As I was listening to the podcast, I found that I really liked the arguments that the author was making regarding science and the mistakes that were made in the past, particularly in the dietary recommendations adopted by the nutritional field. Since the purpose of her book The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat, and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet is to disprove the “myth” that fats (including butter, meat, and cheese) do not belong in a healthy diet, her book includes evidence that supports the opposite view of the issue (that these products can belong in a healthy diet). I particularly liked that each time that the author mentioned a study, she would provide background information, as well as information on the participants and the methodology, …show more content…
She stated that anthropologists found that while the Inuit’s diet consisted of 70-80% fat with little vegetable or carbohydrate intake (except during desperate famine situations), these people were some of the healthiest people ever observed. When the results of this study were presented, many individuals had difficulty believing them because they felt that fats must be the leading cause of heart disease. The author then describes how the scientists proceeded to conduct a case study where he only ate meat and fat for a length of time. At the end of the period, he not only lost weight, but was considered perfectly healthy by any marker that could be measured, leading the scientists to conclude that a diet high in fats is the best option. However, instead of simply presenting this data, the author mentioned several limitations, such as that there were no available records to show how long the Inuit lived, but the little records available do show that there was no trace of cancer, diabetes, or other chronic diseases that evolve over a lifetime. At the end of this segment, the author mentioned that the body of evidence contradicting the nutrition “experts” was continually increasing: more and more evidence was becoming available to disprove that a low-fat diet was the healthiest. However, she argued that the nutrition …show more content…
She stated that these warriors ate nothing but blood, meat, and milk. Following the nutrition experts guidelines, these people should have been having frequent heart attacks; however, the cardiograms showed that they had no symptoms of heart disease. Moreover, blood pressure did not rise with age nor did they gain weight, two characteristics normally associated with an increase in age. The author mentioned that the Vanderbilt experimenter was a “man of science” for accepting only what the data could support. When he tried to present his findings, critics silenced him and his career suffered for
When it comes to the topic of eating healthy, most of us will readily agree that we all need to. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of how and why. Whereas some are convinced that we don’t need to all be eating healthy foods that are over priced to stay healthy, and others maintain that there is no other way. Bill Gifford talks about a proper diet throughout the book, but one chapter in particular really stands out when it comes to how diet affects our bodies and ultimately our heath. In the chapter Phil Vs. Fat, Gifford tells a story about a man who beats all odds when it comes to changing his life. Our new friend Phil was morbidly obese and had become highly diabetic. Through exercise and eating a more refined diet, he was able to completely reverse his body and his health. Gifford continues to emphasis on Phil’s great feat when he writes, “The doctor was astonished: Bruno’s insulin resistance was gone, his blood values
The article “The Skinny on Low-fat Diets” by Alan Ling is about the drawbacks of low-fat diets. The author talks about how low-fat diets don’t necessarily work and uses facts to strengthen her claim. One of the ways the author strengthen their claim is by showing the other side of the argument. The author includes this information to strengthen her claim and show readers that they can defend their argument from others.
These few sentences are the most effective in contradicting everything that the author has said previously in the article. The text states, “These study’s findings will not persuade everyone where low-fat diets are concerned. Some people may continue on these diets because they have lost weight or feel their health has improved.” Although right after these sentences the author continues to discuss why low-fat diets are bad, these sentences show us that the author understands other people’s point of
In this essay “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” published in 2013 issue of The Atlantic Daily, David Freedman explains how junk food is a better source of the organic food. Stressing the price and how many calories to natural/healthy smoothies and fast food /junk food. While most people believe junk food contributes to obesity, Freedman advocates eating junk food but making smart choices.
A testimonial appeal stemming from the article, was taken up by Denmark, who, in 2011 said that “any foods high in saturated fat” were to be taxed, and this was passed into law. A secondary testimonial came from the United Nations, which declared that heart disease and “uncatchable” diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, etc. pose a greater risk now than ever before. Another testimonial taken from the text was this: “Western diet is now dominated by “low-cost, highly-proc...
