Processed Foods and Its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic

bear on nutrients and its Link to the extend corpulency epiphytotic Savannah Eisert English 214-54 Melanie Wise 15 April 2013 Eisert 1 polished provenders and its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic Lunchables, Twinkies, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, or thus far a trip to McDonalds after school argon respectable few of the memorable regimens as a child that al fashions seemed so excite and delicious. As a child, I wondered wherefore these scrumptious nutrients were always nevertheless a tr bury, scarce never an each daytime meal on my diet that I could enjoy. hardly what I did non be was the dirty truth behind these nutriments what they be accreditedly betray turn disc over of.Behind forage corporation doors lies the truth around rtabooine diets, what they argon really make turn up of, and wherefore these corporations make unnecessary producing these fodders. Through the years, scientists nurture found different ways to transform this maize so it be set or sos to a greater extent than re cryable and cheaper to produce. As the corporations became to a greater extent and more(prenominal) nones hungry, the less they c bed round the health of the Statesns and more about how much bear on nutrients they could sell. Ultimately, this leads to the most(prenominal) interpolate magnitude health issue the States has been facing over the years, and to this day fleshiness.According to HBOs The Weight of the Nation Confronting Americas Obesity Epidemic, over superstar-third of Ameri go off adults (roughly about 36%) atomic list 18 obese, and about 12. 5 million children and adolescents (ages 2-19), or 17%, be obese. Over the years, as touch on intellectual nourishment fruition add, so did fleshiness be exercise of specie hungry aliment corporations increase this crosswayivity and political relation doing nothing to second stop the un ruddy breedingstyles affect aliment has created. Background I nformation on Processed Food Before figuring out wherefore touch provenders atomic number 18 a main factor to corpulency, one must(prenominal) k forthwith what bear on nourishments are and why they are bad.So what precisely are bear upon fares made out of? Michael Pollan goes into deep seek about what these polished foods are made out of at heart his nonfiction book, The Omnivores Dilemma. According to Michael Pollan, an average Ameri rear consumes about one ton of gamboge per year, and not before being severely processed by a touch plant, and because reassembled as soft drinks, breakfast cereals, or snacks (85). As Eisert 2 scientific discipline progressively grew, so did the certain instalments within processed foods. For example, high-fructose lemon yellow sirup is apply in a studyity of foods because it tastes incisively as sweet as sucrose.Pollans look states that high-fructose gamboge whisky sirup at present is the most valuable food product refined from edible corn, accounting for 530 million bushels each year (89). Because high-fructose corn sirup is easy-heeled to use and cheap to ask, most food corporations use it to create the perfect masterpiece. For example, Pollan talks about how that the third age of processed foods pushes aside butter to make ledge space for margarine, replace fruit succus with juice drinks and then entirely juice- step down drinks analogous Tang, cheese with Cheez Whiz, and whipped cream with Cool mop (91).With the serve well of high-fructose corn sirup, food alternatives keep easily be made for the same(p) satisfaction. Because of these processed foods, corpulency begins to increase. only if how exactly does processed food cause corpulency? Michael Pollan investigates the truth behind food light and its ways to get volume to eat more. Pollan states, The power of food wisdom lies in its ability to break foods overmatch into their nutrient parts and then reassemble them in de tail ways that, in effect, push our evolutionary buttons, deceive the omnivores inherited food plectron body (107).Since an average adult stern eat only about fifteen vitamin C pounds of food a year, food corporations are trying to find ways to get great deal to spend more notes for the same three-quarters of tof a ton of food, or entice them to actually eat more than that (Pollan 95). So if a person eats more than normal, his or her weight forget increase as they are intaking more of these processed foods that entices quite a little to eat more. But what specifically triggers a persons body to eat more than they course should?Food systems in a person can cheat by exaggerating their competency density, tricking a sensational apparatus that evolved to traverse with markedly less dense unscathed foods (Pollan 107). So by change magnitude this force density in processed foods, corpulency problems seen within America continue to rise. Eisert 3 The Increase in Processed Food and Obesity Over the Years The stolon of processed food did not recently happen, but has been around since the mid-1800s. In Michael Pollans Omnivores Dilemma, he explains the journey of how corn developed to what it is today. In 1866, corn syrup . . . ecame the first cheap domestic reservation for cane sugar (Pollan 88). Then as corn refining started to be perfected, high-fructose corn syrup became quite touristed. Pollan states that high-fructose corn syrup is the most valuable food product refined from corn, accounting for 530 million bushels ein truth year (89). Once these different food processes were discovered, processed foods began making their way into the sphere. At first, the backsheesh of having processed food was to free people from records cycles of abundance and scarcity, so to make up food uphold longer (Pollan 91).But as time went on, the design changed from liberating food from nature (Pollan 91) to improveing on nature (Pollan 91). Since processe d foods began to be so calorie-free to make with the help of high-fructose corn syrup, the apostrophize to make it was relatively cheap compared to the theatreive invokeers. Pollans statistics show that a sawbuck pass on a whole food such as eggs, $0. 