You Are What You Eat; A Healthy Eaters Manifesto

You Are What You Eat; A Healthy Eaters Manifesto                                         Ben Massey

Never before in history have humans had such an abundance and variety of food to choose from. It is becoming harder and harder to maintain a healthy diet. Grocery market shelves are lined with thousands of products, the majority of which did not exist fifty years ago.  I like to consider myself an informed eater, especially at the tail end of 8 weeks filled with research on food. Yet with so many choices available there is always a temptation. Each person has food values that are a product of their past and subconsciously guide them when making dining choices. Many Americans possess values that inform them to eat out or buy the cheapest food. Habits are constantly under revision and values you had before may not always inform your choices. After writing and reading about food and culture I can sense that my food values have shifted away from the norm. My food choices are based mainly on prescribing to a healthy diet. To accomplish this I have identified certain food values to follow; avoid processed food, eat local and consume smaller portions. It is almost impossible to strictly follow this regime with what’s available at DU. But merely identifying these values is a crucial step towards a healthy diet.

Eat Smarter

In his essay “Unhappy Meals” Pollan leaves the reader with an interesting perception of modern food. He relates that food is not food any more. What we buy at the supermarket has been created in a lab by combining different chemicals and ingredients under heat and pressure. Names like High Fructose Corn Syrup and Benzoate have propagated across nutrition labels. The advent of processed food has fundamentally changed the way humans eat across most of the world. Gone are the days where local fields supplied the town’s grain. Today food is cheap, delicious and always closes by; this abundance has manifested health concerns for many Americans.

One of the most apparent effects of processed food is the growing obesity rates among Americans. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that 35.7% of adults are obese (Ogden, Carroll, and et al).   Processed food has increased the choices available to consumers as well as increasing the convenience of obtaining food.  Today food is more available and affordable than ever before, this increase combined with a lack of nutritional education has led to the highest obesity rates the United States has even seen. As a culture we have gravitated away from the idea of a meal and more towards “eating on the edge" a term coin by the author Jamie Horwitz to describe “occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definitive” (Horwitz 42). Instead of wholesome meals we consume processed snacks multiple times a day. It is so easy for many American’s because they readily available to us. In terms of food culture our obsession with easy and convenient meals has proved to be unhealthy in the long run. Yet despite the evidence against processed food we stick to our firmly entrenched values and keep eating it. Processed foods can cause more harm than just obesity, in a study published by the journal Clinical Epigenics scientists found a possible link between synthetic additives such as high fructose corn syrup and increasing rates of autism (Dufault, Lukiw, et al ). As a culture we now pursue easy and convenient meals at the expense of our health.

Staying healthy is a value I have always strived towards. This year it has been especially hard without 2 hour lacrosse practice every day and my mother’s home cooked meals. This new setting demands careful attention to what I eat. There is no lack of options in my main eatery, Nelson Hall and most of it has been processed at some point along its journey from earth to table.  However, by demanding myself to pay attention to what constitutes my meals I can live a healthier and happy life, avoiding the obesity that affects 37% of American adults. 

Eat Local

Eating local is one of the healthiest choices you can make. Meat or produce grown locally has no preservatives and does not go through intense processing. Humans have evolved to eat fruit off the tree and meat off of the closet animals. Consuming these “wholesome” foods as oppose to processed creations has a large impact on your health. A study published by the American Journal of Public Health describes an “an increase of 5-6 years in average lifespan among Americans who ate only food they grew themselves” (Moreland 2002π). Not only did these subjects live longer, they lived better as well. All test subjects had stable cholesterol and not one showed any signs of coronary weakness or disease. The choice to eat locally grown food is not just one of the healthiest decisions you can make, it is also one of the most environmentally conscious decisions

Today you would be hard pressed to find any local items in your supermarket. This change has led to our desensitization towards the environment as our food source becomes less and less apparent. If you ask the average American child where their food comes from most of them would answer, the grocery store, not even considering the fact that it had to be grown and processed somewhere else. We are more inclined to preserve our land when we gather food from it every season. American culture is pulling farther away from the source of our food and as a product we are losing our connection to the earth. In place of this connection we once shared with the land now stands the modern food industry.

