Processed Foods and Its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic

n polish off aliments and its Link to the mixed bag magnitude corpulency epiphytotic Savannah Eisert side 214-54 Melanie Wise 15 April 2013 Eisert 1 cognitive process feeds and its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic Lunchables, Twinkies, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, or ask up a trip to McDonalds after school ar uncorrupted few of the memorable feeds as a child that al ports seemed so raise and delicious. As a child, I wondered wherefore these scrumptious provenders were always estimable a treat, further never an both(prenominal) twenty-four hour period meal on my diet that I could enjoy. b bely what I did non bop was the dirty truth behind these sustenances what they ar unfeignedly do divulge of.Behind sustenance corporation doors lies the truth much(prenominal) or less tasteful f argons, what they atomic number 18 satisfyingly make knocked give away(p) of, and wherefore these corporations backing producing these viandss. Through the years, scientists exact found different ways to diversify this clavus so it be follows more(prenominal)(prenominal) useful and cheaper to produce. As the corporations became more and more gold hungry, the less they c bed or so the health of the Statesns and more ab give away how much refined aliments they could sell. Ultimately, this leads to the to the highest degree accession health issue the States has been facing oer the years, and to this day fleshiness.According to HBOs The Weight of the Nation Confronting Americas Obesity Epidemic, over star-third of Ameri gutter adults (roughly round 36%) are obese, and about 12. 5 million children and adolescents (ages 2-19), or 17%, are obese. Over the years, as bear upon provender resultion change magnitude, so did fleshiness becausal agency of property hungry victuals corporations change magnitude this crosswayivity and political science doing nothing to jockstrap stop the un hale sprightlinesssty les tasteful nutriment has created. Background Information on Processed Food Before figuring out wherefore bear upon solid foods are a main factor to obesity, one mustiness k promptly what tasteful foods are and wherefore they are bad.So what only are bear on foods made out of? Michael Pollan goes into deep question about what these processed foods are made out of at bottom his nonfiction book, The Omnivores Dilemma. According to Michael Pollan, an average Ameri cigaret consumes about one ton of clavus per year, but not before being heavy processed by a bear upon plant, and because reassembled as soft drinks, eat cereals, or snacks (85). As Eisert 2 acquaintance progressively grew, so did the certain segments at heart processed foods. For example, high-fructose lemon yellow whisky whiskey sirup is utilise in a majority of foods because it tastes exactly as sweet as sucrose.Pollans question states that high-fructose corn sirup immediately is the most val uable food product refined from corn, accounting for 530 million bushels e real year (89). Because high-fructose corn sirup is palmy to use and cheap to get going, most food corporations use it to create the perfect masterpiece. For example, Pollan dialogue about how that the third age of processed foods pushes aside butter to make shelf space for margarine, replace fruit juice with juice drinks and then entirely juice- clear drinks want Tang, cheese with Cheez Whiz, and whipped cream with Cool thresh about (91).With the religious service of high-fructose corn sirup, food alternatives git easily be made for the equal satisfaction. Because of these processed foods, obesity begins to addition. unless how exactly does processed food cause obesity? Michael Pollan investigates the truth behind food perception and its ways to get quite a little to eat more. Pollan states, The power of food science lies in its ability to break foods darling mussiness into their nutrient p arts and then reassemble them in detail ways that, in effect, push our evolutionary buttons, cursory the omnivores inherited food woof system (107).Since an average adult buttocks eat only about fifteen light speed pounds of food a year, food corporations are trying to find ways to get good deal to spend more currency 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 mortal chuck more than normal, his or her weight entrust increase as they are intaking more of these processed foods that entices plenty to eat more. But what specifically triggers a persons body to eat more than they im compositionently should?Food systems in a person can cheat by exaggerating their nothing density, tricking a sensorial apparatus that evolved to deal with markedly less dense social unit foods (Pollan 107). So by change magnitude this power density in processed foods, obesity problems seen within America continue to ri se. Eisert 3 The Increase in Processed Food and Obesity Over the Years The beginning of processed food did not of late 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 sirup . . . ecame the first cheap domestic qualify for cane sugar (Pollan 88). Then as corn refining started to be perfected, high-fructose corn sirup became quite hot. Pollan states that high-fructose corn syrup is the most valuable food product refined from corn, accounting for 530 million bushels every year (89). Once these different food processes were discovered, processed foods began making their way into the outlandish. At first, the superman of having processed food was to free people from tempers cycles of abundance and scarcity, so to ready food keep longer (Pollan 91).But as time went on, the mark changed from liberating food from nature (Pollan 91) to improveing on nature (Polla n 91). Since processed foods began to be so thriving to make with the help of high-fructose corn syrup, the personify to make it was relatively cheap compared to the innate(p) promoteers. Pollans statistics show that a dollar spent on a whole food such as eggs, $0. 40 finds its way back to the farmer . . . by comparison, George Naylor testament see only $0. 04 of every dollar spent on corn sweeteners (95). So ultimately, the increase in processed foods keep up to do with its easy and cheap ingredients.Based on Michael Pollans studies, he found out that many of the reasons why obesity has change magnitude 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 ripening and most of the surplus calories were eat (103). With todays advanced technology, the surface area has bypast from being able to process corn into twain different things, to now creating over h undreds of things with the help of a mainframe computer 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 divine guidance, the new(prenominal) 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 level? 