may make following the guidelines more challenging as well as other potential barriers we may encounter.

Our country is notable for countless aspects in its culture, one of the more prominent aspects being the American Diet. Though our diet is primarily a blend of foods from foreign cultures, there are distinct differences: portion sizes, excess empty calories, and overall nutritional value. To us, food outstrips the three main meals of the day – it is used to celebrate holidays, for comfort, and at many social gatherings. This is where the problem lies.

As the level of non-nutrientive food consumption increases, the amount of Americans that consume the recommended servings of five fruits of vegetables and fruits a day decreases. Currently, only 22% of all Americans actually meet the recommended servings of five a day. 77% of Americans eat between 1 and less than five servings a day. Females tend to eat less fruits and vegetables in comparison to men. Over the last twenty years, food consumption increased. Although there was an increase, fruit consumption increased only slightly and milk consumption decreased by an average of 14%. Meat Consumption, however, went up by 45% and soft drink consumption went up by 132%. In effect, Americans are over consuming foods that are putting them at more risk for obesity, weight gain, and health problems.

These issues affect individuals and families across the globe but there is more attention given to American standards than in third world countries. I want to bridge this gap by discovering the similarities between food and health in all places, and then engage dialogue between leaders to

One of the main issues plaguing the American people is the increase in the amount of food we consume. This undesired trend is among the chief reasons behind America’s

In the year 1900, scientists estimate that the world’s population was about 1.6 billion people. In 2016, researchers for United States Census Bureau approximate that the world’s population is roughly 7.3 billion. In the year 2100, researchers predict that the world will attain an astounding population of 11 billion people. As the population of our world continues to increase exponentially, so does our demand for food. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that, “[i]n 2012, the average American consumed 71.2 pounds of red meat (beef, veal, pork, and lamb) and 54.1 pounds of poultry (chicken and turkey).” While it is clear that the American diet consists of a high percentage of red meat, the majority of Americans have become desensitized

As I got older and running became an integral part of my life, the quality of food I fueled myself with become more significant and thus, my interest in health developed. From there, added knowledge of the world’s nutritional circumstance has helped construct my desire to expand improvement of my personal health, to improvement of the world’s health. We live in a society where 1 billion people have health problems because they do not get enough to eat and another 2.1 billion face health problems from eating too much. With a world population of 7 billion and nearly half unhealthy due to improper nourishment, it is obvious that food production and consumption is a global issue unfittingly managed. Such a problem is one we often assume others are handling, but I want

Jennifer Ayres exposes the necessity for moral and theological considerations of the food system in her book Good Food, although she warns us that the analysis of the global food system is enough to throw anyone into despair. Ayres provides us with an analysis of the global food system by evaluating the key players. She breaks her analysis up into several parts by looking at the effects the global food system has on people, communities, the environment, and finishes with an exploration into the ways in which the global food system has shaped our political policies. She shows us that whether we are consumers, farmers, laborers, or legislators, we all play a role in the global food system and “food demands our attention” (Ayres, 2013, p. 13).

When only the facts are addressed, the choice seems clear, a whole food plant based diet should be adopted by every nation. The leading cause of resource consumption and environmental degradation today is animal agriculture (Cowspiracy). Our environment would be protected and current problems that plague the environment would subside. All animals could enjoy the status of companion animals. Neglecting to recognize that eating plant based saves 1100 gallons of water, 45 lbs of grains, 30 sq feet of forest and reduces the bulk of greenhouse gases is prematurely escalating mankind’s own extinction (Cowspiracy). Becoming plant based is the most sustainable method of feeding the planet’s increasing population (Food Inc.). Hippocrates famously

Arsenault, Chris. "Why Dietary Changes Could Help End World Hunger."World Economic Forum. N.p., 17 Sept. 2015. Web.

In a time where more and more people are cautious of their health, and are searching for a master plan to stay healthy, it is interesting to find that there has been a region that might have found that master plan, and has been living by it for years. The Mediterranean region, with their high consumption of vegetables and grains, and low consumption of meats and dairy, have created a population that have lived longer, and have suffered from less chronic diseases than any other region in the world (Nestle, 1995). On the contrary, the Western diet, with its high consumption of meats, refined sugars, and saturated fats, has influenced cultures into a way of life that has increased chronic diseases and obesity, and has made humans adapt to an environment that influences unhealthy, heavily processed foods that are negatively affecting their health (Cordain, Eaton, Sebastian, Mann, Lindeberg, Watkins, O’Keefe, Brand-Miller, 2005). These two ways of life have coexisted over the years, but have begun to influence each other, creating both positive and negative effects. The Mediterranean

Producing and distributing food in contemporary nations neither satisfies the efficiency nor monetary needs of their populaces, therefore, although people have emotional connections to food, their hopes for healthy food that is accessible, productive, and appealing are often obliterated leading to unfulfilled expectations and nightmarish realities.

All living things need to consume some type of food to survive. Just like all animals, humans need food. With the population estimated around 7.4 billion, according to World Food Programme, only 795 million people do not have the necessary access to healthy foods to live a healthy life. The vast amounts of products being sold with large amounts of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients has been affecting the human population for years. As the result of low income families in “food deserts” undernourished families are becoming more and more frequent. Undernourished women and children are affected everyday because of “food deserts.” Low income areas have supermarkets, drug stores, food markets, etc, but the distribution of healthy foods are

While traversing the picturesque globe on a vacation that will provide lasting memories, I have come to realize that this world has two problems on opposite ends of the nutrition spectrum. There are some countries around the world, especially the United States, where people die every day from obesity. In contrast to death from overeating, people in many Third World countries die from hunger and starvation daily. Many governments and organizations across the globe spend billions of dollars annually to solve these real-world problems yet they continue. I have spent a good part of my adult life pondering these two subjects. Since all government and non-profit organization remedies for these problems have made no progress, I have decided that I