The processed food industry has one of the largest carbon footprints in the world. Raw ingredients must be transported to processing facilities and then to stores across the nation. This is accomplished primarily through the use of fossil fuels. A Carnegie Mellon study was conducted in 2008 to study the climate impacts of American food sources, they estimated, “the average household’s climate impacts related to food to be around 8.1 t CO2e/yr”(tons of CO2 emissions per year” (Weber, Matthews ). Much of this footprint was attributed to the production plants where raw ingredients like corn become Frosted Flakes and other familiar products. The food conglomerate is one of the least likely industries to reign in its carbon footprint because food is considered a necessity. The only way to mitigate its impact is to reduce consumption of processed food by choosing to buy local. This footprint impacts American’s health more than one would expect. Studies have linked an increase in atmospheric toxins to rising rates of asthma and even birth defects (Weber, Matthews).

Eating local has always been something I took for granted. The mountainous terrain of my hometown, Steamboat Springs, is home to many ranches and farms. Local food was literally delivered to our table by my mother, a prominent figure in the Routt County agriculture industry. The vegetables and beef I eat for dinner rival high-priced restaurants in taste and freshness. I never really considered the health benefits I was afforded from a constant influx of local foods until I took this writing class. Now when I return for summer I will continue to eat local food, content in the knowledge that I am avoiding the preservatives and additives pumped into supermarket products as well as lowering my extended carbon footprint.

Eat Smaller

Healthy eating is not just about what you eat, but how eat as well. America has had an increasing obesity rate for as long as I have been alive. That is not surprising considering we love to eat snacks throughout the day. We also eat 3 large meals each day and the idea that “bigger is better” is pretty much an American value. These habits can be contrasted with the French, through the lens of the “French paradox”, the fact that the French suffer dramatically lower rates of coronary disease and obesity; despite diets high in saturated fat. Author Dr. Will Clower and his family lived in France for two years during which he noticed all of his family lost weight. In his book “The Fat Fallacy” Clover proposes that fat isn’t the cause of epidemic level obesity rates, instead it is the difference in food culture. In France meal portions are dramatically smaller, meals last longer and there is a lower incidence of snacks between meals. These factors combine to make the French much healthier than their American counterparts. Japanese native to Okinawa practice “Hara Hachi Bu” the cultural habit of eating until you are 80% full. Not surprisingly Okinawa’s live longer, healthier lives as a result (Clover 2003). This value, to eat smaller portions, is perhaps the easiest to manage as a college student and is something I have taken to heart this quarter. A typical meal at Nelson hall has become a game of how can I eat just the right amount, while still enjoying my favorites. I usually win this game.

Eating right is hard. Who can say no to an Oreo, brownie or my personal favorite, Frito-lays Flaming Hot Munchies? Your food intake dictates your health more than anything else; in a sense, you are what you eat. How does one healthily navigate the grocery aisles filled with such bountiful yumminess? I have found that the answer lies in each individual’s food values. I have identified certain values that, while hard to remain strict to, can have a lasting positive effect on my overall health. First and foremost, avoid processed foods whenever possible. These manufacture goodies contain a hoard of ingredients that over time can lead to an earlier death. Second, eat local. Eating locally grown food ensures that your dinner is not full of preservatives and that your meal has been grown or raised in an environmentally sensitive way. Third, eat smaller portions. By practicing “Hara Hachi Bu” one can easily start improve their health. With over 1/3 of the United States population overweight now is the time for us to move forward as a country and improve our national health. People will not respond well to being told what to eat nor will they like an end to corn subsides, in effect raising the cost of processed food by over 100%. The key to fixing our obesity epidemic is through education. Only through education will young American’s begin to change their life style. To start this process is as easy as instilling them with five simple words, “you are what you eat”. I have taken this to heart and employ these many methods to maintain my health. It’s time for America to do the same.

Course Reflection
Through this course I was able to improve my writing as well as build a foundation of college level essays from which I can work to improve my writing skillz. The topic of food was both surprising and interesting, I learned more than I ever knew about production of food and its health impacts. After researching and writing on this topic I find that I have shifted my food values in accordance. Examples are consuming less red meat and eating more local and organic food. These small changes will improve my health and life. I also learned how to do effective research and incorporate sources into my writing, making my essays stronger as a result. The writing load was not overwhelming but large enough to make a noticeable difference in my writing quality at the end of the quarter. Overall I enjoyed this class thoroughly through out the quarter and felt it was very useful in my long-term academic goals. 