40 finds its way back to the farmer . . . by comparison, George Naylor go out see only $0. 04 of every dollar spent on corn sweeteners (95). So ultimately, the increase in processed foods make believe to do with its easy and cheap ingredients.Based on Michael Pollans studies, he found out that small-army of the reasons why obesity has increase so much is due to the increase use of high-fructose corn syrup in the foods people eat. Pollan begins by saying that corn accounts for most of the surplus calories were development and most of the surplus calories were alimentation (103). With todays advanced technology, the earth has asleep(p) from being able to process corn into cardinal different things, to now creating over hundr eds of things with the help of a processor and corn.Pollans statistics show that since 1985, an Americans annual consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has gone from Eisert 4 forty-five pounds to 66 pounds (104). On top of the high-fructose corn syrup people white plague, the other sugars also must be accounted for. Therefore, this excessive amount of sugars in processed food is the main cause to the increase of obesity in America. Who is to commit? Behind all the corn, the processing, and the food that results, is the man in charge food corporations. Because of food corporations greed for money, processed foods take over escalated out of control, causing a serious health pestilent obesity.Michael Pollan, also author of The Omnivores Dilemma, wrote an obligate for the New York Times called miserable Meals. Pollan makes a very convincing breaker point at the beginning of the article that gives a serious blame to the people who created and admit been continuing the making of processed foods These impudent products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related to rule of thumb if youre touch on about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why?Because a health claim on a food product is a nigh indication that its not really food, and food is what you want to eat (1). His claim is very much true because these food corporations try to trick the customers into thinking food products are okay to eat, when in reality, they are terrible for a persons health in the long run. Food corporations have come to a point where they are more involvemented in how well their company is doing rather than the countrys health. So ultimately, the rise in obesity is because of these food productions little interest to care about the health of the country.In Michael Pollans The Omnivores Dilemma, he proves that food corporations are only interested in the money rather than the wel l-being of the country. He says that a cheaper agricultural commodities are driving food companies to enrol out new and ever more elaborate ways to add comfort and so induce us to purchase more (Pollan 96). So if these companies are goaded by the Eisert 5 cheap food productions, they will make sure sales to the people of the country increase, in that locationfore increasing the obesity pestilent. Why blame these food corporations for the obesity epidemic?Arent they just trying to help the economy by selling the food they produce? Yes, this is very true, but that does not mean these corporations have the right to sell the country un estimable, life threatening foods. According to Michael Pollans research in The Omnivores Dilemma, Americans high-fructose corn syrup intake has gone up from forty-five pounds to sixty-six pounds (104). Basically, Pollan states that Americans are eating and drinking all that high-fructose corn syrup on top of the sugars we were already consuming (1 04).Just because big corporations, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi estimate out high-fructose corn syrup was a few cents cheaper than sugar, they collarly switched from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup because consumers didnt seem to disclose the substitution (104). Pollans research shows that pop music is most of the sixty-six pounds of high-fructose corn syrup that American consume, and by using the ingredient that causes obesity into one of the most popular drink is just cruel because food corporations target that area of consumption.So it is quite overt the corporations do not care about the rise in obesity because they keep using high-fructose corn syrup in most of the foods consumed by Americans. In some other study, George A Bray from The American daybook of Clinical Nutrition makes interesting connections in his article Consumption of High-Fructose Corn syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity between the rise in obesity and the rising intake of high-f ructose corn syrup in America.His studies show that the consumption of HFCS increased 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food collection (Bray 537). With the rise in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, the increase of obesity in America connects with these statistics. Bray also concludes that Eisert 6 incorporated data suggests that overconsumption of beverages sweetened with HFCS, or high-fructose corn syrup, and containing 50% free fructose and the increased intake of total fructose whitethorn pass a share in the epidemic of obesity (542).Brays statistics second Pollans beverage assumptions because it goes to show that food corporations are willing to increase high-fructose corn syrup even if the epidemic of obesity increases with its increase in production. Resolution As more people go aware of the obesity epidemic in America, they wish to change their lifestyles in order to be healthy again. Even though these peopl e contend what is going on, they still do not change their lifestyles. But they have darling reasons, concord to Michael Pollans reasonings in The Omnivores Dilemma.Pollan explains how the food corporations have pushed our evolutionary buttons, fooling the omnivores inherited food selection system (107). Even though man are not meant to eat these foods, the sensory apparatus in within human beings have evolved to always crave these processed foods. It has even gotten to a point where people with limited money to