Summary Of Escape From Western Diet

In chapter one (Escape from the Western Diet) of Michael Pollans book In Defense of Food, Pollan informs people about what he believes needs to happen in order to change the health issues that many people in American are facing today. Pollan begins the chapter by discussing the many different scientific theories that have been presented in response to the western diet and the western diseases that follow. He informs the readers that many of the theories conflict with one another and that even scientist gravitate towards simple one part solutions that many time fail to see the bigger picture of the problem. At this point in his book Pollan (2008) states one of his many thesis’s that, “People eating the Western diet are prone to complex of chronic

“Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat”, is a famous quote by the well known philosopher Socrates, who believed this is the perspective we should take when we are eating food.Unfortunately, the times have changed and so has the way we eat. We no longer have to go hunting for our food, or grow crops to receive all of our fruits and vegetables. Because we have become a society that has grown into the new world of technology, there would be no need to rely on ourselves for what we need-- we can simply gather our resources from other people. In the book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, written by Michael Pollan, takes us on a journey full of concerns of the “Food Industrial Complex”. Even though the novel speaks mainly of the issues with the food on our plate, these issues are more deeply connected and reflected in former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Military

In “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” by David H. Freedman, he claims that processed foods can help fix the obesity crisis in a more realistic manner, rather than whole-some foods. The popular opinion emphasizes whole-some foods because they aren’t informed about the similitude between processed and unprocessed foods. The essence of the essay is that people believe processed foods are bad and unhealthy for us, therefore whole-some foods are highly recommended for the health of an individual. Freedman mentions many prominent authors who wrote books on food processing, but the most influential voice in the food culture Freedman makes a point of is, American journalist, Michael Pollan. The media and Michael Pollan indicate that everything should be replaced with real, fresh, and unprocessed foods, instead of engineering in as much sugar, salt, and fat as possible into industrialized foods. With that being said, most restaurants and grocery stores are declining industrialized foods, giving the name, “food-like substances.” Freedman feels that it is not a realistic way to stop this obesity epidemic by trying to persuade people into completely changing their habits of eating. Instead, Freedman believes that incorporating better ingredients in processed foods will

The intake on “cheap” daily food are slowly killing the human race. As social incomes decrease, obesity increase. Fat is no longer a rich man’s disease (Saletan). William Saletan the author of, “Please Do Not Feed the Humans: The Global Explosion of Fat” tells a vivid story of how the human race allowed themselves to fall into the hands of a pig. His arguments stayed strong next to him side by side. Saletan gives more than enough information on how, when, and what is happening worldwide about obesity. Although he does not give a solution, he still made an eye opening experience while reading this essay.

In 2014, Michael Pollan's "How A National Food Policy Could Save Millions of Lives" was published by The Washington Post. Pollan urges the need for a food policy. Stating that "the food systems and the diet it's created have caused incalculable damage to the health of our people and our land, water, and air." In his statement, Pollan's use of logic is used to convince his readers that there must be change to create healthier lives of Americans.

In Michael Pollan’s essay “Escape from the Western Diet,” he directly to Americans about the western diet and why he 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, 420). 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 nutritionist, 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 nutritionist set forth by scientists.

Americans generally associate their own country with enthusiastic words such as patriotism and freedom or activities like football and barbecuing on a hot and enjoyable summer day. However, the rest of the world knows America for its westernized culture and controversial diet that generally consists of large food portions high in saturated fats and sugars. In the published piece written by Michael Pollan, Escape from the Western Diet, he explains and convinces his readers about numerous diseases and other health risks that all stem from the western diet in one way or another. From constant eating of fried foods to the staggering increase of heart disease and diabetes, Pollan goes in depth of how the adapted

As diets and health become more and more of a public concern in America. Two authors weigh in on their opinions on how the American public should handle the problem of obesity as well as their solutions to the overwhelming issue. In one article, “Against Meat,” published on the New York Times website in 2009, points out that the solution to obesity should be vegetarianism. Johnathan Foer who is a vegetarian, claims that his diet and way of living is his the way of improving health in the American public. Foer’s article provides a sense of humor as well as personal stories to attempt to persuade his audience for the ethical treatment of animals along with his personal solution for his own health and the health of his family. On a differing take on the solution, “Escape from the Western Diet” by Michael Pollan provides the complete change of our diet and way of life based around cooking and eating meals. however creates a more powerful and logical argument against the “Western Diet” in his article, He uses a combination of his credibility from his publications on health and foods, evidence against the practices of the medical community, along with his solution to the issue of obesity to create an article that draws in audience’s emotions and rationale.

Nutritionalism is a topic that is widely researched around the globe, but even more so in America. The topic of healthy food is not only being researched but also heavily debated upon: whether one kind of food is any healthier than another. The debate surrounds an idea that food is the reason for many health disabilities. Because of the debate about food people have been formulating their own ideas and theories about the nutrition of food. Two articles about the nutrition argument are Escape from the Western Diet by Michael Pollan and Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating by Mary Maxfield. Each author presents three nutrition guidelines at the end of their essay for their audience to follow, but Pollan's obvious stance, strong

Michael Pollan’s article “Escape from the Western Diet” has provided the knowledge on effects of consumption of western diets which is mostly a processed food and the benefits of consuming a wholesome food which is farm fresh. In contrast, David Freedman’s article “How junk food can End Obesity” compares the nutrition level and healthiness of wholesome and processed food and also discusses the obesity issues and how to tackle it through the proper diet.

All around the world people have different opinions about what can be fixed in their lives. There are so many proposals that are given daily, in an attempt to “fix” every issue found. Writer and Director Michael Pollan, addresses the issue of contaminated food in his essay The Vegetable-Industrial Complex. His short paper provides excellent detail on his topic, and strong examples are provided, however there is no official solution to the initial problem. If a proposal is given it must contain details that will help readers understand the situation.

In the article written on April 14, 2006, NPR’s Ira Flatow talks with Michael Pollan about his book, Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals is a nonfiction book issued in 2006. In his book, Pollan asks a sincere question of what people should eat for their dinner. As omnivores, the most indiscriminate eaters, humans are confronted with a broad range of food choices, resulting in a problem. Pollan hinted that, before transportation machineries and modern food preservation, this specific problem was solved mainly through cultural influences. These technologies have restored the problem, by making available foods that were beforehand periodic or territorial. The relationship between

People are beginning to realize as the demand for food has increased with the population growth, so has the use of chemicals fertilizers antibiotics and hormones by farmers and livestock growers. The consumption of produce and meat, grown with the use of these means has led to the increase more diseases and cancers. People are beginning to believe that the only way to have a healthy

The public has an attendance of making unhealthy food choices, even though they want to be healthier. They do not give full attention and rational consideration when they make a choice; instead the public often makes impulsive tendencies. People has a bounded self-control, they intense to plan something and have a different behavior in the long term. When people make

There are many reasons why someone would need survival food. If a person decided to go on a camping trip and needed to take food along to sustain those, survival foods would be a good suggestion because they have value and will guarantee that the person has the correct nutrition in a days’ time. Survival foods will also be something to consider if December 21, 2012 were to happen. There will be no electricity or lights so cooking will be a challenge. People that prepare early will stand a better chance at surviving than the ones that do not prepare.