The diet of social status Whether a person lives within high or low class in their social status, the socioeconomic factor can decide on one’s diet, along with one’s health plan. A family’s diet shows “how social class shapes our daily, face-to-face interactions—from casual exchanges to interactions at school, work, and home” (Fiske and Markus). Not many people can afford a particular diet, whether for religious reasons or a life changing personal decision. Similar to the vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean, or other diets of their liking. Many who fall into the category of overweight and obese do not always have the privilege to live healthily, based off of expenses, however, a diet will determined by their environment, which continues the endless …show more content…
In distinction to purchasing a particular item, then to how it has cooked and prepared or rather takeout food, decides the families’ diet and even choices in food of what they consume. Whether the food cooks in olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter can determine the taste of a meal, but also can improve the health of the meal. The preparations made in order to prepare a meal for the family could perchance measure in convenience. The level of convenience can range around take-out, instant foods, TV dinners/ microwavable, and stuff from a box to healthy homemade/ from scratch, baked/cooked, steamed, and stuff from a can. Not that some convenient foods cannot originally contain good health contents, nonetheless the small changes that can make someone’s food intake much healthier even with a small budget. When purchasing grocery items with a low income, whether an item according to a good healthy diet compares with an item that consists of a bad nutritional value. Parents will purchase the unhealthy choice deceived for its promise to satisfy their children, however, a similar item that stands healthier with the same weighed oz. will fill the proper nutrients that a child needs while they still proceed to grow, unlike processed foods that can fatten a child and stunt their
In the article Unhappy Meals, Michael Pollan strongly believes that it is possible for an individual to live a healthier and better lifestyle through several tactics that he proposes in his article. However, Pollan 's measures are not effective in helping mothers and children in the lower socioeconomic status but rather helps better the health of those with high socioeconomic statuses. For instance, Pollan encourages avoiding foods that "your great-great-grandmother wouldn 't recognize as food...such as Go-Gurt, Breakfast-cereal bars and Nondairy creamer" (Pollan, 2007). Pollan does not take into consideration that "less educated persons with jobs that offer few opportunities for learning may have limited knowledge of the harm of unhealthy
Nutrition and health have become more popular in today 's society. Our generation is becoming more and more indebted to the idea of being healthy and eating nutritious meals. However, in “The American Paradox,” by Michael Pollan he argues that our unhealthy population is preoccupied with nutrition and the idea of eating healthy than their actual health. He also mentions the food industry, nutrition science and how culture affects the way we eat and make food choices. While Pollan is right about all these factor that affect our eating habits, there is more to it than that. Convenience, affordability and social influence also affects our food choices making them inadequate.
Research proves that low-income families will shop wherever the food prices are lower, and generally cannot afford to pay for healthful foods. In comparison to the residents of higher income communities, low-income households normally have diets that are higher in meat and processed foods and often have low intakes of fruits and vegetables. Research suggests that people with low socioeconomic status spend up to 37% more on food. This is because of smaller weekly food budgets in addition to poorly stocked stores. Those with lower income are more likely to spend money on inexpensive fats and sugars versus fresh fruits and vegetables that are more costly on a per calorie basis. Healthy foods like whole grain products are more expensive than high calorie junk foods.
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
Without the proper resources, support, and access to healthier options, it becomes challenging for even the most determined person to make a change. The exercise made it evident that Jane would be more successful in her endeavour to lower her blood pressure than Joe would, because of the resources, support, and access than her higher economic status afford her. Sadly, as a result of such an unequal wealth distribution in America, many people are in Joe’s shoes; despite the desire to be healthier, they are unable to control their circumstances and surroundings or get the proper support to help them successfully improve their unhealthy habits or
Most people wouldn’t deny that food is vital to everyday life, but perhaps it has more importance than just simply nourishing our bodies. According to Carole M. Counihan, a doctor of anthropology, food is so important that society has constructed rules regarding its consumption. Counihan emphasizes in her 1992 Anthropology Quarterly article, “Food Rules in the United States: Individualism, Control and Hierarchy,” that these rules serve as the “means through which human beings construct reality” (Counihan, 1992, p. 55). Counihan advocates for the importance of studying food rules by explaining that knowledge about how food is viewed in our culture can do three things: improve understanding of other culture’s food rules, allow nutrition education programs to mesh with these rules, and reveal an aspect of society that helps maintain our current stratification system, which has not been thoroughly examined yet (Counihan, 1992). Through her study of food journals kept by American college students, Counihan argues that their adherence to food rules suggests that students strongly believe in self-control and individualism. Consequently, these beliefs reinforce our current social hierarchies, specifically classism, racism, and sexism. Counihan’s argument that our rules about food allow for the perpetuation of sexism is a compelling one that I very much agree with. I have personally seen my best friend plan her entire diet and exercise regimen based on what her boyfriend thinks. Although this article was written in 1992, I believe the message it conveys will still be applicable in years to come.
