When did eating become so difficult? There is a dizzying amount of conflicting information about food. The result is a multitude diets like: keto, gluten-free, low-fat, paleo, high-protein and liquid to name a few. Pollan attempts to cut through the confusion with his book In Defense of Food. Pollon exhorts a simple answer to my food question “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” Pollan suggests a diet with more whole foods preferably from farmers markets. Pollan thinks we should shop frequently and cook daily from scratch. Pollan’s advice intuitively makes sense and I would love to eat like that. Unfortunately, I am unable to eat like Pollan suggests and so are many other. While Pollan gives sound advice he fails to acknowledge institutional barriers to his way of eating.
An article entitled “The Food Police: Why Michael Pollan Makes Me Want to Eat Cheetos” by Guthman critiques Pollan for failing to acknowledge institutional barriers (https://www.utne.com/politics/the-food-police?PageId=1). Guthman explains that Pollan explains global food institutions do promote unhealthy diets. An example is the ubiquity of cheap corn in our food system. Pollan presents a systemic food issue but he offers an individualized solution.
Source: Woody Wade
Pollan is engaging in fallacy about people diets. He suggests if only people knew how healthier his way of eating is they would eat like him. Guthman is offended by the idea that people do not realize whole foods are healthier. People eat what they can afford and what they have time to make. A mother might feed her children Kraft Mac and Cheese because it is quick, cheap and does not spoil. Pollan’s diet would only be possible for affluent people with free time and a great deal of disposable income. Pollan missed an opportunity to provide a systemic solution to our global food problem.