Post 1: Responce to In Defense of Food

In the beginning of In Defense of Food Michael Pollan states his aim of the book to be to "help us reclaim our health and happiness as eaters" (7). Pollan assures his readers that there are edible food substances in the world - but that we as consumers have become too lazy to eat healthy food or even prepare a meal. Another one of Pollan's arguments is that the food industry is the reason we have become lazy about what we eat. “The Western Diet” is the term that describes our countries current eating habits; this term explains our naivety about the food we eat and what we are told we are eating. Pollan notes that “most of the nutritional advice we’ve received over the last half century has actually made us less healthy and more considerably fatter” (7). An interesting article I found on WebMd http://www.webmd.com/heart/metabolic-syndrome/news/20080122/western-diet-ups-heart-diabetes-risk address how our western diet eating lifestyle is increasing one’s risk of a heart attack and diabetes. This book and article is a good way to allow readers to understand the long term effects of our choices we make today.

In the second half of the reading Pollan compels readers to realize that we have been fed the idea that having an amount of nutrients can be a substitute to eating healthy food. Pollan states it perfectly with the quote, “even processed foods may be considered to be healthier for you than whole foods if they contain the appropriate quantities of some nutrients” (32). An example of this could be Cocoa Puffs cereal, on the box there is a “Whole grain guaranteed!” statement. Is this account supposed to do justice for the high amounts of sugar, calories, sodium, and carbohydrates Cocoa Puffs contain? Being able to read in between the lines and understand what healthy foods truly are is crucial in being a smarter eater. So far in this book Pollan doesn’t put the blame on anyone for America’s bad eating choices, but rather looks at ways to change the way our country eats and learn how to appreciate food again.