What we eat, the way we do it, and why we do it, will always be scrutinized and in this article the author does just that. She argues that eating healthy or not depends on witch social class we fit in; witch can be true in a way. However, eating healthy or not can also be a question of choice. Obviously having more money will always give you more choices and the option to go for expensive products with higher quality. The journalist goes back to the 19th century saying that white bread was a luxury that only rich people could afford but showed no evidence that, by eating white bread they were healthier than the poor who could not afford it.
Although the two authors do not refer to each other directly in their works, both their perspectives share a common ground that no enough income make people eating less healthy. Pinsker argues that the actual barrier that stops people from eating healthy is the lack of income (129-130). He uses studies to show that poor families choose processed food because children like those tasty processed food (Pinsker 129-134). Whereas poor families cannot afford the waste if children refused to eat healthier but less tasty food parents provided (Pinsker 129-134). Cortright also suggests that income matters the most to why people do not eat healthy. He even further discusses income as the most influential limiting factor by addressing that other factors such as physical proximity to local food sources do not cause people to eat less healthy (Cortright 135-138). The two authors, in general, reach a consensus and mutually prove that income plays as the biggest limiting factor for people to have healthy
There is no surprise that food is important in all aspects of our lives—it is shared amongst families, celebrated as a major part of our culture, and crucial to our daily routine that keeps us fit, healthy, and active. Today’s western culture glorifies a skewed perspective on how food is supposed to fit into our lives. Somehow this perception has led us to believe we no longer have the time or money it takes to prepare a wholesome, healthy meal that is shared at the dinner table with family. Instead, we are trained to want a meal that is fast, cheap, and easy. This meal is usually highly processed and filled with sugars and fats. This has led us to a problem of epidemic proportions characterized by the rapid increase in obesity and diabetes.
Eating nutritious food may seem simple enough, but to those that hardly get by financially, affording healthy foods can be a major hindrance. This is proven by Dr. Jim Levine, a researcher with a concentration of the link between poverty and obesity. He is quoted stating, “In many poverty-dense regions, people are… unable to access affordable healthy food, even when funds avail.” (Sifferlin 1) For example, further studies show that the average cost of salad is $1.50 more than the average cost of a hamburger. Getting vitamins and minerals from the food we eat is substantial to survive in everyday life. Annually, it costs five hundred and fifty dollars more to eat healthier. Five hundred and fifty dollars may not seem like much, but to those that have low income, it is a crucial amount. While achieving a healthy diet proves to be necessary to maintain a healthy weight, it is almost inaccessible for those with low income. Low-income individuals confront the barrier of the cost of healthier choices in their everyday
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
The story, In Praise of Fast Food, written by Rachel Laudan is an evaluation argument recommending healthy food choices in comparison to fast food. Laudan responds by sharing her experience with growing up on a farm and a child and eating food from her family garden. “Modern, fast, processed food is a disaster” (Faigley 302). In this writing selection, the author provided effective evidence to argue the inadequate safety of food today saying, “They built granaries, dried their meat and their fruit, salted and smoked their fish, curdled and fermented their dairy products, and cheerfully used additives and preservatives- sugar, salt, oil, vinegar, lye- to make audible foodstuffs” (Faigley 304). Food in the past was very different than what we have today.
The poor food choices that men and women make is the cause of many illnesses, disease and chronic health conditions. Men and women generally have different thoughts and choices on the topic of healthy food. People’s bad health may be genetically occurred or their exposure to their past nutritional education was not helpful, but their bad health is primarily based upon the poor choices that the individuals choose in daily life.
Food is a great obsession to human beings; it also can say something about us beyond what we decide to put in our mouths. Michael Pollan’s research shows that we are not really eating healthy we are convenient eaters. We much prefer quantity over quality, and this is the reason why we have an issue with obesity today, however, eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Yes, we need to worry about how we eat but not to the extent where it is unhealthy. Food is everywhere it’s a part of our lives. Without it we wouldn’t survive, but are we taking the easy way and eating too unhealthy? Is eating unhealthy all we have really known? What can our food choices say about us, beyond what we choose to put into our mouths? Is being defined by our food a bad thing? How does Social Media influence how we eat?
Mother: My mother has the best eating habits out of the entire family. She tends to avoid eating dessert or anything with excessive amount of sugar. Whenever she snacks, she tends to choose fruits or vegetables. Most of what she eats is either organic, or comes from local farms. The activities she does throughout the day are often not stationary, I often don’t see her sitting down. She also leaves time every day for physical activities (which changes depending on the season, but is usually cardio or something that can easily be done in a small space).