Pollan Blog 1
In Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, he argues how the food we eat today is not like the foods our grandparents or even our parents ate. The reason being was because of the emergence of nutritionists and the fact that we as Americans don’t know when to call it quits when it comes to eating food. The foods that our older generations ate were made up of real meat filled with nutrients and all natural flavoring and packed with fats. Over the years the government set regulations on food and nutritionists and science came to stunning conclusions that too much is not always a good thing. On the contrary Pollan does announce that he is now scientist himself and that what he is presenting in his book are the facts and stories that he has attainted over the years which he publish to try and spread the word about the truth of food companies manipulating the mind of the American consumer. The type of crude manipulation when truly dissected and comprehended it makes your stomach turn. How can companies get away with what seems to be a catch 22? Food companies announce that they are selling a product that can be better for you because its low carbohydrates or zero trans fat but in reality it is the opposite, yet their allowed to sell their product with a nice stamp on the front saying all natural or low carbohydrates when in fact it probably will do more harm than good because all the nutrients that you are looking for are all depleted just so they can make a buck and you can feel better about yourself. He talks about the precautionary principle and how it talks about if an action might cause harm to the public of the environment, in the absence of a science that the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate taking the action. I agree with this one hundred percent the fact that these companies are lying to their customers I feel as if that is going against business ethics and what these business people were taught in their business 101 courses at their ivy league schools. However, on the other hand I understand that the true goals of these companies are to make as much money as they can without spending anything. With the help of some clever negotiating skills and a good marketing team I can see how companies and get around the red tape.
Personal responsibility is another issue in which Pollan addresses and that talks about the controlling factor of our eating habits. Can we really control what we eat? Or is it already predetermined by the food companies and their manipulation of vanquishing the nutrients desperately needed in their products that make us eat more of their products? It is true if we as humans need a certain amount of nutrients and buy foods that we know have them in them but companies take them out so they can either save some money or have the illusion of their product being healthier for you. I see it as if you need professional help for poisoning yourself or how you can go to prison for causing harm to another human, then why aren’t these companies seeing any citations or being punished because they are in fact putting poison into our bodies and pulling it off as their product is healthier for you and will help you to lose weight. The book is laid out as if he is talking to every eater on an individual level which makes it for an interesting read and make us think about what we really can consider as good healthy all natural food.
Profile: The Handy Man
In my family I’m usually the one that has to help my mother, sister, and grandparents with whatever predicaments they have. Most of the solutions I come up with they might not agree on, whether it being moving furniture around or doing yard work. At first none of them agree with what I say because I try to get what they need done in a timely manner. Such as one instant when my grandparents wanted me to move a couch out of a room and bring it downstairs. I knew it wasn’t going to fit the way my grandfather wanted me to take it out but he was determined to get it out so I slowly had to persuade him that maybe if we turned it a certain way that it would fit through the door. About fifteen minutes of talking it over he agreed and low and behold we got it out of the room.
I would say my way of viewing a argument, conflict, and/or persuasion has changed I’ve learned that arguing can lead you right back where you started but in order to solve a conflict you need to just listen to both sides and try and come to an understanding that both parties can agree on. However, I do know that it is easier said than done and sometimes one person just has to take initiative. I would say playing sports throughout my life I’ve learned this and it still continues today with playing a sport in college. I’ve learned this from my Mother and Uncle who have that surfer hang loose mentality. I’ve learned to stay fairly calm in tight situations and when it come to arguing I’m not much of one but I’ll always stick up for what I believe because if we just went with the flow we would all be pretty lame and not have much of a back bone. In a way argument, conflict, and/or persuasion can show a person’s true character, both in the way they react to it and use it.
