Ever wonder why American are so fat? Have you looked at the ingredients on processed foods and noticed that "high fructose corn syrup" (HFCS) seems to be in everything? Have you ever passed a massive cattle farm where thousands of cows stand on a mountain of shit and wondered why there is no grass for them to eat? Well, wonder no longer! Michael Pollan, journalism professor, contributing writer for the NYT, and confessed omnivore has a newish book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, that everyone--and that means YOU, my reader--should devour. The first section on corn and the juggernaut of industrial farming alone should be required reading for every American. This book is a page-turner, a thriller really, about the places from which the food on our tables and in our bellies comes, how it gets there, and what happens to it in between. Buy it or check it out of the library, and write your Congressperson after your outrage settles into a slow boil.
And yes, if you want to know more, here's a nice review from the New York Times that surprisingly claims Pollan doesn't go far enough.
2 comments:
Oh please do not get me started on this issue. Did you see the article in yesterday's NYT? Chicago apparently has made it illegal to serve foie gras! The US is a nation of fat, unhealthy people because of their neurotic and unhealthy relationship to food and ultimately to sex. Included are not just the fat red staters but hipster vegeterians, vegans and those who it exlusively raw food.
Come over and I will make us a home cooked dinner. We'll eat foie gras, drink wine and feast and talk and laugh like normal people. You can even enjoy a cigarette at the table if you like!
I'll add it to the list.
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