Food Inc

                After watching Food Inc, I am under the impression (more than ever) that we, as a nation, need to make changes.  We all need to be more aware of what we eat, and those of us who know already need to stop ignoring the fact that we may be eating unhealthy food. For things to change, we all have to make a change.  The sanitary conditions of the animals, we eat, stood out the most to me. Unsanitary conditions are always something I choose to believe vanished after Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” was written, as in I choose to believe it is a problem of the past. But, this film clearly showed me that it is still an issue of the present day and if anything it’s worse with all the new bacteria that have developed.  I liked that the film was such an “eye opener” and that it used such powerful testimonies, like the actual farmers that worked for these big companies.  In my opinion a lot of people have to watch this movie, it’ll change the way they view food.  

I believe in eating a good mix of small portions of food.  The food pyramid we were all shown as children is a good example of this; it included dairy, meat, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and fats.  I believe we all need a little bit of each every day. For example, we all need the calcium provided from the dairy group so every day we should all have a least a yogurt and if someone is lactose intolerant than he or she should take calcium tablets.  We should all have a small portion of meat every day; it’s a lot better if it is white meat (like fish) since red meat is known for taking too long to digest. It is a reason why I do not think it is such a good idea to be a vegetarian since the protein/nutrition provided from certain meats cannot ever be replaced by vegetables.  However, vegetables should be included in every meal. In my opinion they are the most important “food group.” I believe fruits are a great snack! So everyone should carry around at least an apple to munch on at sometime during the day. Fruits taste great and are so healthy, so why not enjoy them? Plus even though we are not used to the idea of “healthy fats” such substances do exist and it is our job to find it and consume it daily (hint: omega-3). I believe if someone can truly learn to balance all these foods and drink a lot of water, he or she will most likely be a very healthy person.  

What We Eat

                In his very powerful essay, What We Eat, Eric Schlosser explains how the fast food industry is impacting our nation both health-wise and financially speaking.  He argues that fast food is unhealthy for us and that the fast food industries are ending small businesses.  He uses numerous writing methods in this essay in an attempt to show and explain to people exactly what is happening in our nation without us even noticing.  

                At the start of his essay, Schlosser uses description to describe what someone experiences as they walk into a fast food place, “Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk in, get on line, study the backlit color photographs above the counter, place your order, hand over a few dollars...”(667).  He uses compare and contrast to show the eating habit-changes the world has gone through in the past centuries/years, “The early Roman Republic was fed by its citizen-farmers; the Roman Empire, by its slaves. On any given day in the United States about one-quarter of the adult population visits a fast food restaurant” (668). After this he explains the cause (and later on the effect) of the rise of the food industry, “the extraordinary growth of the fast food industry has been driven by fundamental changes in American society” (668).

                Eric Schlosser uses numerous examples throughout his essay to make his point and the one food industry he focuses mostly on is McDonald’s.  He introduces his McDonald’s argument with the sentence, “The McDonald’s Corporation has become a powerful symbol of America’s service economy, which is now responsible for 90 percent of the country’s new jobs” (668). He uses definition to explain what is meant by the phrase “McDonaldization,” which is referred to as the dominance of giant food industries over independent small businesses.  Plus, Eric Schlosser uses narrative when he explains his experience with fast food, “During the two years spent researching this book, I ate an enormous amount of fast food” (673). 

                I think using all these writing methods helped make Eric Schlosser’s essay very powerful. He made a good argument and backed it up with a lot of information. I like his writing style because it was well organized and clear so I was able to understand what his argument was.  I had heard the argument that fast food is unhealthy for us many times so that was no surprise. However, I found his argument of the impact of big food industries on our economy very interesting.  I never realized the damage big food industries were causing small businesses much less the impact of me always buying food there, instead of at independent businesses, was having on our economy.  I do not want all the money of our nation to belong to just a few men in the food industry; I want the wealth to be distributed among everyone, especially those small businesses that are usually full of hardworking people trying their best to survive in this nation. I really do hope a lot more people read What We Eat because I am sure many people out there are not aware of half the things mentioned in this essay. 

Extra Credit :)

                A few days ago, when I got to choose between responding to “Two Ways to Belong to America” or “The Meaning of Life,” I chose to write about the second essay because I thought the author made an interesting point. However, I really did like Bharati Mukherjee’s essay so I am taking this opportunity to express my opinion on it. Bharati’s essay compares and contrasts her sister’s life in America to her own.  She clearly states that she’s accepted and embraced the American culture however; her sister still keeps her culture alive (she still follows the Indian customs).  For Bharati there is only two ways to belong to America, either you completely transform and follow the American culture (like she did) or you live as an outcast  in this foreign country (like her sister, Mira).  I don’t think this situation is so “black and white.” I believe that in America immigrants can be (and are) a mix of their old nation’s customs with the new customs embraced in America.  For example, my family is from Ecuador, and to this day their old customs/culture is still a part of them but they have embraced many aspects of this country (like the English language). I was born in this country but my family raised me through an Ecuadorian culture. I speak Spanish very well, I eat Spanish food more than anything else and I listen to Ecuadorian music. But I was raised in this country, so of course through the American education/environment I learned to speak English and learned its history (better than any other nation’s) and even adapted the fast food eating habits everyone in this country has. I could easily say I feel more American than Ecuadorian, since I have never stepped a foot in Ecuador but I do respect the fact that it’s my parent’s old home. Plus I do love the culture. The simple fact that I can say I am not just a plain American but an American with a twist, makes me special.

                Sheila Jasanoff responded to Bharati’s essay with the same point I used, the point that there is more than two ways to belong to America. She also shares her experience of not just being American but also being South Asian and how she embraces both cultures.  Bharati uses definition, compare and contrast and of course pathos in her essay, to make her point. Sheila Jasanoff does as well by defining what being American is for her, contrasting her idea to Bharati’s and sharing her own experiences.  Even though Sheila Jasanoff did not write as much as Bharati she still made her point clear enough for me to understand it and agree with it. Plus I can safely say that most people don’t think of this situation as so “black and white” like Bharati does.