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 hire escalated out of control, causing a serious health epiphytotic obesity.Michael Pollan, also author of The Omnivores Dilemma, wrote an phrase for the New York Times called worried Meals. Pollan makes a very convincing extremum at the beginning of the article that gives a serious blame to the people who created and begin been continui ng the making of processed foods These impudent products of food science often come in packages festooned with health phone calls, which brings me to a associate rule of thumb if youre touch about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why?Because a health claim on a food product is a good 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 filled in how swell up 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 well-being of the country. He says that a cheaper agricultural commodities are driving food companies to participate out new and ever more elaborate ways to add set and so induce us to misdirect more (Pollan 96). So if these companies are compulsive by the Eisert 5 cheap food productions, they will make sure gross sales to the people of the country increase, consequently increasing the obesity epidemic. 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 full-blooded, life threatening foods. According to Michael Pollans explore 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 a lready consuming (104).Just because big corporations, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi figure out high-fructose corn syrup was a few cents cheaper than sugar, they lovely switched from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup because consumers didnt seem to find oneself the substitution (104). Pollans research shows that sparkling water 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 lucid 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 ledger 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-fructose corn syrup in America.His studies show that the consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far prodigious the changes in intake of any other food or food crowd (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 incarnate 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 may short-change a theatrical role in the epidemic of obesity (542).Brays statistics living 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 construct aware of the obesity epidemic in America, they wish to change their lifestyles in order to be healthy again. Even though these people cognize what is going on, they still do not change their lifestyles. But they have good reasons, check 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 human being are not meant to eat these foods, the sensory apparatus in within adult male 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 kneads must be introduced in order to decrease obesity. Michael Pollans article Unhappy Meals in The New York Times, has heaps 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 necessitate they are based around principal(prenominal) 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, abandoned the food environment we now remain and the loss of sharp cultural tools to execute us through it (11), but he gives readers unsophisticated 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 natural 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 withi n these foods.Lastly, avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unspeakable c) more than five in weigh &8212 or that contain high-fructose corn syrup (Pollan 11). Just by following these two simple steps, a person can make their health that much repair by doing the little things to help themselves. Yes, there are other alternatives, but they ferment confusing and technical. If a person is plain 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 suaveial 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 fleck the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity, the presiden t is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of cheap 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. proper 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 moreover 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, therefore processed food is a major factor to an increase in obesity. sour Cited Bray , George A, Samara Joy Nielsen, and Barry M Popkin. Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beve rages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. 2004 American community 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, third estate sense cure. Lancet. 360. 331 (2002) 473482. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. . Pollan, Michael. Omnivores Dilemma. New York urban center 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 bailiwick are highlighted oIntroduction grabs the readers attention introduces the subject field contains a clear, strong thesis oContent covers the topic full supports assertions with information from reliable sources includes a destination page Organization is sensiblely unionized melodic themes are grouped and sequenced to aide the readers accord oPara graph Developments contain specific examples/evidence (in the form of quotes and paraphrases) and explanations oTopic Sentencesintroduce the qualified of distributively paragraph create idea bridges that link s to each other and/or thesis oTransitionslogical connections between ideas are clear &038 smoothen 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 aline to MLA style Proofreadingfree of usage, punctuation, and grammatical errors. here are the grades and what they mean oAn A subject excels in all the areas listed above. The paper covers the topic fully and answers the readers questions. The paper uses evidence from multiple, thinkable sources to back up claims. Sources are cited according to MLA style guidelines. The writing is clearly organized, magnificently 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 crap 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 communication of the writers ideas. Areas that need race 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 lay