spend on food would spend it on the cheapest calories they can find (Pollan 108). These are perfect examples to why the processed food lifestyle continues, and why the epidemic of obesity continues to increase. So the real question is how does America resolve the epidemic of obesity?Yes, food corporations are to blame, but they will keep producing processed foods to help their economic success. So as a country, alternatives and powerful square offs must be introduced in order to decrease obesity. Michael Pollans article Unhappy Meals in The New York Times, has often of certain advice to steer away from the tricks of processed foods and have America move into a healthier lifestyle. He suggests that processed foods connote they are based around important nutrients to help support human health, when in reality it gives the opposite effects to the body.Eisert 7 Pollan does in fact state that the healthy lifestyle is harder to do in practice, inclined the food environment we now lie in and the loss of sharp cultural tools to submit us through it (11), but he gives readers unanalyzable ways to start a healthy lifestyle. Some of the most simple advice includes eating according to the rules of a traditional food culture (Pollan 12). By eating essential foods that are locally grown and produced, one will know how it is being made and by whom, so there are no mysteries or health questions within these foods.Lastly, avoid food products containing i ngredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unspeakable c) more than five in number or that contain high-fructose corn syrup (Pollan 11). Just by following these two simple steps, a person can make their health that much unwrap by doing the little things to help themselves. Yes, there are other alternatives, but they fail confusing and technical. If a person is manifestly aware of what is being put into their body, then a healthy lifestyle can be achieved. Even though people are personally trying to become healthier, what about the people that are not?They need in legatoial and powerful support in order to avoid the obesity epidemic. The government would be the perfect influence to helping change the obesity epidemic. But in Michael Pollans book, The Omnivores Dilemma, the government does little to help even though they are aware of the issue plot the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity, the president is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of che ap corn flowing, guaranteeing that the cheapest calories in the supermarket will continue to be the unhealthiest (108).So if the government wont even help, who will? That is where the people come in. bonny aware of the problem and knowing what a person is putting into their bodies will be the only way to end the increase in the production of processed food, and to furthermore decrease obesity. In conclusion, as processed food production increased, so did obesity because of money hungry food corporations increasing this productivity and government doing nothing to Eisert 8 help stop the unhealthy lifestyles processed food has created.Through the statistics found in the research it shows how the increases simultaneously occurred at the same time, consequently processed food is a major factor to an increase in obesity. guide Cited Bray , George A, Samara Joy Nielsen, and Barry M Popkin. Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. 2004 American companionship for Clinical Nutrition. 79. 4 (2003) 537-543. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.. Ebbeling, Cara, Dorota B Pawlak, and David S Ludwig. Childhood obesity public-health crisis, greenness sense cure. Lancet. 360. 331 (2002) 473482. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. . Pollan, Michael. Omnivores Dilemma. New York city A Penguin Book, 2006. Print. Pollan, Michael. Unhappy Meal. New York Times. 28 01 2007 1-12. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. . Research Paper Feedback In reading your research constitution, I have considered the following features of the document. Any areas that need go away are highlighted oIntroduction grabs the readers attention introduces the case contains a clear, strong thesis oContent covers the topic richly supports assertions with information from reliable sources includes a part page Organization is lawfully form caprices are grouped and sequenced to aide the readers correspondence oParagraph Developments contain specific examples/evidence (in the form of quote s and paraphrases) and explanations oTopic Sentencesintroduce the subject of each paragraph create idea bridges that link s to each other and/or thesis oTransitionslogical connections between ideas are clear & swimming oSentence Fluencysentences are fluent and change in construction and length (not choppy) quotes are smoothly incorporated oMLA Formatsources are cited both inline citations and reference page citations accommodate to MLA style Proofreadingfree of usage, punctuation, and grammatical errors. here(predicate) are the grades and what they mean oAn A written report excels in all the areas listed above. The paper covers the topic fully and answers the readers questions. The paper uses evidence from multiple, likely sources to back up claims. Sources are cited according to MLA style guidelines. The writing is clearly organized, excellently developed, fluent, and nearly error free. oA B paper does a good job in all the areas above. The paper offers a thoughtful, complete response to the prompt. It is clearly organized and well developed.The sentences are consistently readable and fluent with few usage errors. Areas that need attain are highlighted above. oA C paper is a competent response to the prompt, but may have weaknesses in one or more of the areas listed above. The weaknesses interfere with the successful communicating of the writers ideas. Areas that need puzzle out are highlighted above. oA paper earns an NP if it does not answer the prompt and/or is severely weak in one or more of the areas listed above. The papers weaknesses make it very difficult to read and/or understand. Areas that need work are highlighted above. Comments and pasture