Question

The Video "What's Wrong With What We Eat?" explains our health care crisis. Using appropriate college-level writing, engage in a class discussion by responding in detail to the following three questions:

1. Discuss the message of this video in detail including:

plant vs. animal consumption

food pyramid

locavore

history of our food in the U.S.

his advice on action

    2. What is your reaction to this video?

    3. In your opinion, what should we do to improve this health crisis?

link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YkNkscBEp0

Answer 1

In his Ted talk, Mark Bittman says about the overproduction and over-consumption of meat and junk foods in America.

He mentioned about the scientists view on increase in global warming. As energy production is the biggest source, livestock is the second highest contributor to gasses that increase global warming. Even the methane released after cow farts are 20 times deadlier than CO2. Approximately 1/5th of all greenhouse gas is generated by livestock production and that contributes to more than transportation.

The more use of meat than we need will not be good for health and about half of the antibiotics utilized in the country is given to animals.

The increase in so-called lifestyle diseases (diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers) are more prevalent in America than anywhere in the rest of the world and it can be due to a direct result of eating a Western diet (meat, dairy, poultry, refined carbohydrates).

The increased use of carbonated beverages high in calories is also seen at an increased pace. The world consumption of reaches nearly

1 billion bottles/cans of coke a day. The longing for consumption causes people to consume way more calories than needed. The current health crisis is a result of the assurance that was given, eat more meat and dairy and poultry to be healthy.

USDA approved that plants make people healthy rather than animals and encouraged people to consume it by giving the simplistic food pyramid, not giving the explanation of why and how to aid the industry.

About slaughter, he emphasized that in the United States 10 billion animals have been killed a year for food. The concept of consuming organic foods also increases time by time, but the availability of ‘real organic’ is in question. “LOCAVORE” were common at early ages but the that become only a concept today.

The overemphasis on farm business and support from government also encouraged the availability of meat and its consumption. The humans are programmed to be vegetarians and more consumption of plants make people live longer.

The overproduction and over consumption of meet can be a serious health issue and people must concentrate on consuming more plants. As a conclusion, he encouraged to eat the “real food”.

In my views, to improve plant consumption and health,

• Encourage plant production and consumption
• Subsidies to plant business that farm business
• Public awareness programs on more plant use
• More researches on plant consumption
• Taxes on junk foods(fat tax)
• Health education from the lower level
• Involvement of nutritionists, dietician and public health supporters
• Ensure availability of health information
• Encourage use of ethnic food and “locavore” s