The American ( Food ) Revolution

American society has grown so accustomed to receiving their food right away and in large quantities. Only in the past few decades has factory farming come into existence that has made consuming food a non guilt-free action. What originally was a hamburger with slaughtered cow meat is now slaughtered cow meat that’s filled with harmful chemicals. Not only that, the corn that that cow was fed with is also filled with chemicals to make them grow at a faster rate to get that hamburger on a dinner plate as quickly as possible. Bryan Walsh, a staff writer for Time Magazine specializing in environmental issues discusses in his article “America’s Food Crisis” how our food is not only bad for us but dangerous as well. The word dangerous

Every day the average american can be seen throwing money at things. This is the relationship that can be made between america and food, as seen in “What We Eat”. Eric Schlosser talks about how food in general has made a noticeable difference on the American society. He does this by referencing how the amount of money the average american spends on food has surpassed numbers unimaginable. Schlosser says that the effect of fast food in america has made it so that “On any given day, about one quarter of the adult population visits a fast-food restaurant.”

In the book Good Food Revolution, it focuses on the main point of Will Allen’s life and how he has always been around food. I believe the book does a good job with tying in different connections and references with food and with Will Allen since he has grown up around food ever since he was little. When the book states “The fate of a seed can be predicted by the health of the soil where it takes the root” I believe that Will Allen is referring and connecting it back to himself. I believe he relates this to himself because a plant's roots are surrounded by soil and Will Allen has planted his roots around farming and food. A plant needs soil to survive and Will Allen needed farming to survive. His whole life and job has revolved around planting. A plant lives off of what it knows and its surroundings and Will Allen did the same. His parents planted the seed to get the initial start in farming so he picks up where they left off. Even though he was not into farming when he was younger he learned to grow and find a  passion for farming as he grew older because it has always been around him. No matter where he went he held onto farming because that is all he knew. I believe this connection between Will Allen and the quote about the plant enhances and helps tell the story of how Will Allen got involved in farming.

Many historians believe that the most significant “food revolution” was the Neolithic Revolution. This “food revolution” dramatically changed the way food was produced. This change had a major political, social, and economic impact on societies and regions. Due to this, many new advances were produced. This helped civilization to become more sophisticated, more civilized, and more organized.

“Thanksgiving is a holiday which contains a solution to one of our greatest problems today: our eating” (Adler). Many would think that Americans struggle with eating because of lack of time or because food is too expensive, when in reality, they just don’t use ingredients to their fullest potential, wasting time and money. Thanksgiving seems to be the only day in the year that people eat correctly—by using leftovers. In the article “Thanksgiving Thrifts,” Adler effectively attempts to persuade her audience of the benefits of what she calls “sustainable cooking.”

Food, health and family Food politics has been a major topic since the 1980’s. The production of processed food that Americans consume has brought an extreme depression on American families and their health. The bad food that American families have been consuming has brought an epidemic of health problems, and a decrease in the American family bonding ,that once used to be so cherished. In “The food movement, rising” by Michael Polland, he describes the negative impact food production has had on American families.

In his book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All- American Meal, Eric Schlosser, an investigative journalist, argues that “the fast food industry has helped to transform not only the American diet, but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture” (3). He supports this claim by first describing the history of the fast food industry, then explaining the current condition of the chemistry and the labor in the industry. Schlosser’s purpose is to inform the consumer and describe the state of the fast food industry in order to call to attention the impacts of the industry on the lives of Americans and on America as a country. He establishes an optimistic tone in the beginning but then develops a gloomy tone for consumers to

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.

It is no surprise that obesity is rapidly taking over our beautiful country by the thousands. The possibility of this number dropping is very unlikely. America is known for being the land of the free, and home to the heaviest living population. But with so many people in a rush on a regular basis, fast food plays a huge role in an average lifestyle. One out of four individuals consume fast food on a daily basis. A majority of these fast food joints carry chicken sandwiches. They have been a staple menu item for years. Without a doubt, Chick-Fil-A has the most delicious fried chicken sandwich ever produced.

People eat about one-third of their meals at restaurants, a figure that has almost doubled since the late 1970s.2 Fast food consumption is even higher among adolescents, with 75% eating fast food at least once a week.3

In “The Damned Human Race,” Mark Twain claims humanity is a lesser species due to the cognitive ability to understand right from wrong. This claim is again seen throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. By utilizing the Duke and Dauphin, Twain exemplifies his position that society holds a corrupt moral code, making the species damned, yet he counter argues this by using a young protagonist.

America is known as the fattest country in the world. Is fast food the culprit? According to the article, "F as in Fat 2005," America's obesity rate in 2005 was a whopping 60%. Many people believe that this is due to the increasing popularity in fast food. It is much easier to go through a drive through and pick up a meal than making the food yourself. When eating out, people are more likely to eat more than when they cook. Meals at fast food and restaurants have become popular, in America the size of each meal is significantly bigger than any other country. According to Christina Sarlch, author of “Guess How Many Calories Are In A Typical Fast Food Meal” the amount of calories in a fast food meal is a gouging 1100 calories with a drink .The average number of calories needed for a person is 2000-2500 calories . Split between 3 meals that averages out to 666.67-833.33 calories a meal. Of course not many people follow that suggested calorie intake.

Hook/Attention getter: Isn’t fast food is your first choice in your daily life when thinking about eating? According to the National Restaurant Association (2005), the total sales of fast food in America reached $163.5 billion. Thus, the fast food industry is becoming a global business as well.

a. Did you know that most Americans eat three burgers a week and that 81% of Americans consume junk food while driving? It comes as no surprise, since people spend more time on the road nowadays (Stefanov, Sebastien).

"Fast food is popular because it 's convenient, it 's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu," was said by Eric Schlosser. Several people in America have become dependent on fast foods. How many of the people who eat this food actually know what is really in the food or how it was made? Others don 't think about it, because within ordering, three minutes later a customer can pull up to the window, pay, and get food. It is quick and cheap. The United States has become dependent on fast foods because they are everywhere, but the consequences of these facilities have brought health issues and closing of community restaurants.