The world’s industrialized food system has produced systemic issues within society. Not only do individuals now possess “an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating” known as Orthorexia (Pollan pg. 80), but they also believe that as more items line the shelves of supermarkets, they have more choice in the foods that they can purchase.
Modern guides on nutrition have effectively misled people on the proper ways to nourish their bodies. Much of the research done over the past few decades has been found to contain flaws. Studies previously conducted have concluded that consumption of saturated fats positively correlates with coronary-heart-disease risk. However, after further assessment decades later, these same studies were demonstrated to contain little to no validity. Within that timeframe, food manufacturers began to stock stores with margarine spreads, as they were recommended by nutritionists as a safe alternative to saturated fats. Consequently, society obsessed over margarine spreads and consumed them in record amounts, only to find out later that these margarine spreads (containing trans fats) pose a significant risk to the body compared to saturated fats. Our obsession with new food trends is frequently our demise. We, as a society, need to rethink food or, rather, go back to the basics.
Grocery shoppers today may also believe that they have more choices in the foods they purchase. In some ways this may be true. Globalization has afforded individuals access to foods they would otherwise not have the privilege of consuming. However, just because there are more foods stocking store shelves, does not mean there is more choice. Most foods on our shelves today contain one of three highly subsidized key ingredients: corn, wheat, or soy. Large, multinational food corporations mix these ingredients into cheap, processed foods, and as individuals continue to purchase these items, the viscous cycle is perpetuated. Thus, individuals may have the impression that they have more freedom of choice but, in fact, heir foods are more similar than they are different. Additionally, they fail to provide a good source of nutrition.