In Defense For Food Summary

In Michael Pollan’s book In Defense for Food, the chapter “Escape from the western diet” argues that people whom eat food from the “western diet” are more likely susceptible to chronic diseases than people who consume food from the traditional diets. Pollan also uses Gorgy Scrinis to support him as he includes in the excerpt, Scrinis says that we as humans should avoid food that is more industry than nature, meaning that we should stay away from foods that have been overly processed. Pollan also observes that the people who consume more of the western diet are much more vulnerable to getting sick, thus ending up in the hospital, Pollan asserts that this is how the hospitals make more money, the more sick, the more people want to see the doctor.

From the doctor’s office visit, the doctor will prescribe them medication for their health become more stable, resulting in the Pharmacies making more money. In the end, Pollan finally ends with the assumption that the reason why so many turn to the western diet is because it is fast, cheap, and easy to get, he even goes on to include that we as American’s spend a little less than 10 percent of our total income on buying food and a little over an hour enjoying them. Pollan also goes on to add to suggest that it would benefit us to go backward in gathering and preparing food to help us live healthy lives. Essentially, by focusing on the western diet and how these people are more likely to accumulate diseases, Pollan’s theory of people who consume the western diet are more likely to accumulate chronic diseases than those who don’t consume it is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of the more healthier foods being more expensive. With that being said, many actually choose this diet because as Pollan states, it is a lot faster, cheaper, and easier to afford and get rather than a salad which several dollars more, or a home cooked meal, which takes more time to prepare. In many cases this is the