What’s There To Eat?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food security as “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” This is however quite not achievable in the United States of America as some people living in the nation are not yet able to access healthy food in their daily life. This begs the question, what’s there to eat? The USA as a country wastes billions of pounds on food every year but this does not enable all the citizens in the country to have regular access to food. Bearing in mind that hunger is deeply connected to human health, it is therefore evident that those who are food insecure are likely to be affected by the various diet-sensitive disease.
Food insecurity is therefore one of the leading nutrition and health issues in the country. This poses a risk of those who are not able to regularly access healthy foods having health complications. It is certain that food insecurity is associated with health negatively as a lack of food and the consumption of unhealthy foods leads to human diseases. This, therefore, posts another great risk on the country’s health sector. In this case, some of the diseases that can be associated with food insecurity in the country including but not limited to asthma (Holben, et al, 26). A research done on this in the nation implicates that food-insecure children are likely to have asthma more 1.4 times as compared to the food secure children. This is therefore a problem on the prosperity of the nation as for example, in this case, the lives of young children are put into great risk by food insecurity.
The leading cause of death in the United States of America are diet-related diseases. These are diseases that are linked to unhealthy diets. Some of these diseases are cancer and diabetes. With this challenge facing the health sector in the United States of America, there has been a debate among public health experts, politicians, civic leaders, and citizens on how to treat the diseases associated with unhealthy diets.
There are those who believe that the government should be on the front line to ensure that the citizens in the country get access to healthy foods. They suggest that the government should put in place measures that ensure these illnesses are eliminated or at least decreased to lower levels. Some of the suggested measures that should be employed by the government are, increasing taxes on unhealthy items, educating people about the type of food they should consume, and ensuring that the unhealthiest items are outlawed in the market. This side of the debate is however opposed by those that enjoy these unhealthy foods. Other groups that oppose this motion are food and drink processors and civil libertarians.
On this debate topic, for example, David Zinczenko in his article “Don’t Blame the Eater” suggests that he sympathizes with those who consume unhealthy foods and they should not be blamed for what they choose to heat. He argues that it is not the fault of the consumers to eat these foods but the fault of fast-food restaurants for feeding the consumers with these foods without considering providing the customers with the correct information (Zinczenko,1). Many people who consume these foods make assumptions that the foods are healthy. He argues that the government in the United States should regulate this industry.
Radley Balko opposes Zinczenko’s argument by clearly highlighting that eating of unhealthy foods should remain a matter of personal responsibility and that consumption of unhealthy foods should not be at the blame of food industries (Balko,2). He goes ahead to disagree that the government should have any involvement in ensuring that the consumption of these foods is regulated. He expresses this in his writing “What You Eat is Your Business.” He discusses the wrong and right ways of fighting obesity in the United States. At some point, he writes that “In other words, bringing government between you and your waistline.” He explains that this is not the way that America should be educating and fighting obesity.” Balko’s argument, therefore, addresses the problem caused by poor diet meals from the point of view that individuals should be responsible for what they eat and the government should not in any way be blamed for the resulting illness such as Obesity from unhealthy foods consumption.
From the debate topic on who should be responsible for the consumption of unhealthy foods, there has been a section of people in the country who focus on the efforts to improve the diets and routines of the consumers and how what people eat in the country is affected by the research and marketing efforts of food companies. Michael Pollan a food activist and author suggests that people should not rely on processed foods anymore but should move to a diet that incorporates more organic foods. He argues that the food industries have their own agenda and that they do not have the best interest at heart for their customers (Pollan,2). He says that “Their interests are getting you to eat too much food processed more than it should be. And your interests are to leave well enough alone with the food. But they can’t make enough money on that.” In his argument, he suggests that food processed in the industries is not good at all for the consumers and people should consume foods gotten from modern agriculture.
On the other hand, the food industry obviously disagrees with the opinions of the kind of Michael Pollan and suggests that they exaggerate the dangers posed by eating industry processed foods (Maxfield,1). Mary Maxfield is one of the characters who come out strongly to disagree with those who support Mike Pollan’s arguments. Journalist David H. Freedman also joins the debate and clearly states that healthy diet advocates should encourage the fast-food companies in their processing to ensure the production of healthier foods. He goes ahead to suggest that these companies should not be considered as enemies of healthy diets as they play a significant role in ensuring enough food is available for consumption in the country.
There has also been a close examination of one’s environment and food access by various people who are interested in ensuring food is secure for consumption in the United States. For example, Olga Khazan decides to examine a nonprofit program that aims at supplying stores in Washington, D.C with healthy vegetables and fruits at a low cost. The main goal is to improve the diets of residents who are not able to readily access supermarkets. There is also another research that is conducted and results show that a number of college students are unable to focus on their studies reason being, they don’t have regular access to food thus relying on food pantries for their meals. From these examinations, it is evident that failure to access healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables leads to the consumption of unhealthy foods to satisfy hunger.
There has been a wide range of opinions on food and eating in the United States. All these opinions are generated as a result of the growing fear of food insecurity in the country. I would however admit that all the opinions are right in their own way but some are not to the benefit of consumers. I, therefore, feel that both consumers and the government in the United States should work together in ensuring the curbing of food insecurity, therefore, eliminating illnesses that are caused by the consumption of these foods. It should be at the knowledge of consumers to know the dangers posed by the consumption of some industry processed foods. I would recommend that citizens in the United States adopt consuming organic foods like vegetables so as to enable them to avoid illness caused by poor diet meals. The government should also work closely with the citizens by educating them on the right foods to consume and put on measures that cease the production of unhealthy foods by processing companies.
Works Cited.
Holben, David H., and Michelle Berger Marshall. “Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: food insecurity in the United States.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 117.12 (2017): 1991-2002.
Zinczenko, David. “Don’t Blame the Eater.” New York Times 23 (2002).
Balko, Radley. “What You Eat Is Your Business.” They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings 2 (2006): 395-399.
Pollan, Michael. “The food movement, rising.” New York (2010).
Maxfield, Mary. “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating.” They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings 2: 444-447.