This post is dedicated to show one of my results and possible options for my I-Search Paper. We were assigned to go to the Room for Debate section of the New York Times and find a topic that interested us and I can see it has potential for my paper. I chose the debate from the food section, "Do we need more advice about Eating Well?" . After the debate we had in class about the food we are eating and the habits go eating and everything what its related to this I found this article interesting. One of the reasons I picked this topic is to realize that hanger, obesity or wellness is related to the way we have been taught to eat and what kind of food we have access to because I believe that one of the biggest problems about nutrition is the lacking of affordable healthy food out there and also managing of time. I'm from another country and culture and the problems of nutrition this country has always has caught my attention because the resources are endless but the accessibility is limited.
This article by Rob Bennett for The New York Times begins with a short but open statement that provides an interesting question about lacking of knowledge of healthy eating or the enough information about food, but the context where Americans live doesn't allow them to eat healthy such as living in a “food desert” or being too busy for “slow food”.
The first opinion is given by Jane Black, a food writer based in Brooklyn, writes the "Smarter Food" column for The Washington Post and is at work on a book about the efforts of Huntington, W.Va., to build a healthier food culture (due out in 2013 from Simon & Schuster). Jane strongly believes in changing habits is more important than changing diets because even if many Americans know how to eat and they have access to the food, also afford it, they don't want to take the time to go food shopping, plan their meals and have a nice healthy meal, when they get home after a long day and they can drive-through or have a pizza delivered or put some food into the microwave. After her studies she found that
many Americans do have access to, and can afford, better food. They just choose not to eat it because the today's reality is that most Americans seek out fast and processed food, not for the price, but for the conveniences , time and the taste that is given for the chemicals.
The second opinion is given by Raj Patel, a fellow at the Institute for Food and Development Policy, is the author of "The Value of Nothing" and "Stuffed and Starved." who strongly believe that we need better choices of food instead. Raj thinks that no matter what many food sources we can have or get access to because at the end we will be scratching our heads thinking what to make. however he emphasizes in unhealthy ingredient can't be removed in processed food, and lack of time to prepare healthy options is the reality nowadays, so doesn't matter how much education Americans cans get because it won't help.
The next person who joined the discussion is Will Allen, who is the chief executive of Growing Power, a nonprofit that helps to provide equal access to healthy food. Allen believes on do it yourself system is a way to approach to food. One of his beliefs is that people know what kind of food is good for them, but they don't have access to or can't afford the healthier options, that is one of the reason American eat poorly. he mentioned that people who live in food desert communities have limited or no access to fresh, affordable and healthy food and the U.S.D.A created a Web site to reveal American food desert communities to help them. However if people can grow safe, healthy, affordable food this is will transform the whole idea of healthy eating and reaches the levels of healthy communities without a healthy food system.
continue with the discussion Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, is the author of "Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics." She blogs at FoodPolitics.com. mentions that Americans needs better information about nutrition because she says that this is one pf the cause US suffers obesity problems. Nowadays society is filled of information about nutrition but from the sources with a vested interest such a specific food , supplements or diet plans, not giving them a real understanding of nutrition. nutrition follows some principles that seems hard to follow because of how they affect the food industry that make junk food affordable to everybody and everywhere decreasing the value of nutrients.
The final opinion is given by Yael Lehmann is the executive director of the Food Trust. Yale emphasizes in the necessity of learning how to eat healthy as an issue, even though this is not the only cause why Americans are not having a healthy habits. No everybody has access and can afford healthy food, thats why they don't eat it. she also assures that Studies have shown that people who lack access to healthy foods have a higher rate of obesity and other diet-related diseases than those who have convenient access to healthy foods. Studies also present strong evidence that people with greater access to healthy food consume more fresh produce and other healthful items. This statement is what make her believe that besides learning how to eat is the access to the healthy food what stops American to eat healthy and no to suffer Health problems such as obesity, starting with the food the kids get at school.
