Preview

Michael Pollan's Escape From The Western Diet

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
147 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Michael Pollan's Escape From The Western Diet
In the reading “Escape from the Western Diet” Michael Pollan claims that the western diet is food that is fast, cheap, and easy which is one of the leading reasons for the rising obesity rates in North America. Therefore in order to maintain a heathy lifestyle we need to invest more time, money, and effort in preparing our meals. I agree with the claim Pollan states because fast, cheap, and easy food is usually processed food from fast food restaurants. Processed food contains high levels of fat, sugar, and salt and is filled with preservatives. North Americans should start investing their money into the food that is fueling their bodies. by buying fresh produce, fresh meat, and wholesome grains you have full control knowing what it

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    “A number seven, no pickles, with a large sprite please. Oh, can we have some extra ketchup with that as well?” This answer may resemble something near how most people would respond to Pollans question, “What should we have for dinner?” posed at the beginning of his book, The Omnivores Dilemma. Pollan breaks his book down into three major components, the preface, the process, and the person. By clearly identifying what he is examining, and through firsthand experience, Pollan was able to discuss American diet, and all that goes along with it.…

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the introduction, Pollan brings up a very good point about Americans and their views on dieting and eating “healthier”. Pollan explains the way that Americans went through a so-called “carbophobia” period in 2002, and how, unfortunately, this seems to remain true even today. The foods that American’s tend stay away from because of scientists and nutritionists devaluing…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Michael Pollan, the author of “Escape from the Western Diet” has a very strong believes about…

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1). In Hungry for Change, a 2012 film from James Colquhoun, Laurentine ten Bosch, and Carlo Ledesma that posits that the processed food diet is the root of our ails, Dr. Alejandro Junger says, “The problem is that we are not eating food anymore, we are eating food-like products.” Ten years ago, according to the National Restaurant Association (2016), the top five food trends were bite-sized desserts, locally-grown produce, flatbread, and bottled water (p. 1). Local sourcing, gluten-free cuisine, ethnic cuisine, and nutrition were the top five of the fastest-growing food trend in the last 10 years (National Restaurant Association,…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    "Sweet and Low" is the story of those ubiquitous little pink packets of sugar substitute that you see in restaurants and diners and coffee shops — the story of the role saccharine played in the diet revolution that began sweeping America in the 1950's and the story of the artificial sweetener wars that raged in the 80's and 90's. The story is about the family that invented first the sugar packet and then Sweet'N Low, capitalizing on Americans' diet madness to build a company that by 1996 was producing 50 million packets of artificial sweetener a day at a factory in Brooklyn. In this book, the author (Richard Cohen) plays multiple roles of narrator, stage manager and chorus. The rest of the characters in the book are Benjamin Eisenstadts: the eldest in the family, whose inventiveness and drive made the family's millions, but who basically "wanted a simple life", "A piece of grapefruit. Something sweet in his tea." Ben's wife, Betty, "the power behind the throne," a woman who wanted "a pile of money to protect her from shame and disaster," a woman who believed that "love is finite" and must be allocated among family members, with some getting more than others. The…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The one idea in the introduction that was intriguing to me was Pollan’s recommendation to “eat food”. At the very beginning of the introduction when Pollan said that we should “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants” (pg. 1) I was surprised to know that he considers meat as a side dish, than as a main. He is encouraging America to eat MOSTLY plants is a lot more realistic than encouraging America to eat ONLY plants.…

    • 1307 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    So you can see, Pollan backs up his claim that Americans aren’t connected enough to the food we eat. He shows us how fake fast food can be, he uncovers secrets behind the food we eat, and he exemplifies what a homemade meal should look like. In his book, Michael Pollan redefines food. He changes the reader’s perspective on what we eat. After all, everyone eats, so we’d better do it…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The author of this essay proved many useful points in regards to the Western Diet. In order for people to change their nutrition many things have to change as well, but is it too late? Almost every food we buy and put in our mouths is full extra additives and hormones. How whole is our food really? Comparing Americans diet to other countries proves that a healthy lifestyle with better nutrition is possible. Are the people that benefit from the consequences like doctors who treat patients with heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes or pharmaceutical companies willing to give up everything that bring in revenue? I think we know what the…