EE2 RoughDraft

You Are What You Eat; A Healthy Eaters Manifesto

Never before in history have humans had such an abundance and variety of food to choose from. It is becoming harder and harder to maintain a healthy diet. Grocery market shelves are lined with thousands of products, the majority of which did not exist fifty years ago.  I like to consider myself an informed eater, especially at the tail end of 8 weeks filled with research on food. Yet with so many choices available there is always a temptation. Every individual has food values that are a product of their past and subconsciously guide them when making food choices. Many Americans possess values that inform them to eat out or buy the cheapest food. Habits are constantly under revision and values you had before may not always inform your choices. After writing and reading about food and culture I can sense that my food values have shifted away from the norm. My food choices are based mainly on prescribing to a healthy diet. To accomplish this I have identified certain food values to follow; eat local, avoid processed food, eat fruits over meat and consume smaller portions. It is almost impossible to strictly follow this regime with what’s available at DU. But merely identifying these values is a crucial step towards a healthy diet.

In his essay “Unhappy Meals” Pollan leaves the reader with an interesting perception of modern food. He relates that food is not food any more. What we buy at the supermarket has been created in a lab by combining different chemicals and ingredients under heat and pressure. Names like High Fructose Corn Syrup and Benzoate have propagated across nutrition labels. The advent of processed food has fundamentally changed the way humans eat across most of the world. Gone are the days where local fields supplied the town’s grain. Today food is cheap, delicious and always closes by; this abundance has manifested health concerns for many Americans.

One of the most apparent effects of processed food is the growing obesity rates among Americans. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that 35.7% of adults are obese (Ogden, Carroll, and et al).   Processed food has increased the choices available to consumers as well as increasing the convenience of obtaining food.  Today food is more available and affordable than ever before, this increase combined with a lack of nutritional education has led to the highest obesity rates the United States has even seen. As a culture we have gravitated away from the idea of a meal and more towards “eating on the edge" a term coin by the author Jamie Horwitz to describe “occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definitive” (Horwitz 42). Instead of wholesome meals we consume processed snacks multiple times a day. It is so easy for many American’s because they readily available to us. In terms of food culture our obsession with easy and convenient meals has proved to be unhealthy in the long run. Yet despite the evidence against processed food we stick to our firmly entrenched values and keep eating it. Processed foods can cause more harm than just obesity, in a study published by the journal Clinical Epigenics scientists found a possible link between synthetic additives such as high fructose corn syrup and increasing rates of autism (Dufault, Lukiw, et al ). As a culture we now pursue easy and convenient meals at the expense of our health.

Eating local is one of the healthiest choices you can make. Meat or produce grown locally has no preservatives and does not go through intense processing. Humans have evolved to eat fruit off the tree and meat off of the closet animals. Consuming these “wholesome” foods as oppose to processed creations has a large impact on your health. A study published by the American Journal of Public Health describes an “an increase of 5-6 years in average lifespan among Americans who ate only food they grew themselves” (Moreland). Not only did these subjects live longer, they lived better as well. All test subjects had stable cholesterol and not one showed any signs of coronary weakness or disease. The choice to eat locally grown food is not just one of the healthiest decisions you can make, it is also one of the most environmentally conscious decisions

Today you would be hard pressed to find any local items in your supermarket. This change has led to our desensitization towards the environment as our food source becomes less and less apparent. If you ask the average American child where their food comes from most of them would answer, the grocery store, not even considering the fact that it had to be grown and processed somewhere else. We are more inclined to preserve our land when we gather food from it every season. American culture is pulling farther away from the source of our food and as a product we are losing our connection to the earth. In place of this connection we once shared with the land now stands the modern industry

The processed food industry has one of the largest carbon footprints in the world. Raw ingredients must be transported to processing facilities and then to stores across the nation. This is accomplished primarily through the use of fossil fuels. A Carnegie Mellon study was conducted in 2008 to study the climate impacts of American food sources, they estimated, “the average household’s climate impacts related to food to be around 8.1 t CO2e/yr”(tons of CO2 emissions per year(Weber, Matthews ). Much of this footprint was attributed to the production plants where raw ingredients like corn become Frosted Flakes and other familiar products. The food conglomerate is one of the least likely industries to reign in its carbon footprint because food is considered a necessity. The only way to mitigate its impact is to reduce consumption of processed food by choosing to buy local. This footprint impacts American’s health more than one would expect. Studies have linked an increase in atmospheric toxins to rising rates of asthma and even birth defects (Weber, Matthews).

