How Junk Food Will Stop Obesity

""If only the McDonald's smoothie weren't, unlike the first two, so fattening and unhealthy. Or at least that's what the most-prominent voices in out food culture today would have you believe"". (932)

Freedman started off at the beginning of his article with his personal experience about buying a smoothie. He mentioned how a healthier and greener smoothie drink cost twice the amount compare to a McDonald's smoothie. He goes into details about how the healthier smoothie contains 700 calories, while the smoothie at McDonald's contains only 300 calories. The healthier the smoothie cost more and contains more calories, on top of that he mentioned it tasted like lawn clippings.

The author mainly argues against Michael Pollan, who believes that eating healthy, unprocessed foods in the solution to curing obesity. He counsels against eating processed foods because they tend to be stripped of fiber and packed with fat, sugar, and salt. Warning people away from highly processed food is reasonable as long as the bulk of highly processed foods continues to be unhealthy. Freedman argues that we need to focus more on fighting obesity where it strikes hardest: among the poor. He accuses ""the Pollanites"".

It’s no secret, Americans love their processed, energy-rich foods. And undeniably, this love affair has led to an obesity epidemic. In spite of the evidence against processed food, however, there are some who believe the problem may hold the key to the solution. David Freedman, author of “How Junk Food Could End Obesity,” criticizes Michael Pollan for his argument in support of unprocessed, local foods due its impracticality. Freedman’s criticism is based on the idea that “It makes a lot more sense to look for small, beneficial changes in food than it does to hold out for big changes in what people eat that have no realistic chance of happening” (Freedman Sec. 1). He contends that processed foods already play a big part in our diets, so instead of trying to expand the wholesome food business, we should try to make processed foods healthier. Freedman’s argument, however, overlooks many negative effects of processed foods and conventional farming. Michael Pollan’s wholesome food movements takes into account not only the obesity problem, but also the quality of the environment and the rights of farmers. Although Pollan’s solution to obesity may not seem the most efficient or time effective, the trades offs it provides in terms of environmental sustainability and the well-being of farmers outweigh the loss of efficiency. MIchael Pollan, in his book the OMnivore's Dilemma, advocated fir irganic, locally grown food intends that processed foods, unlike organic foods, are....

Talk about the effectiveness of his ads on changing what people want by making the picture bigger.

David Freedman supports his criticism about wholesale and processed foods against Michael Pollan, because Pollan thinks wholesale is healthier than processed food. So by freedman backing up his criticism about the wholesale and processed foods Freedman went to buy these wholesome foods and found out the meat in these organic and healthier meats indeed contains more fat content per ounce compared to McDonald's Big Mac.

in poorer communities you won’t see wholefood markets, in the contrary you would see McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut in mostly every corner of a shopping centers. Wholefood markets are usually around nicer richer areas, you wouldn’t even see at least whole food markets in a poorer community, but yet you would see small organic stores or even small organic stands at street fairs. Usually those small organic stores wouldn’t even last for a couple months, because people don’t even bother eating healthy all they care about is junk food and fast food places. When Freedman talks about how the poorer communities can't afford fresh, healthy foods from the grocery store so instead they go cheap fast food restaurants. I would have to disagree with him because, on rather spending on a forty-dollar trip to a fast food restaurant they can easily go to the supermarket and spend those forty dollars on groceries for the week and make dinner for the week. It’s not that they can’t afford healthy foods they’re just lazy and rather spend their money on fast food which takes less than fifteen minutes to get their food.

Why organic has higher calories is because of its higher value. Organic foods have been grown or farmed without the use of artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or genetically modified organisms.

In order to be labelled organic, a food product must be free of artificial food additives.

This includes artificial sweeteners, preservatives, coloring, flavoring and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Organically grown crops tend to use natural fertilizers like manure to improve plant growth. Animals raised organically are also not given antibiotics or hormones.

Organic farming tends to improve soil quality and the conservation of groundwater. It also reduces pollution and may be better for the environment.

Organic Dairy and Meat May Have A More Favorable Fatty Acid Profile

Organic milk and dairy products may contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and slightly higher amounts of iron, vitamin E and some carotenoids (7, 9).

However, organic milk may contain less selenium and iodine than non-organic milk, two minerals that are essential for health (9).

A review of 67 studies found that organic meat contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and slightly lower levels of saturated fats than conventional meat (10).

A higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with many health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease.

Works Cited

Freedman, David H.""How Junk Food Can End Obesity"". They Say, I Say with readings 3rd ed, edited by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, WWNorton & Company, 2017, pp. 506-537.

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