The American diet has shifted continuously throughout time, following and forming to fit within societal expectations and norms. For example, during World War II, meat was rationed and households commonly practiced “meatless Mondays” in efforts to support the cause. However, in more modern times, American diets have shifted to adapt trends than necessities. Specifically, in more modern times, the American… Read more »
Every day, whether it be in person or online, consumers are exposed to propaganda that affects their food choices. Alongside this, consumers are continually exposed to pieces of literature that judge certain eating habits, which have supposedly caused them to be more or less healthy. While this type of informal advice may be useful, there are certain flaws that have… Read more »
In his mission to clarify the ideology of nutritionism, Michael Pollan asserts that food is simply not just the sum of its parts, a point that is critical to gaining understanding of the effects of food on human life. “[nutritionist ideology] has trouble discerning qualitative distinctions among foods” (Pollan 31). Because so much of our food comes from living plants… Read more »
During Mattieu’s lecture, the tweet about Amazon really stood out to me. It made me think of the AmazonGO store, and then about how they donate their expiring foods to the homeless shelter where I work. Which lead me to take a look at the social implications of donating expiring food to those who cannot afford to buy it. Looking… Read more »
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… Read more »
In his book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollen identifies what he deems the “Western Diet” as a primary culprit for a myriad of America’s health concerns. While I can recognize the validity of some of Pollen’s issues with the American diet, grouping all “Western Diets” together is to paint the variety of cultures and diets in the west as… Read more »
Lauren Klotz Pol S 385 Although Michael Pollan and Michael Maniates point out many problems with civilizations’ approaches to environmentalism, the authors do not pose viable solutions for individuals to follow. Michael Pollan presents various solutions that involve resources such as time and money that the average citizen does not have and Maniates does not provide many solutions besides the… Read more »
I consider myself an environmentalist, and being an Environmental Studies student, the first thought that comes to mind when learning new topics is “how does it affect the environment”? This new topic is the world food system, and after having read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, it seems like there is a huge effect on the environment. There is… Read more »
In Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, he elaborates on what he believes humans should eat and discusses why food and eating stand in need of defense. Most importantly he critiques the “reductionist” approach to food, which focuses on various nutrients, rather than the holistic approach. Although his work was published before social media took off, it is still challenging… Read more »
Our food’s tendency to diminish human and environmental health is clearly and evidently tied to the industrialization of its production and the resulting change in the way we view our food: as something to be quantified. Nutritionism plays a significant role in the failing health of our population and a return to the tradition, culture, and joy of eating can… Read more »