Michael Polan’s ‘Escape from the western diet’ argues that Western processed foods are full of industrial chemicals, and a major cause of nutrition relates chronic diseases. Adoption of good eating habits by humans is essential as nutritionists do not offer a good solution to modern diets and only deal with the medicalizing the predicament. Humans should not just be westernized in their dietary habits and concentrate on plants for nutritional value and try to avoid animal products especially the ones that have ingested non-healthy chemicals
David Zinczenko in his book ‘Don’t blame the eater’ consumption of junk foods in the US has put many kids at risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes as many cases are reported every year. It is advisable that children consume healthier foods to avoid the risk although it is difficult to find the healthy food. The majority of the food joints offer fast foods with no calorie information as David asserts. Fast foods should be required by the law to provide information on the quantity of calories in each food pack to reduce the risks associated with consumption of fast foods.
In the Judith Warmer’s Junking the junk foods, the Obama administration policies for the regulation of the consumption of junk foods by the American kids was a step forward in reducing lifestyle diseases. A number of the US citizens protested the directive to allow schoolchildren consume low-sugar foods. According to statistics, more than a third of Americans adults are overweight, and Warner notes that the move was politically motivated. However, many hope that in the future people will change their lifestyle and regard fatty and junk foods as unhealthy.
The writers of the three articles are correct on the dangers posed by consumption of the Western processed foods in America because of the health risks involved such as obesity and diabetes. The government faces many challenges when implementing policies to reduce the public consumption of processed foods especially the school-going children as Warner argues. The government regulation of the consumption of junk foods is sometimes met with protests, which hinders the implementation. Junky and high-calorie foods are risky to peoples’ health as Warner notes that unhealthy eating habit leads to overweight children and adults. As Pollan notes, individuals with a high intake of Western processed foods tend to suffer from chronic diseases compared to people who take natural foods especially from plants. Actually, the high figures of people suffering from diabetes in America result from high consumption of fast foods, which are very accessible. The truth is that in America, there is a shortage of alternative food joints as claimed by Zinczenko leading to the increase in the health hazards caused by the consumption of these types of foods. The other cause is the lack of information of calorie contents on the package of the processed products lead to an increase in their consumption as people are never aware of the amount they are consuming. The other thing that contributes to the consumption of the fast foods is the Western way of thinking and the fact that fast foods are very cheap, readily available, and appealing to the look. Politics also influences the intake of the junk foods as Palin observes since they cannot make good decisions concerning the consumption of the fast foods. The Obama administration policy of adoption of healthy eating habits will work to reduce the mass consumption of high-calorie foods in America. Plants foods are the best for maintaining a healthy diet and reduction of diet-related diseases as Polan argues. If people can change their lifestyle and eat healthy, they can live a life with fewer complications and live longer. .
The evidence of health risks related to fast food consumption are immense, to name but a few.humans take into consideration the type of foods they consume and the respective amount of calories. This action will help avoid some of these complications, even as medical costs for treatment and management reduce significantly. The food industries need to redesign the methods of processing foods that reduces the adverse effects on the health of individuals. For individuals to know the situation regarding the consumption of the fast foods, diet health cases should reduce in hospitals as asserted by Pollan. The only way to escape the health risk factors is to eat real food and not the food products in the supermarkets. Advertisement also do not give information regarding the dangers of consuming too much of the calories as tobacco does, thereby raising the risks factors as people eat without any caution as Pollan notes (393). However, eating habits are not necessarily an influence of factors such as the advertising or lack of calorie information as Pollan argues but individual choices. For the small children, the parents influence their eating habits and not just because the fast food restaurants are accessible. Some chronic diseases such as diabetes are caused by other factors such as inadequate exercises and heredity and not necessarily fast foods as Pollan argues. Warner notes that fast foods cause overweight in children and adults but forgets that the genetic make-up of an individual also contributes to weight gain. Politics should not be a blame for increased fast foods intake as Warner asserts since regulations should start from an individual’s choice and not from a governing boy. The government may put laws but will never get to somebody’s kitchen to see the kind of food being served. According to David, the eater should not be blamed for eating an unhealthy diet, but the presence of the fast foods without calorie information on the packaging. However, healthy eating is a person’s choice, and external factors should not be blamed for the consequences.
In conclusion, fast foods are hazardous to peoples’ health as the three writers argue since many of the sufferers have a history of taking junky foods. The other factor that contribute to the unhealthy eating is due to inadequate regulation of the food industry such as lack of calorie information and warnings on the packages. The medical cost associated with the treatment of diseases caused by the fatty diet is quite high and the death rate due to the same issue is high especially in America. As the three writers assert, fast foods rich in calories are a great health hazard to peoples’ life and lifestyle change is the only option to curb it.
Works Cited
Pollan, Michael. Escape from the Western Diet.
Stein, Natalie. Public health nutrition. Michigan. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. 2014. Print.
Warner, Judith. Junking Junk Food.The New York Times Magazine, 25 November, 2010. Print.
Zinczenko, David. Don’t Blame the eater. The New York Times, 23 November, 2002. 1. Print