Geneticall Obesity: Why Americans Have Lost Touch With Their Food

Humans need few things for survival: water, shelter, and food. So why is it that our food, something we need to survive, has grown so detached from us? Research has shown what we should eat and how much, with the illustration of the food pyramid to make it easy. More meats and grains and less fats and oils to stay healthy. Eat right, exercise, watch portion sizes, and all will be well with your body. What Americans do not think about is where their food comes from. Why are there oranges in summer and strawberries in winter? Why can a shopper buy ripe tomatoes year round? Americans have lost touch with their foods, where it comes from, the production process, and what is in it. Large food corporations care more for quick money than for safe, healthy foods. By shopping locally, consumers can fully understand where their food comes from, the treatment it faces, and whether or not it is safe. The food Americans eat changed to become more appealing to the eye than to the body.
Pre-made meals, or frozen meals are not only bad for one’s health, but they are bad for the environment. They add to the amount of waste that the food industry produces. The convincing advertisements and convenient packaging hide the harsh reality, “...behind the mouth-watering offerings lies a distasteful reality: billions of dollars' worth of food is dumped each year because of retailers' inefficiency” (The Economist, 2008). Food waste is not only produced from prepackaged foods, but also from restaurants that offer huge portion sizes which people cannot finish. Some people may get their leftovers wrapped, but the rest send their food to the trash. Decreasing portion sizes, buying organic foods locally and cooking meals at home, and buying carefully can help the waste issue in America. On top of that, decreasing waste production would help corporations, such as Walmart, or Stop & Shop, cut