In the article called “A Push for Policies for Sustainable Food Systems” and an email interview with Cat Warren Marion Nestle explains her perspective of the main moving forces of malnutrition in modern society. I would like to note that in both the interview and the article Nestle states that malnutrition is not only the responsibility of the consumers. In her conversation with Warren Nestle emphasizes that the way unhealthy food products are marketed makes them irresistible for the buyers, whereas in the article she explains that a significant change of food preference and diets of modern individuals would be impossible without political intervention. This way, it looks like the modern obesity rates are inflicted not only by the consumers through their poor choices of meals, but also by the food industries pushing unhealthy products, and by the politicians reluctant to make a serious step towards the promotion of the healthy nutrition. Another common point of the article and the interview I noticed is that in both pieces Nestle explains that today food is treated as a fungible commodity. In other words, it is viewed as a source of capital, instead of the source of life and health. In the interview Nestle mentions that the consumers cannot overcome the marketing pressure which encourages them to purchase unhealthy products, but in the article she states that if the politicians remain passive in this reference, the average individuals would have to rise to the challenge. The difference is in how the consumers are viewed in the interview and in the article – as powerless manipulated individuals, and, at the same time, as critical thinkers able to take charge and enforce the improvements.
Speaking about the modern consumers rising to the occasion, I would like to discuss an article I came across preparing for my other course. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the fast food giants such as McDonalds, Taco Bell and Burger King have been losing revenues due to the downfall of their popularity. I believe that the contemporary individuals are starting to take charge and show more respect to their bodies choosing sustainable foods over the products of fast food companies. This tendency is massive and has been gaining more participants every year since 2012.
To provide more precise data, I looked up that article. It reviewed the popularity of McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Burger King among the representatives of the three last generations such as baby boomers (years of birth 1946-1964), generation X (years of birth 1965-1984) and millenials (years of birth 1985 – early 2000s). Namely, the popularity of fast food restaurants among the baby boomers dropped by 18%, among generation X – by 11%, and the drop among millenials is 89% (Thau, par. 4-8). The representatives of these generations now seek out more sustainable foods and turn to fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle or Panera.
The reduction of animal fats in the diets of the contemporary individuals is vital for the maintenance of their health. This is explained by Harold McGee in his “On Food and Cooking”. McGee stated that meat and fat have been essential elements of the human diet since ancient times when humans required a lot of energy to survive (124). Taking a look at the modern lifestyle I notice that we spend more time sitting than moving around, so overconsumption occurs easily and quickly and leads to a variety of heart, stomach, and blood diseases, obesity and general discomfort.
References
McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking. New York, New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.
Thau, Barbara. Survey Says Americans Are Losing Their Appetite For McDonald’s,
Taco Bell And Burger King. 2014. Web.