Healthy eating is not just about what you eat, but how eat as well. America has had an increasing obesity rate for as long as I have been alive. That is not surprising considering we love to eat snacks throughout the day, we eat 3 large meals each day and the idea that “bigger is better” is pretty much an American value. These habits can be contrasted with the French, through the lens of the “French paradox”. The fact that the French suffer dramatically lower rates of coronary disease and obesity, despite the fact theirs diets are high in saturated fat. Author Dr. Will Clower and his family lived in France for two years during which he noticed all of his family lost weight. In his book “The Fat Fallacy” Clover proposes that fat isn’t the cause of epidemic level obesity rates, instead it is the difference in food culture. In France meal portions are dramatically smaller, meals last longer and there is a lower incidence of snacks between meals. These factors combine to make the French much healthier than their American counterparts. Japanese native to Okinawa practice “Hara Hachi Bu” the cultural habit of eating until you are 80% full. Not surprisingly Okinawa’s live longer, healthier lives as a result (Clover 2003). This value, to eat smaller portions, is perhaps the easiest to manage as a college student and is something I have taken to heart this quarter.

Eating right is hard. Who can say no to an Oreo, brownie or my personal favorite, Flaming Hot Munchies? Your food intake dictates your health more than anything else; in a sense you are what you eat. How does one healthily navigate the grocery aisles filled with such bountiful yumminess? I have found that the answer lies in each individual’s food values. I have identified certain values that, while hard to remain strict to, can have a lasting positive effect on my overall health. First and foremost, avoid processed foods whenever possible. These manufacture goodies contain a hoard of ingredients that over time can lead to an earlier death. Second, eat local. Eating locally grown food ensures that your dinner is not full of preservatives and that your meal has been grown or raised in an environmentally positive way. Third, eat smaller portions. By practicing “Hara Hachi Bu” one can easily start improve their health. With over 1/3 of the United States population overweight now is the time for us to move forward as a country and improve our national health. People will not respond well to being told what to eat nor will the like an end to corn subsides, in effect raising the cost of processed food by over 100%. The key to fixing our obesity epidemic is through education. Only through education will young American’s begin to change their life style. To start this process it’s as easy as instilling them with five simple words, you are what you eat.   

Sources

Dufault, Renee, Walter Lukiw, et al. "A macroepigenetic approach to identify factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States." Clinical Epigenics. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.clinicalepigeneticsjournal.com/content/4/1/6/abstract>.

Ogden, Ph.D., Cynthia L, Margaret D. Carroll, M.S.P.H, et al. "Prevalence of Obesity in the United States, 2009–2010." NCHS Data Brief No. 82 January 2012. (2012): n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.pdf

Horwitz, Jamie . "Eating at the Edge." Gastronomic. 9. (2009): 42-47. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://blackboard.du.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/2017.201230/Eating at the Edge - Horwitz.pdf>.

Morland, Kimberly, Steve Wing, and Ana Diez Roux. "The Contextual Effect of the Local Food Environment on Residents' Diets: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study."American Journal of Public Health 92.11 (2002): 1761-7. Print.

Weber, Christopher L., and H. Scott Matthews. "Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States." Environmental Science and Technology . 42.3508–3513 n. page. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es702969f>.

Dr . Clower, Will. The Fat Fallacy. Three Rivers Press, 2003. Print.

Blog Post 9

Pollan’s writing always seems to amaze me as he weaves together anecdotes and hardline journalism. He uncovers nuances and patterns in the American diet that have led to a national obesity epidemic. Dupuis discussed food commentary from a historical perspective beginning with religious food advice, discussing food science and nutritionis and ending with modern writers such as Pollan. He traces how differing advice throughout America’s history has led to demographic health effects.