    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Obesity is perhaps one of the biggest problems society faces today, people are asking the question: Who is to blame? Fast food, while a major contributor, but it is not the only cause of the obesity epidemic in America. In particular, food producers that supply the high calorie, minimally nutritious, and highly processed foods that dominate our market must be examined. Although the external factors are important, it is more important for American citizens to educate themselves to make more informed individual decisions.…

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book I chose to read for my summer homework was In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Pollan has written many books regarding what to eat and how the foods we consume affect us. In this book, he opens with simple advice, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants” (Pollan 1). As straightforward as it sounds, Pollan quickly demonstrates how complicated this can be. Food is all around us. However, there are whole foods, stuff you’d find at a farmer’s market, and then there are the foods that line up the walls of our supermarkets, highly processed snacks and “foods” that contain a mirade of unpronounceable ingredients. Many of these foods processed foods, especially those that make health claims such as “low-fat”, “lowers…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Both Berry's seven suggestions and Pollan's five rules for eating have to do with eating "right". More directly, Berry's suggestions deal mostly with educating yourself about immediate food production, through first-hand experiences (preparing own food, dealing directly with farmer, doing research); while Pollan's five rules for eating are more concerned about picking natural foods at markets.…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pollan states that the western diet is the root cause of health problems in countries that subscribe to it. He examines these countries, and the health consequences that they suffer due to their diet. He also provides examples of the alternative countries which focus on the traditional and cultural diet instead, resulting in comparatively better health. Pollan argues that the western civilization’s transition from whole foods to refined foods, from quality foods to quantity foods, from complex foods to simple foods and from culture food to science food is the main reason for the health problems that we have today.…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the essay, Escape from the Western Diet, author Michael Pollan addresses the repulsiveness and utterly unhealthy aspects of the eating habits Americans exhibit. Pollan discusses a variety of issues related to the American food culture, including how the food industry and medical community contribute to these problems. In addition, Pollan presents his personal opinions and solutions for solving the problem while encouraging healthier eating. Incorporated within Pollan’s claims throughout his essay are specific quotations and analysis from various experts regarding the Western diet. Pollan’s assertions regarding the Western diet are absolutely…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Michael Pollan’s essay “Escape from the Western Diet,” he informs Americans about the western diet and believes they need to escape from it. The reason Americans should escape the western diet is to avoid the harmful effects associated with it such as “western diseases” (Pollan, 434). To support his view on the issue, Pollan describes factors of the western diet that dictate what Americans believe they should eat. These factors include scientists with their theories of nutritionism, the food industry supporting the theories by making products, and the health industry making medication to support those same theories. Overall, Pollan feels that in order to escape this diet, people need to get the idea of it out of their heads. In turn he provides his own rules for escaping the western diet as well as the idea of nutritionism set forth by scientists.…

    • 743 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The Cooking Animal"

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In “The Coking Animal”, the author, Michael Pollan, gives his opinion and observations on the American food system. Pollan links the facts that since we look for the most convenient and least time-consuming way to get food, we often intake more calories, sugar, fat, and salts, which are substances our bodies are automatically bound to like. After examining my own eating habits, I realized that these conclusions made by the author are merely accurate. When I am crunched for time, what do I usually decide to eat? The answer is simple: something fast, cheap, and appetizing. If you think about it, what is fast, cheap, and appetizing is normally not healthy, but on the contrary, food that is time-consuming to make, more expensive than fast food, and only sometimes enticing, is the type of nutrition that we, as humans need. Another point that is closely related with the food we eat is the people we eat it with. Looking at myself, I normally have meals with people. I think it is fun to go out and have lunch or dinner with friends. Usually, if I am going to spend the night with a friend, we meet up at a restaurant for dinner and then go to one or the other’s house. I personally believe that eating alone and not socializing causes one to eat more than what he or she would usually eat while spending time and socializing with another person. In conclusion, the mindset and desire of the people of America is going to have to change for the better if we want our nation as a whole to become a healthier one.…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays