Omnivore's Dilemna

After reading this part of the book, I'm not sure what to eat anymore. It made me think that we don't give much thought to what we put in our bodies. Pollan points out that we are what we eat, then when it comes to meat, we are what the animal eats; and when it comes to produce, we are what the plant's grown in. Michael Pollan challenges us to examine our food a little closer, to consider where it comes from. In most cases, the answers are simple. Most of our food likely comes from a massive industrial farm or feed-lots hundreds of miles away. Pollan's descriptions of these farms and in particular, the feed lots are quite disturbing. However, Pollan does not outright condemn the industrial food chain but he concedes that it would be difficult to feed billions of people inexpensively without it. Pollan starts this first of the food telling about the prevalence of corn in the American diet. He tells how in the past, when the English settlers came to America, this product helped them to survive in these unknown and dangerous lands. I knew that America grows corn and that the government pays the farmers to grow it but I had no idea that food industry was exploiting it to the extent that corn is now infiltrated in every processed food in the supermarket and in different forms. Now even animals like cows, chicken, pigs are fed with corn. This is problematic due to the fact that the cows aren't built to eat corn but grass. And this creates a chain of problems because this unnatural diet leads to various health problems for these animals that must be countered with antibiotics and hormones, creating more health problems for people. Corn is not precisely good for our health, it is just cheap calories for our bodies and it is sad and disappointing to realise that when we think that we are eating a varied diet, as Pollan says, we are simply surviving on corn. As an international student in the United States, who is discovering this new culture and food culture too, this book is really attractive. I think that America has this big problem that needs a solution and of course, not only America has this problem but a lot of nations in the world as well. In a way, Pollan finds out that the food we put in our mouths turns out to be a big decision; political, moral and environmental one. Capitalism is in our everyday lives but as a customers, we have the power to decide what we consume. Maybe, one solution could be eating locally. By eating foods we produce as close to my home as possible and also support the local economy, less fossil fuels are used, and the food should have fewer preservatives, hormones, and other chemical ingredients. Best of all, the food should be fresher and more flavorful. Yes, it will cost more, but I think it will be worth it. At least I'm willing to try it.