He claims that a better diet requires spending more time and resources on food, just like the people of the past did. Pollan attributes their surpassing health to this practice, but in his article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”, David Freedman paints a different story. Freedman describes how examinations of ancient non-Western remains revealed “hardened arteries, suggesting that pre-industrial diets…may not have been the epitome of healthy eating” (514). This discovery seriously undermines Pollan’s assumption that we should follow the lead of our ancestors because even though they spent a greater amount of resources on food and ate absolutely no processed foods, they still suffered from some of the same diseases which Pollan claims his eating habits will curb. As an opponent of processed foods, or “foodlike products” (Pollan 426), Pollan advocates eating whole foods. As many people have a similar opinion, he is not alone in this, but he is misinformed. Freedman reveals that after examining the nutrition labels on various unprocessed, whole foods, he found that many contained more fat, sugar, and sodium than processed foods (512). If unprocessed foods underwent the same scrutiny as processed foods, perhaps this common misconception could be prevented. The basic premise of Pollan’s essay is that a better diet will lead to better health. While we could all benefit from a better diet, “findings linking food type and health are considered highly unreliable (Freedman 518). Freedman discusses the multitude of nondietary factors such as air quality and exercise that render such studies untrustworthy. Pollan might be a well-respected author of nutrition books, but this does not mean that his theories are free of
They both are right and wrong at once, when reading the articles I could not help but to think of the Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “Super Size Me,” for those that don’t know in this film Morgan goes on a one month McDonald 's only diet, during which he gets the oversized portions and eats every hyper processed food on the menu. Turning the average relatively fit adult American into a sluggish shadow of what he was before the one month. Morgan did both things that Pollen and Maxfield wanted to avoid. Pollen a processed diet and Maxfield a feast beyond your body’s
For some time, scholars and writers have continuously debated as to what constitutes or defines the idea of healthy eating, mainly because of the increase in the number of people diagnosed with ailments associated with bad eating habits. It has quickly become the forefront of issue, particularly in the United States. In recognition of this on-going debate, this composition seeks to compare and contrast two well-known authors concerning how we think about and consume food. In Michael Pollan’s discussion, “Escape from the Western Diet,” he discusses the negative sides of nutrition science, including conflicting theories surrounding the elements of healthy food consumption and why solutions are essential for the Western diet and lifestyle. “Escape from the Western Diet,’’ is among the articles that talks about the eating habits of individuals in the society. In the article, Pollan points out not only the numerous conflicts concerning what types of diets – including carbohydrate-based, the inclusion of omega-3s, other nutrition-specific needs - that are believed to directly affect general health or specific illnesses, but also how western nutritionism compares to other countries diets affect longevity outcomes. In the end, Pollan suggests that the United States must seek solutions that move towards more natural, unprocessed, plant-based lifestyles that ensure that individuals are making what they consume a primary
The 2007 publication of the latest Canada's Food Guide, with recommendations for healthy eating based on scientific evidence, including a customized version for First Nations, Inuit and Metis (CFGFNIM)1, revealed numerous gaps in the AFG in terms of new nutritional standards. In consultation with an advisory committee, a notice was issued on the preferred tool. Unanimously, the Atikamekw wanted to keep the AFG as a reference tool for their community while supporting its update. This preference for the GAA is due to the strong sense of cultural...
