Obesity In Western Culture Essay
In case you haven’t noticed, the obesity rates in the western culture are rising tremendously, along with the rates of numerous diseases. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 68.8% of the adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese. However, obesity is not only linked to the amounts of food consumed, but more importantly, what kind of food we eat.
Growing up, we were all taught that we need meat, fish and dairy for the protein, iron, calcium and omega-3 fats. Without these food groups in our diet, we would simply not live a happy, healthy, hopeful life. They have not been implemented in our food pyramid for no reason. At least, that’s what our parents told us.
The truth is, animal products will actually harm you. The China-Oxford-Cornell Study on Dietary, Lifestyle and Disease Mortality Characteristics, examined the relationship between nutrition and chronic illnesses among dozens of rural families in China. This
…show more content…
That is not a surprise if you look at the amount of fast food chains there are today in western countries. Every day, millions of people stuff their faces with animal-based products, or in other words junk. Do you now get why it is called junk food?
If you are still about to order that Big Mac with a milkshake at McDonald’s at this point, there is more to come. Giving up that one single burger will save from 4,000 up to 18,000 gallons of water, as the USGS has estimated. The amount of water that is needed to produce meat, as well as other animal products, is abnormal. Compare that to the 25 gallons that is needed to produce one pound of wheat, as researcher Marcia Kreith concluded. I guess the problem of the world becoming the Sahara desert is solved, if everyone just transitioned to a plant-based
Summary Of Fat Land By Greg Critser
1506 Words | 7 PagesFat Land Book Review Every new year brings with it a host of new pressing issues and challenges that our nation must confront and overcome, and though economic and global concerns certainly deserve a large part of our attention, as a nation we have almost entirely forgotten or ignored many problems that have been plaguing us for decades. Chiefly among these concerns is the ever growing obesity epidemic, which has seen a dramatic increase over the past several decades and looks to be continuing its trend into our near future. In his book, Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, Greg Critser delves into many of the significant causes behind this staggering increase in girth our nation has been experiencing, and offers
The Fast Food Industry In The 1920's
1661 Words | 7 Pageshas grown from a $6 billion-a-year industry in 1970 into a corporate juggernaut with more than $170 billion in annual revenues today. Especially because "meat," dairy and eggs are the main ingredients in fast food, the exponential increase in its consumption has engendered a wide range of negative social impacts—including rapidly rising diet-related disease rates, worker exploitation, systemic animal abuse, and environmental degradation.” Furthermore, this is a very powerful industry that has a choke hold on America but it is affecting everyone today and it will continue into our future. First, toxicity is spread throughout our society in the form of fast food, and while it destroys our societies health it is harming the economy as well. In the article, Fast Food is Harmful to People and the Planet, it illustrates that: “Volumes of peer-reviewed scientific studies conclusively correlate the consumption of "meat" and other animal products with many of the deadliest medical disorders plaguing humankind today, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and
Salt, Sugar, And Fat, Moss, By Michael Moss
1490 Words | 6 PagesIn addition to hurting the environment, Pollan argues that because fast food restaurants need so much meat for their burgers and other food
Omnivore's Dilemma Book Report
498 Words | 2 PagesBefore my seventh grade science unit about food and nutrition, I simply thought our food sources were healthful and reliable. However, since then, I have changed my mind. When I read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, I quickly learned how our country’s food system actually works and was astonished by the ways in which our food is made. For example, animals that we eat like cows and chickens, are fed corn which causes them to get sick because the corn is not the animal's natural diet. As a result, the animals are given antibiotics which can cause humans, who ingest these animals, to become antibiotic resistant.
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle: The USAricultural Industry
1054 Words | 5 PagesWithin four decades there has been change, but perhaps in the wrong direction. Animals still live in confined areas with diseases and illnesses. The only change that has been made is that of the use of antibiotics, ammonia, and bleach to “purify” the meat. As is the saying you are what you eat could not be truer as it has been shown these chemicals added to our food (for the sake of high demand in meat and an ever higher demand for cheap goods) have caused harm to those consuming it. Cohen addresses this problem by adding, “But this is an unusually promising moment for food safety.
Summary Of Escape From The Western Diet By Michael Pollan
1162 Words | 5 PagesThere are more ways to shun obesity. Michael Pollan, who wrote “Escape from the western diet”, claims that the fast food industry are one of the main reasons why the people struggle with their health. He believes that the processed food we consume gives us harmful deceases. Pollan urges us to listen to his words to avoid the “Western diet”, he preaches that this is main cause of obesity, yet he does not give concrete information. I disagree with Pollan’s view that the food industry is the main cause of our health problems because although Pollan gives us great arguments he does not dive in into greater detail.
