Analysis Of Fast Food Pollan

695 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Introduction to the fast food industry

In this book, Pollan focuses a lot on the culture that surrounds the eating habits of today’s society in America. He talks about how we come from a culture that was primarily dependent on the hunting and gathering of our food. Pollan explains that through the years, Americans have turned away from providing for themselves in exchange for quicker and more convenient meals. I believe that America has evolved into a fast paced way of living. This has inhibited today’s society from having optimal time to prepare and even sit down to enjoy their meals. These cultural changes have led to a higher consumption rate of processed and fast foods. Almost anywhere you go, you can find a find a fast food restaurant or chain. With all of these arising opportunities, today’s culture has created a very unhealthy nation filled with sickness and disease. Pollan states that three out of every five Americans are overweight and one out of every five is obese. When compared to American culture before processed and fast food were ever an option, issues and diseases related to weight were almost non-existent. The people that lived before our modernized culture had to expend a greater amount of energy on hunting and tracking their prey, sometimes even ending up empty handed. However, when compared to today’s culture a surplus of food is available to people in exchange for much smaller energy expenditures.
One night as Pollan sits down at a restaurant and is about to dig into a nice steak dinner, he gets to thinking about what the actual cost of the meal says about him. Steaks and more elegant and exotic game are a good representation of where one stands in the social class. Pollan talks about how the price of meat has continuously gone up throughout the ...

... middle of paper ...

...ised plays significant part in the end result of the quality of the product.
I think Pollan would endorse the idea of a regulation stating that cattle can only be fed a grass-based diet as opposed to a corn-based one. In his book, he explains the differences in the cattle raised on both of the diets. The cattle that are fed corn-based diets become very sick because their stomachs are not meant to consume and break down so much corn. They then live the remainder of their lives on antibiotics, just to keep them surviving long enough to make it to the slaughterhouses. Whereas cattle that are raised on a grass-based diet do not develop the need for excess antibiotics and attention like the corn-fed cattle do. Pollan made it clear that he preferred the grass-fed diet much greater than the corn-fed diet, which is why I believe he would support this change in public policy.

Show More
Related

  • Obesity In Michael Moss's Escape From The Western Diet

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    Escape from the Western Diet describes Pollan’s primary occupation as an author of food and eating books, not a food scientist, however, Pollan bases his entire article off of his opinion of how Americans should eat (Pollan, 420). Pollan 's rules, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” might serve as a fine setup for a fad diet, but these rules don’t necessarily provide a reasonable solution for America’s obesity problem. The rules don’t provide a solution because they are too vague; you can’t solve a nationwide issue using a system that fails to acknowledge any other factors besides what Americans should supposedly eat. Logical fallacies pop up throughout Escape from the Western Diet and stunt its credibility, such examples being the False Dichotomy, Begging the Question, and the Hasty Generalization. In Pollan’s quote, “people eating a Western diet are prone to a complex of chronic diseases that seldom strike people eating more traditional diets” (Pollan, 421), the Hasty Generalization fallacy is apparent, as not every person who eats a Western diet is prone to chronic diseases. The quote, “the healthcare industry...stands to profit more handsomely from new drugs and procedures to treat chronic diseases than it does from a wholesale change in the way people eat” (Pollan, 422) is a prime example of the Begging the Question fallacy, as this

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The American Paradox By Michael Pollan

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his essay “The American Paradox”, Michael Pollan illustrates his conclusion that Americans who focus on nutrition have a higher probability of decreasing their well-being. Pollan defines the American paradox as “a notably unhealthy population preoccupied with nutrition and the idea of eating healthily.” For most of our human history, our parents and culture have influenced our diet. However, today the idea of what to eat has been based on the opinions of scientists, food markets, and nutritionists. I agree with Pollan’s argument that being preoccupied with what we eat makes us unhealthy, however, we need a balance and a sense of responsibility in what we eat.

    Read More

  • Analyzing David Sedaris 'Chipped Beef'

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout society, the contrast between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots, the elites and the ordinary, have been a constant source of discussion and philosophy. In Chipped Beef, by comparing fantasies of wealth with truths of reality, David Sedaris argues that the intrinsic values of relationships vastly outweigh the extrinsic value of material things.

    Read More

  • The Botany Of Desire Summary

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    has no alternative. To ensure fairness here, Pollan presents Mike Heath's organic farming style not

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic: Fast-food Companies Are to Blame

    1754 Words  | 4 Pages

    Obesity has become an epidemic in today’s society. Today around 50% of America is now considered to be over weight. Fast-food consumption has been a major contributor to the debate of the twenty-first century. Chapter thirteen, titled “Is Fast-Food the New Tobacco,” in the They Say I Say book, consists of authors discussing the debate of fast-food’s link to obesity. Authors debate the government’s effects on the fast-food industry, along with whether or not the fast-food industry is to blame for the rise in obesity throughout America. While some people blame the fast food industry for the rise in obesity, others believe it is a matter of personal responsibility to watch what someone eats and make sure they get the proper exercise.

    Read More

  • The Oil We Eat Summary

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Modern Agriculture has made it possible to grow an abundance of food to feed people across the world. These farms however reach efficiency through ways that effect the earth in devastating ways. Richard Manning, an environmental journalist, thoroughly addresses the many issues involved with modern agriculture in his essay, “The Oil We Eat: Following the Food Chain Back to Iraq”. Richard Pollan, a Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism, finds solutions to these problems in a place called Polyface farms that uses a traditional version of farming. Polyface reaches a different type of efficiency to meet our food production needs by handling the issues of animal treatment, fertilizer runoff, and the use of antibiotics on animals in

    Read More

  • Summary Of Hey Mom What's For Dinner

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    The more we are educated about what we are eating, the better food choices we will make, therefore, the healthier we will be. Pollan introduces the 4 food chains to us, industrial, industrial organic, locally grown, and hunter gatherer. Throughout the book, Pollan educates us about these food chains, and references them, Helping us to make the correct choices. For example, the industrial food chain is quick, easy to get access to, and efficient, but is it healthy? When talking about the effects of the industrial food chain, Pollan says, “When food is abundant and cheap, people will eat more of it” (77). This is a direct answer to today’s problem- America’s epidemic of obesity. That doesn’t mean we can’t have Mcdonald’s ever again, Pollan just is telling us we need to be more conscious and educated about what we are eating from each food

    Read More

  • Escape From The Western Diet Essay

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    When we think of our national health we wonder why Americans end up obese, heart disease filled, and diabetic. Michael Pollan’s “ Escape from the Western Diet” suggest that everything we eat has been processed some food to the point where most of could not tell what went into what we ate. Pollan thinks that if America thought more about our “Western diets” of constantly modified foods and begin to shift away from it to a more home grown of mostly plant based diet it could create a more pleasing eating culture. He calls for us to “Eat food, Not too much, Mostly plants.” However, Mary Maxfield’s “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, argues differently she has the point of view that people simply eat in the wrong amounts. She recommends for others to “Trust yourself. Trust your body. Meet your needs.” The skewed perception of eating will cause you all kinds of health issues, while not eating at all and going skinny will mean that you will remain healthy rather than be anorexic. Then, as Maxfield points out, “We hear go out and Cram your face with Twinkies!”(Maxfield 446) when all that was said was eating as much as you need.

    Read More

  • The American Paradox, By Michael Pollan

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Pollan the question “what to eat” is complicated but “to guide us we have culture” (The American Paradox). Culture influences food likes and dislikes. Culture creates food preferences which make patterns of food choices, making everyone 's selection different. Whoever the influence of our culture has been changing throughout the years, with the food industry taking over the markets. Now we do not necessarily eat what our grandparents or even what our parents used to eat, instead we have this new massive produced packaged products. This is the reason why Americans food habits are changing, now more than ver we see people consuming products not because hey are part of their culture but because is what the media tells you to consume. The 21st century has a new obsession which is body image, now more than ever people is caring about the way they look due to all the advertisement about having a perfect body. Now America is obsess with making every product beneficial to your body but how many chemicals do they use to make that diet yogurt so it can be fat free, sugar free and still have some natural ingredients in it. This is the exact point pollan is trying to make in his article we are obsess with being healthy that we forget to check what are we really eating and where ir comes

