P6 - Pollan

Kerry dePenaloza

Prof. Leake

Writ 1133

30 April 2013

P6

            In Michael Pollan’s article, “Our National Eating Disorder,” he diagnoses the symptoms or causes of our national eating disorder.  Pollan says that America has focuses on and obsesses over eating healthy.  Even though this does not sound bad, it is actually quite counterproductive to what the actual goal is intended to be.  The fact that so many Americans are focusing on how many calories, carbs, or fats are in the food is what is detrimental America.  Before people focused on the importance of these scientific facts, they just chose what food to eat by the smell and the taste. 

            One thing that I found most interesting about this article was the difference in how two cultures see food.  A French sociologist began looking at surveys done on four different populations, the U.S., France, Belgium, and Japan, and it was very obvious that Americans affiliated food with health as opposed to pleasure.  Another aspect of the eating disorder of Americans that Pollan touches on is the difference between the French and the Americans.  When asked what the first word that came to mind when an American heard “chocolate cake” the American said “guilt” and the French said “celebration.”  This alone shows how Americans see food on a daily basis. 

            Personally, I think part of my daily food choices connect to what Pollan has to stay, but then again there are times when I do not connect with Pollans argument.  I do try to eat health just because I was raised eating healthy and I know it is good for me, however, I enjoy choosing food that smells good to me and that I know will taste good.  I do not always eat that way because then I would probably not eat anything healthy.  My goal to eat healthy is what connects me to what Pollan has to say all throughout his essay.