An aspect of food cultures that both authors touched on is the common perception of food as a sum of its ingredients, instead of a whole. This breakdown including carbs, fats, vitamins, omega-3s and other nutrients has shifted our view of food to focus on ingredients that often have contradictory health effects. This perception also allows marketers to highlight one ingredient and slap a “healthy” label on products that have no health benefits

Both essays ended on the same note, posing and answering the question. What should we eat? The consensus between Pollan and Dupuis was that, regardless of the type of food we prefer, Americans should eat less. One of the major reasons for obesity is the simple fact that as a country we eat too much. Other suggestions were to eat more fruits and vegetables along with minimizing processed food intake.  

 There is no doubt that our food production system is broken when almost a third of Americans are overweight. Today the system is rigged to sell as much food as possible to increase the profit margin for the 4 corporations that make up the majority of the processed food industry. Lobbyists for these interests ensured that the government does not recommend cutting back on food intake(as Pollan discussed), even though this is exactly what is needed. Instead these companies receive subsidies and can sell processed food at very low prices to Americans who will not slow the relentless pace of consumption.

What I learned from SE5s

Chai tea is bro
Americans eat to much sodium, and its unhealthy
college students skip breakfast

Health Impacts of Binge Drinking

                                                                                                                                    Ben Massey

As we joked in class there was an obvious absence of alcoholic drinks recorded from Friday and Saturday in our food records. While college freshmen are still underage, “The College Alcohol Study (CAS) found that for a sample of 140 colleges in the United States, 44% of the responding students were binge drinkers” (Courtney Polich 2010). I decided to research the health effects of binge drinking because it is such a relevant topic to our undergraduate class. Binge drinking is defined by the Center for Disease Control as “when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours.” (CDC). Any student will tell you that most people who choose to drink in college usually consume this amount or much more. People choose to drink for a variety of reasons; in college social gatherings are the main reason for alcohol consumption. The choice to binge drink has many long term health effects and could have dangerous immediate effects as well. 

First and foremost it is important to remember that alcohol is viewed by the body as a poison when consumed in large quantities. Similar to other intoxicants your body will tolerate it up to a point and then your stomach will reject the substance. Too much alcohol in a short time could lead to alcohol poisoning, which left untreated could cause permanent brain damage or death. Another common cause of alcohol related death is asphyxiation on vomit while passed out.     When binge drinking occurs it is usually in a social setting and encouraged by the group. These circumstances manifest immediate risks for participants. Not all people process alcohol at the same rate, when binge drinking in a group, it can be easy for some participants to drink too much too fast.

The risks of binge drinking are furthered when moving between locations. The dangers of drinking and driving are apparent and have been pounded into every adolescent American. However many college students do not consider the fact that after consuming alcohol pedestrians are more likely to be killed by a motorist. According to a Institute for Highway Safety study “In 2009, 37 percent of fatally injured pedestrians 16 and older had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent (Q&A: Pedestrians).

Binge drinking has noticeable long-term effects as well as an increased immediate risk,

“Heavy social drinkers, defined to include those who engaged in binge-drinking episodes, demonstrated delayed auditory and verbal memory deficits that were related to task difficulty. These deficits were not found for the light social drinkers.”(Courtney Polich 2009).

Constant exposure to alcohol can alter brain function, especially in adolescents whose brains have not fully matured. Binge drinking as also been proven to increase the likelihood of birth-defects if consumed while pregnant.

All of the science points to the conclusion that binge drinking is detrimental to an individual’s health over the short and long term. Many of these risks can be managed if the consumer is smart while consuming alcohol and aware of his or her tolerance. A person can also expect to see relatively minor health effects if binge drinking is exchanged for light social drinking. However the root binge drinking lies in the population of America’s universities. It is not realistic to expect college students to partake in “light social drinking” over binge drinking. Instead we should focus on continued education about the risks and effects of binge drinking, most importantly the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning.  

CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol and Public Health. 2010. Web. <http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm>.

Insurance Institute for Highway Saftey . Q&A: Pedestrians. 2010. Web. <http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/pedestrians.html>.

Courtney, Kelly E., and John Polich. "Binge Drinking Effects on EEG in Young Adult Humans." International journal of environmental research and public health 7.5 (2010): 2325-36. Print.

Courtney, Kelly E., and John Polich. "Binge Drinking in Young Adults: Data, Definitions, and Determinants." Psychological Bulletin 135.1 (2009): 142-56. Print.

Common Trends in Food Logs

In my group's food logs a couple common trends were seen. First I noticed that people were much more likely to go out  to for food on Friday and Saturday night and when they did it was usually somewhere close to campus or on the way to a destination. I also noticed that water was the most common drink to accompany a meal, except for breakfast which was consumed primarily with milk or juice.