David Freedman's Essay 'How Junk Food Can End Obesity'
1218 Words | 5 PagesThis appeals to our physiological needs because naturally, humans need to eat food and to hear from a professional that there are other influences outside of food that are giving cause to the obesity crisis gives Americans a slight sigh of relief when it comes to the degree of toxicity of our foods. Furthermore, that people eat a more wholesome diet versus those that do not, tend to be healthier than that live on fast and processed foods,there are also stark differences to recognize between these classes that should be taken into account as well such as the tendency to engage in exercise, air quality, and other health considerations such as smoking and
Fast Food Nation: The Federal Meat Inspection Act
1329 Words | 6 PagesIn the United States, according to the North American Meat Institute, the average man will consume about 6.9 oz of meat in a day, while a women will consume about 4.4 oz. Meat companies in America produced 25.8 billion pounds of beef and 38.4 pounds of chicken just in 2013 alone. People walk into grocery stores and purchase meat but never think twice about the environment their food, or the workers that handle the animals, were in. Upton Sinclair exposed the industry with “The Jungle” in 1906, people were now fully aware of what was sometimes in the meat, this lead to the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906. Therefore, once the 1980s came along, companies relocated to rural areas and became a non-union workforce.
Why Beef Is The New Suv By John D Sutter
604 Words | 3 PagesI remember four years ago, I was watching a documentary that showed the process and handling of beef industries in Canada and US. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the numbers of animals that were killed for the beef industries. After seeing the documentary, I decided to stop eating meat. However, there are more convincing reasons not to eat meat if we see it’s negative effects on our environment. In CNN’s website, I read “Why Beef is The New Suv” written by John D Sutter, opinion columnist.
Obesity In America Essay
164 Words | 1 PagesThe high obese population can be explained by culture, portion sizes, food companies and restaurant policies, diets, and traditions. Obesity is not only an individual issue; it is most importantly a national matter. It raises both individual and collective problems related to economic and demographic dynamics. Therefore, based on the alarming rate obesity is growing, it is crucial at this point to find a solution in order to slow down and hopefully stop this epidemic. Comparing diets of different countries and taking a look at the background story of American nutrition and regimes, it is clear that the American diet is very different from other nationalities and has worsened over the decades.
Obesity In America Essay
506 Words | 3 PagesWhat is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of America? I am sure many beautiful things come to mind, yet we must look beyond the beauty and face the facts. Did food cross your mind as well? How about fast food? I mean, fast food may come to mind when considering the tremendous number of available options.
Mark Bittman What's Wrong With What We Eat Analysis
745 Words | 3 PagesExperts recommend that adults eat just over half a pound of meat per week to help reduce their risk for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and/or strokes. “We don’t eat animal products for sufficient nutrition, we eat them to have an odd form of malnutrition, and It’s killing us” (Bittman). There’s a simple way to reduce not only our calorie intake, but our carbon footprint as well: “less meat, less junk food, more plants” (Bittman). While Bittman makes some very compelling points about how much of the meat we produce and subsequently waste, he fails to take into account the affordability of meat because of it’s mass production, as well as the simple facts that most people lack the time needed to produce meals with fruits and
Analysis Of David Barboza's If You Pitch It, They Will Eat It
735 Words | 3 PagesMost humans do not think of the consequence that processed foods have on our bodies. The big name food producers have manipulated the youth by offering products that go along with their favorite television show. The farming aspect of food production is horrible. The animals are treated very poorly. The process of slaughter is unsafe and very unsanitary.
David Freedman How Junk Food Can End Obesity Summary
877 Words | 4 PagesObesity is a prevalent issue within the United States. “According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (2009-2010), approximately 69% of adults are overweight or obese, with more than 78 million adult Americans considered obese”. Today’s society is inundated with a firestorm of information regarding the types of foods that are healthy and will decrease obesity. The most prominent voices in today’s food culture, primarily the wholesome-food movement, believe eating unprocessed food is the only way to live long, healthy lives free of obesity. However, journalist David H. Freedman argues that individuals should not fall prey to these false misconceptions.
Mainstream Criminology And Food Crime
1778 Words | 8 PagesFurther, in developed countries people consume more animal protein than we need for survival, meaning that many people could do much more for the environment by cutting their meat consumption than by cutting their car and plane journeys (Lawrence, 2017c). Regarding this, research published in 2013 (cited in Lawrence, 2017c) looked at how much animal protein you can get from 100 grams of grain protein. Results showed that the production of 100 grams of animal protein (meat or
More about Obesity In Western Culture Essay
Summary Of Fat Land By Greg Critser
1506 Words | 7 PagesThe Fast Food Industry In The 1920's
1661 Words | 7 PagesSalt, Sugar, And Fat, Moss, By Michael Moss
1490 Words | 6 PagesOmnivore's Dilemma Book Report
498 Words | 2 PagesUpton Sinclair's The Jungle: The USAricultural Industry
1054 Words | 5 PagesSummary Of Escape From The Western Diet By Michael Pollan
1162 Words | 5 PagesDavid Freedman's Essay 'How Junk Food Can End Obesity'
1218 Words | 5 PagesFast Food Nation: The Federal Meat Inspection Act
1329 Words | 6 PagesWhy Beef Is The New Suv By John D Sutter
604 Words | 3 PagesObesity In America Essay
164 Words | 1 PagesObesity In America Essay
506 Words | 3 PagesMark Bittman What's Wrong With What We Eat Analysis
745 Words | 3 PagesAnalysis Of David Barboza's If You Pitch It, They Will Eat It
735 Words | 3 PagesDavid Freedman How Junk Food Can End Obesity Summary
877 Words | 4 PagesMainstream Criminology And Food Crime
1778 Words | 8 Pages