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Michael Pollan's Escape From The Western Diet

    2499 Words  | 5 Pages

    Pollan believes that Americans rely on nutrition science, the study of individual nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and antioxidants, to fix the Western diet because it is the best source that exists. However, scientists have developed conflicting theories that confuse people to conclude as to how the Western diet causes disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Pollan disagrees with any type theory and instead blames the food and health industries who take advantage of new theories but do not to fix the problem of the Western diet. In turn, not only does he suggest people spending more time and money on better food choices, but he also proposes many tips to eat better, as well as a rule that will allow Americans climb out of the Western diet: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants (Pollan,

    Read More

  • Cow's Milk Thesis

    187 Words  | 1 Pages

    Cows are not worth raising because of the several problems revolving around them, along with the minimal health benefits they have. Arthur Knopf’s essay points out the health problems with dairy, but there is even more evidence to show alternatives to dairy can be increasingly beneficial. According to LiveScience contributor, Jessie Szalay, “if you buy calcium-fortified almond milk, the calcium levels will likely match or surpass cow’s milk.” Options that are more beneficial than cow’s milk should be explore instead of continuing to raise cattle. Knopf’s essay also mentions that cattle negatively effect the environment through methane and crop consumption, but there are several other ways that they are detrimental on the environment. One way

    Read More

  • 11 Facts About American Eating Habits

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyday, 1 out of every 4 Americans eat some sort of fast food. In the article, "11 Facts About American Eating Habits," the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that, "Americans spend 10% of their disposable income on fast food every year." Fast food is such a popular industry because it is a quick an easy way to have a meal. Instead of cooking, or making a homemade meal, people would rather pay 5.99 for a meal that is prepared within minutes. What people don't put into consideration is the effects of that meal, involving all the unhealthy ingredients used. In "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," written by Bill Bryson, Bryson states, "Half of all adult Americans are overweight and more than a third are defined obese" (Bryson 196). That obesity in America can be blamed on convenience. The same convenience that led America to its obesity rates also led to the thrive in the fast food industry. Thanks to the eagerness of obtaining fast food, it has become one of the most popular industry in the nation. Because of the minimum amount of time and effort it takes to acquire, America will, In my opinion, continue to rely on fast food, thanks to the convenience of it

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay About Food

    1094 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many people in America, from toddlers to the elderly, have shown numerous signs of bad health. People have the desire to keep on eating due to more, new things being merchandised as “new and improved items” from the producers. For example, nowadays, people are eating pure junk that they find satisfying on the grocery food shelf. As, stated by Michael Pollan, in his article, “Eat Food: Food Defined” he affirmed that “real food is the type of things that our

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Eating In American Culture

    304 Words  | 1 Pages

    American culture has changed how consumers eat, because they have a fast-paced life and just consume whatever and whenever they can eat, as Berry states in his article of “Pleasures of Eating”. As people have a hectic and stressful life with trying to finish things before the end of the day, they are not conscious about the poor food choices and the large amount of calories they consumed throughout the day. This leads to having an illness and the secondary effects of having a short life-span. Citizens violate the norms of eating in moderation of the consistency of food. Without knowing, eaters eat as much as they possibly can to get through the day and recreate themselves. The stress that buyers have on a daily-basis is what causes them to

    Read More

  • Essay On American Food Culture

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    American culture is changing dramatically. In some areas it’s a good thing, but in other areas, like our food culture, it can have negative affects. It is almost as if our eating habits are devolving, from a moral and traditional point of view. The great America, the land of the free and brave. The land of great things and being successful, “living the good life.” These attributes highlight some irony, especially in our food culture. Is the American food culture successful? Does it coincide with “good living”? What about fast and processed foods? These industries are flourishing today, making record sales all over the globe. People keep going back for more, time after time. Why? The answer is interestingly simple. Time, or in other words, efficiency. As people are so caught up in their jobs, schooling, sports, or whatever it may be, the fast/processed food industries are rapidly taking over the American food culture, giving people the choice of hot

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Fast Food Pollan

Open Document