Food Record 5/9 to 5/11

                                                                                                                             Ben Massey

Wednesday

Bowl of instant oatmeal

Chicken burrito at Nagel

Backed Potato/Pasta/Salad

Thursday

Bowl of Instant Oatmeal

Pasta w/ tomato sauce

Bowl of instant mac and cheese

1 jimmy johns sandwich

Friday

                Eggs and bacon w/ hash-browns

                Illegal Petes burrito

                Salad at Nelson, w/ baby corn and tomatoes

*water with every meal except breakfast Wednesday and Thursday

               

Bacon

Bacon                                                                                                                         Massey

                                                                                                                                    5-9-12

This morning I sat down to enjoy my breakfast of eggs, hash browns and bacon. It was about as delicious as Sodexo can offer, the eggs being a little under cooked as usual. The ingredient in this meal that really caught my attention was the bacon. Everybody loves bacon. I have never met someone that doesn’t like sweet and smoky bacon for breakfast and my vegetarian friends relate that it was one of the hardest meat to give up. With so many people consuming bacon I chose it as the focal point of my research. Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world accounting for 43% of total meat consumptions (EPA 2012). Swine also provide many by products that include

“insulin for the regulation of diabetes; valves for human heart surgery; suede for shoes and clothing; and gelatin for many food and non-food uses. Swine by-products are also important parts of such products as water filters, insulation, rubber, antifreeze, certain plastics, floor waxes, crayons, chalk, adhesives and fertilizer” (EPA 2012).

These facts make my limp piece of bacon seem insignificant in the scheme of production, yet such a heavy demand for these products is what created the modern animal production industry and pulled it away from its humble farming roots. 

Hogs have long been a preferred livestock for farmers across America. They are hardy creatures that require minimal attention and will eat almost anything. When they were first introduced to America farmers forgoed fencing preferring instead to let the hogs roam the forest and eat fruit, nuts and roots before they were slaughtered. This practice has led to many hybrid species of wild pig as free-range livestock mated with wild boars (Seward). As the United States expanded west hogs were brought along due to their resiliency and ease to care for. Eventually the small homesteaders in the Midwest began to raise hogs for a living in states such as Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. Swine were raised on outdoor farms well into the 20th century; however consolidation and industrialization of pig production happened quickly, during the 1980s and 1990s. “For example, in Iowa, the number of pig farms decreased from 65,000 in 1980 to approximately 10,000 in 2002. In the same period, the size of the average Iowa swine farm increased from 200 pigs in 1980 to 1,400 pigs in 2002” (Honeyman et al.). Hog farms also began to move to North Carolina which is now the 2nd largest producer of swine in the United States behind Iowa (EPA 2012). These new “farms” that started cropping up in the mid-20th century are a far cry from the pastures of 100 years earlier.

Today almost all pork is raised inside giant production plants able to accommodate thousands of head of swine. These complexes are referred to as AFOs or CAFO (Animal Feeding Operations and Confined Animal Feeding Operations) in the United States. The move towards this type of system was driven by several factors. First predators and weather could be avoided by keeping animals inside instead of in a pasture. Second the owners of pork farms shifted from single families and community based farms to the centralized food-industry that rules supermarket shelves today. The ideology became, “how can I raise as many animals as possible with the least amount of money”. The move to large production facilities was largely due to a change is business model to increase production and profits.

Conditions inside AFOs and CAFOs vary with each site. Some allow animals to be weaned outside in nearby pastures while others confine animals inside for their entire existence. The livestock are grouped based on age and moved between different rooms as they mature. “Most swine today are raised in “all-in, all-out” (AIAO) systems, where each room or building is completely emptied and sanitized between groups of pigs” (EPA 2012). Many modern facilities use grated floors which allow the waste from multiple levels of animals to fall into a single containment area below.