Native Americans have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Native Americans are 60% more likely to be obese and are over twice as likely to have diabetes than the general population. These numbers are even higher for Southwest Native Americans. But their diet is very similar to the rest of modern society. So why do Native Americans suffer these conditions at higher rates than the general population? The answer may be found in new research that is beginning to point to a genetic cause for these conditions. In a study by Peggy Halpern, Ph.D. for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, she found that historically Native Americans of the Southwest experienced repeated cycles of abundance followed by famine. She writes: “ A “thrifty gene”…enabled individuals to store surplus calories as fat during times of abundance and to use the energy more efficiently during times of famine, thus surviving periods when food was scarce.” Another reason Native Americans of the Southwest may have developed this gene is because as their population increased, their access to game decreased, resulting in lower consumption of animal fat. But today Native Americans are no longer subject to these cycles of abundance and famine nor are they deprived of meat rich in fat. Like the rest of modern society, they have access to a constant supply of food. So without periodic cycles of famine and easy access to animal fat this thrifty gene would work against them. Their bodies would be very efficient at storing fat, leading to high rates of obesity and diabetes. But there are over 3 million Native Americans and over 500 hundred tribes recognized by the U.S. governmen...
One of the most unhealthy diets in the world is that of an American. It is made up of processed foods and a good amount of television. America easily has the most fast food restaurants in the entire world. Leave it to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King or any other fast-food restaurant to serve extremely cheap and even unhealthier food at any time during the day or night. ”It tastes good so why not?” That seems to be the question many people are asking now-a-days. Because it is so easily accessible and processed, it is made to be very tasty and extremely unhealthy. Many Americans find his or herself indulging on the these fatty foods of America on a day-to-day basis. While it may taste good at the time, it has a terrible effect on your body on a long-term basis. Eat it regularly, and it becomes a nasty and deadly habit and can cause heart failure, Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, high-blood pressure, and many other life threatening complications to the body. The American diet has a numerous amount of pitfalls and disgusting habits. The American diet is one of the worst diets because of its portions, processed foods, and how it is very cheap, but the American diet can be overcome with determination, a healthy diet, and an exercise routine.
In the article “Paranoia about Fats is Driven by Junk Science” by Jill Richardson discusses the idea of how many Americans’ have false beliefs on the consumption of fats. Many think fats are bad and unhealthy for our diets, when in reality; we need them to maintain a healthy diet. For me and just like many others, I had the wrong impression on fats. Since many products today contain the label fat-free, I always believed that this was bad for diets. Since reading this article, it helped me take into account that eating omega-3 and omega-6; such as fish, greens, seeds, and oils are part of a well-balanced diet. This can be related to chapter 3, as omega-3 fatty acids are essential in preventing
The western diet consists of foods high in sugar and fat, as well as a large consumption of red meats and refined grains. As a result, people who consume a western diet face problems with their weight and often have many diseases related to poor dieting. Pollan believes that the food industry and medical community take advantage of this. Pollan claims that the food industry will change their processed food and sell it back to the consumer rather than removing the process food all together. The medical community will treat people’s diseases instead of helping to prevent theses disease by educating people on how to make healthier life style choices. Mary Maxfield believes that these points made by Michael Pollan are hypocritical. She states that Michael Pollan is taking advantage of the consumer the same way he claims that the food industry and medical community are. Pollan would criticize the food industry and medical community but at the same time publish and sell his theories on how to eat
Eating is an instinctual habit; however, what we decide to put in our body is a choice that will affect our way of living. In “The American Paradox,” Michael Pollan, a professor of journalism at University of California, Berkeley, disapproves of the way Americans have been eating. The term “American paradox” describes the inverse correlation where we spend more of our time on nutrition, but it would only lead to our overall health deteriorating. According to Pollan, our way of eating that had been governed with culture, or our mother, was changed by the entities of food marketers and scientists, who set up nutritional guidelines that changed the way we think about food. Nutritional advice is inaccurate as it is never proven, and it is not beneficial
Most Americans do not care enough to take a look at the nutritional values of the food that he or she is consuming. That is why America has the highest percentage of obesity in the world. This is a serious problem because one in every three adults is obese, and one in every six children is obese. There are many factors that go into the regular American diet, but most of those factors are not appealing nor is it healthy. Americans put way too much processed food into their daily diet. Some would say that other countries diets superior the American diet because of nutritional values that it carries. Other countries have proven that an active lifestyle is a huge element in the average weight of the country. There are many things that Americans could change about their diets and lifestyle that would help them to become healthier.