Negative Effects Of Food

Journalist and novelist Michael Pollan writes about the trials and tribulations surrounding food in North America and raises questions regarding Western diet, which is mostly comprised of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup and corn in general. He reiterates that chemically generated food is creating disease in North Americans; If we eliminate these factors and adopt the eating habits of less industrialized places in the world will we in our lifetime see rates of heart disease, type two diabetes and obesity decline dramatically? The western diet has evolved drastically in the last sixty years, so much so that people have become codependent on the government, dietitians and food agencies regarding their health and what to consume. The land is suffering from pesticides and singular plant farming, the alternative to this is to buy organic but at a higher price. Media has influenced the consumer to read the label and accept and trust the daily vitamin percentages on the box, as this is what is best for them. Money is the key factor in all of this and the government, scientific research and media know that, therefor the public is in for a shock when they realize that the very labels that are supposed to save them have fooled them.

The United States of America is arguably known as one of the most cultural and distinguished places around the world when dealing with food. There are so many contributions that give people this impression. People look at the United States as if it has the ideal method on how to deal with food, not knowing that the United States of America is quite wasteful. Although the United States of America has this awe-inspiring impression on people, you should not be fooled. America is a leading country for food waste, this is problematic because there are millions of people in this country that could use this food, and it is also harmful to the environment. In fact the United States of America ruins so much food it can fill up to seven hundred and thirty football stadiums. About as much as forty percent of food in America goes uneaten giving me the impression that America is wasteful when it comes to dealing with food.

on how the food industry holds the blame for the downfall of people’s overall health. Readers are

According to Robert Kenner, creator of documentary Food inc., the agriculture business produces food that is unhealthy to the environment, along with non domesticated animals. Environmentalist and author Wendell Berry states in his paper From The Pleasures of Eating, “When food, in the minds of eater, is no longer associated with farming and with the land, then the eaters are suffering a kind of cultural amnesia that is misleading and dangerous.” Today, humans find the most effortless food options to go about their daily lives, hence all the processed, microwaveable foods. Unless consumers take a larger part and responsibility in the economy of food, the “cultural amnesia” will continue to mislead and be dangerous.

As everyone knows, our food industry and even our government are there to keep the profits high not to teach us nourishments. But the question is, do half or the vast majority of us even know where our food is coming from? Are we aware of how it is being made? And what goes on in the food processing factories? The way it is being produced, handled, altered and later sold? And somewhat everything arising from our curiosity. These questions are what the majority of us are eager to get answered. This is a radical and surprising change to our food system. The food industry “used" to be more devoted with our health by implementing more safety inspections but, it is getting more and more negligible. The way big food industry companies improve it gives us the opposite impact. It worsen our society. It worsens us. Apart from our curiosity, we are now living in a phantasm/deceptive reality. People are so fed up with the food industry and its cheap cost, that they start forgetting about their own health.

In developed countries, people tend to take their food for granted. This is because there is is so much food around us, people don’t realize how much is actually wasted. People might be aware that a lot of food is wasted in America, but they might not know how much of an impact it has on other things such, as world hunger and the environment. The amount of water that is used in the California alone to grow crops is greater than any other state in the US.

The American citizens do not have a clear understanding of healthy nutrition is and it may be very reason for the health issues that plague the United States today. It is no wonder so many people are so confused about diet and nutrition. Since the 1940’s there have been 7 major changes in the nutrition guidelines provided by the USDA in the United States; Obesity statistics are at an alarming pace; food scientists and food processors have genetically altered our food supply for more than 50 years; and the family farm has largely been replaced with large scale animal and cash crop operations designed to produce more and cheaper food at a faster rate. The combination of these significant changes over the past 70 years is the likely culprit

A small number of mega food companies dominate the food industry in America, and the world; they’re committed to increasing profits and market share despite known health risks such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes, which are associated with the processed foods they produce. In fact, they chemically engineer their food to ensure consumers crave it. Newly developed Sustainable Development Goals aim to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes by the year 2030. Consumers should support legislation requiring cancer and other health risk warning labels for processed foods and begin to make more informed choices on what they purchase.