The issue of equality for animals has become polarizing in recent years. While conducting research I found many organizations denouncing the pork industry for crimes against animals as well as coalitions of farmers justifying the processes they use. Finding unbiased sources proved to be more difficult than I originally thought, I stuck mainly to journal articles and government agencies for citations. What I found was interesting and struck a chord with my morals, yet it was far from profound. I like so many Americans am well aware to the source of my pork, poultry and beef and the fact that these animals are mistreated and imprisoned. Yet it is kept inside of a multi-story CAFO in North Carolina, out of site and out of mind. I am not ready to change my eating habits yet; especially when it comes to bacon. But I am sure that if the walls of the animal industry were to become both literally and figuratively transparent, I would have a quick change of mind, along with millions of Americans. 

Sources

M S Honeyman, R S Pirog, G H Huber, P J Lammers, and J R Hermann. "The United States pork niche market phenomenon1. " Journal of Animal Science  84.8 (2006): 2269-2275. Career and Technical Education, ProQuest. Web.  8 May. 2012.

EPA's Ag Center, . United States. EPA. Pork Production. 2012. Web. <http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/pork.html>. Seward, Liz. "Pig DNA reveals farming history." BBC News. 04 09 2007: n. page. Web. 8 May. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6978203.stm>.

Blog Post 7

These three reading provide different views into American food processing, an industry that is often under-regulated and over looked by consumers. Pollan’s piece was by far the most interesting owing to his awesome writing style and uncanny ability to relate his topic to the reader. “An Animal’s Place” traces the domestication and production of animals through the lens of our morality. The article was styled as a constant tug and pull between Pollan, taking the chair of an average American consumer, and the philosophical book by Peter Singer ''Animal Liberation”. As with any philosophical argument Singler’s ideas are subject to criticism from many people who do not share his moral agenda.

The idea of equality for animals was one of the most noteworthy and defining themes of this piece. Pollan posed the question; will future generations judge us with the same severity as we impose on slavers and the third reich? There is no doubt the idea of equality is rapidly gaining ground, in the past 200 years it has been extended to African Americans, women, and homosexuals. As the liberation movement moves forward will animals be the next group to gain the same rights that us humans enjoy?

Estabrook’s Tomatoland was more grounded in fact, absent the moral philosophizing of “An Animals Place”. One of the most interesting facts is that tomatoes today are actually much less healthy than they were in the 1960s. The author described the dirty secrets behind a seemingly healthy harmless and “wholesomely grown” tomato. In fact many of our supermarket tomatoes have been bloated full of pesticides and other synthetic ingratiates. They are harvested by minimum wage immigrants, essentially indentured servants, who are locked into work by economic and social conditions instead of unpaid debt.

The infographic by Cook describes the same hardships for workers in the poultry industry. Disease and workplace injury are rampant and many of the immigrant workers have no union or insurance plan for protection. The thing I liked most about this piece is that it was short and to the point, without the literary styling’s of Estabrook and Pollan.

Tomatoland also asserts a theme that was present in all three of the readings, many of the negative aspects of the food industry can be traced back to a capitalist economy. The need to achieve maximum production with minimal cost is why poulty and pigs live disgusting, imprisoned lives and their slaughterers are paid so little for dangerous and degrading work. Neither article insists that socialism is the answer, instead Pollan asserts, “Were the walls of our meat industry to become transparent, literally or even figuratively, we would not long continue to do it this way.”

Pollan and American Health

Pollan’s article, in the tradition of our Writ class, draws connections between food and American culture. It is no new information that our country is facing an obesity epidemic; Pollan describes it as “our national eating disorder”. It is characterized by a paradox, we are obsessed with eating healthy yet the United States is one of the least healthy countries. Pollan elaborates to diagnose the problem as the way we eat, not what we eat. We may strive to “eat healthy” but the way most Americans eat is not conducive to good health.   The French have one of the lowest rates of diet related health problems in the world. This “French paradox” has tried to be described by different facets of the French diet, cheese, wine etc… Pollan proposes that this renowned health is due to other factors; the French don’t snack, they eat smaller portions, never go back for seconds and most meals are a communal affair. This is a far cry from our food culture in the United States were snacking, seconds and large helpings are the norm.

Personally I feel I am not the average American. I eat regular portions and  don’t usually go back for seconds. However aspect of eating that affects me and my demographic the most is snacking. Everywhere, in my middle school, high school and college dorm, snacks are easily available and affordable. These vending machine dispensed death-packages are full of sodium, sugar and a host of unhealthy ingredients that are available to most American youth. This availability combined with a severe lack of dietary education is the main cause of the obesity epidemic especially for America’s youth.