“In Defense of Food”

A trend that is sweeping the nation, particularly in college campuses, is the thinking behind Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food. The book is an overwhelming incitement of the manufactured food industry, and how we ingest all of these chemicals that our bodies cannot recognize or process. Are they doing damage? Well we know they make us fat. Do they help foster chronic disease? Well, we’re not sure.  But, we only have one body so why take a chance? The demand for organic food, natural food, is the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Classes ranging from journalism to science are using Michael Pollan’s book as a guide to the food of the future. That is the irony; the food of the future is the food of the past. This is the food that our bodies recognize, process, and the food that wont make us fat, but will make us healthy. The faster that we demand this food, the more large companies will begin to try to produce more of it. Once financially-driven people understand that there are markets for health, they will give us more healthy products.

It may be sad, but self-interest is a powerful motivator. When it’s in the self-interest of people to make us healthy they will help become part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Now is the time for consumers to insist on healthy food and make all the noise in the market place we can!