In today’s society a huge issue is that we constantly hear about the food industry in America. We often hear in the news that obesity rates have increased, or that Americans have many diseases that contribute to being obsessed. We also hear that foods are contaminated with bacteria like E.Coi l. “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko expresses that people are at fault for making such unhealthy food choices. Others argue that the food industry is to blame for being so unhealthy. In the film Food Inc (2008) American journalist, Eric Schlosser states, “There is a deliberate veil, that’s dropped between us and where our food is coming from. The essence of this argument is that companies do not want us to know how our food is really

Americans’ current health habits are an issue because it leads to long-term consequences. Food is one of the major necessities for living. The body relies on its nutrients to operate properly, but if a person does not obtain the necessary substances from food, malfunctions in the body may occur. The country suffers from numerous diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and even cancer, due to carelessness of the food they consume (Bittman par. 1). Many deaths and sufferings are caused by the damaging foods being eaten. These deaths are remorseful because they could easily be avoided if Americans would make better decisions on the types of food they purchase. The country is satisfying their hunger by devouring great amounts of processed and modified foods frequently that are

Burgers, cheese fries, corn dogs, fried cookie dough, and many more mouth watering cuisines are promoted and praised. Food chains pour billions of dollars for the sole purpose of trying to draw an audience toward buying their product. Out of seven and a half billion people in the world, almost two billion are obese. Obesity takes the lives of more than three million people a year in America. In addition to commercials, plus-size modeling has an unknown negative influence on people. The influence of bigger figures and food advertisements are not the only reason why obesity is a silent killer. Technology makes unhealthy foods easier and more accessible. Obesity has increased because of a surge in advertisements, the promotion of obese modeling, and a boom in technology.

In the United States almost twelve million people, three million of those being children, supposedly have a food allergy. From that population, 1-2% are of all adults and 5-7.5% are of all the children in the world. Some cases get so bad that consumers must go to the emergency room, 30,000 cases each year to be exact which 150 Americans die from ingestion. Food intolerances affect an even larger portion of consumers (1, 7). The issue of food allergies is not a topic to be taken lightly about and needs to be discussed.

Did you know the average American spends an estimated “10% of their income a year on fast food”? (Johns 2). There are certain ingredients in junk food and fast food that keep people coming back for more. Although junk food is not as addictive as alcohol and drugs, it certainly has similar effects on the brain, which has brought scientists to the conclusion that most junk food has addictive properties. It is so easy these days to go to the store and buy cheap junk food, but knowing the negative outcomes may have people reconsider their food options. Gaining more knowledge about the negative effects junk food has on the body can help one to understand how to maintain a better diet and avoid junk food addiction.

Fast food and pre-made meals have not just affected America. This is leading to be a world wide problem. Europe and America have completely transformed because of fast food, meaning, more inexpensive food for all. This also means harm will come to the environment and also people will be losing cultural identity (Petrini). This information proves that with the decline in home cooking and the increase in fast food and pre-cooked meals, the health of people has gotten worse both mentally and physically. People went out as humans to solve a problem, but instead they have created more problems and are now dealing with the consequences.

Everybody likes a good take out; its’ quick, easy, convenient, and saves us the hassle of having to make a meal from scratch. According to Gallup polls; 8 in 10 Americans eat out at least once a month, and 5 in 10 have fast food at least once a week. Considering these numbers, and the growing awareness and strides the American public is taking towards becoming healthier it is imperative that we assess what has essentially become a norm. The key point of departure for advocates against the proliferation of fast-food consumption is the issue of food safety. An estimated 48million people every year suffer from some sort of food poisoning, with as much as 128,000 hospitalized and about 3,000 dying (Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection 2016). Since people are grossly