After reading all this point of view I can give mine in order to show you where I'm standing for in this discussion. As a foreign I can say that the main problem why Americans don't eat health is time manage, I believe the knowledge of eating healthy is already spread out, and the options are given to us already. however the healthy options are always more expensive to get them considering that they are not real healthier, they have taken some of the chemicals but not all of them because for a country that doesn't produce all the food and needs to get from different places because of weather situations, the food needs to go through for some process to be abel to reach the destination. Although, when people can afford it they don't have the time or don't want to have it to eat healthy, to cook their own food because after a long day you just want to relax and eat what is faster and after this unhealthy habits is replaced by exercising routine. what make me wondered what about if the people exercise more this can balance they bad habits, or at the end the wrong eating habits are manifested in each body?? can the exercise release all the toxic chemicals the body is getting from the food?.
This article by Rob Bennett for The New York Times begins with a short but open statement that provides an interesting question about lacking of knowledge of healthy eating or the enough information about food, but the context where Americans live doesn't allow them to eat healthy such as living in a “food desert” or being too busy for “slow food”.
The first opinion is given by Jane Black, a food writer based in Brooklyn, writes the "Smarter Food" column for The Washington Post and is at work on a book about the efforts of Huntington, W.Va., to build a healthier food culture (due out in 2013 from Simon & Schuster). Jane strongly believes in changing habits is more important than changing diets because even if many Americans know how to eat and they have access to the food, also afford it, they don't want to take the time to go food shopping, plan their meals and have a nice healthy meal, when they get home after a long day and they can drive-through or have a pizza delivered or put some food into the microwave. After her studies she found that
many Americans do have access to, and can afford, better food. They just choose not to eat it because the today's reality is that most Americans seek out fast and processed food, not for the price, but for the conveniences , time and the taste that is given for the chemicals.
The second opinion is given by Raj Patel, a fellow at the Institute for Food and Development Policy, is the author of "The Value of Nothing" and "Stuffed and Starved." who strongly believe that we need better choices of food instead. Raj thinks that no matter what many food sources we can have or get access to because at the end we will be scratching our heads thinking what to make. however he emphasizes in unhealthy ingredient can't be removed in processed food, and lack of time to prepare healthy options is the reality nowadays, so doesn't matter how much education Americans cans get because it won't help.
The next person who joined the discussion is Will Allen, who is the chief executive of Growing Power, a nonprofit that helps to provide equal access to healthy food. Allen believes on do it yourself system is a way to approach to food. One of his beliefs is that people know what kind of food is good for them, but they don't have access to or can't afford the healthier options, that is one of the reason American eat poorly. he mentioned that people who live in food desert communities have limited or no access to fresh, affordable and healthy food and the U.S.D.A created a Web site to reveal American food desert communities to help them. However if people can grow safe, healthy, affordable food this is will transform the whole idea of healthy eating and reaches the levels of healthy communities without a healthy food system.
continue with the discussion Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, is the author of "Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics." She blogs at FoodPolitics.com. mentions that Americans needs better information about nutrition because she says that this is one pf the cause US suffers obesity problems. Nowadays society is filled of information about nutrition but from the sources with a vested interest such a specific food , supplements or diet plans, not giving them a real understanding of nutrition. nutrition follows some principles that seems hard to follow because of how they affect the food industry that make junk food affordable to everybody and everywhere decreasing the value of nutrients.
The final opinion is given by Yael Lehmann is the executive director of the Food Trust. Yale emphasizes in the necessity of learning how to eat healthy as an issue, even though this is not the only cause why Americans are not having a healthy habits. No everybody has access and can afford healthy food, thats why they don't eat it. she also assures that Studies have shown that people who lack access to healthy foods have a higher rate of obesity and other diet-related diseases than those who have convenient access to healthy foods. Studies also present strong evidence that people with greater access to healthy food consume more fresh produce and other healthful items. This statement is what make her believe that besides learning how to eat is the access to the healthy food what stops American to eat healthy and no to suffer Health problems such as obesity, starting with the food the kids get at school.
After reading all this point of view I can give mine in order to show you where I'm standing for in this discussion. As a foreign I can say that the main problem why Americans don't eat health is time manage, I believe the knowledge of eating healthy is already spread out, and the options are given to us already. however the healthy options are always more expensive to get them considering that they are not real healthier, they have taken some of the chemicals but not all of them because for a country that doesn't produce all the food and needs to get from different places because of weather situations, the food needs to go through for some process to be abel to reach the destination. Although, when people can afford it they don't have the time or don't want to have it to eat healthy, to cook their own food because after a long day you just want to relax and eat what is faster and after this unhealthy habits is replaced by exercising routine. what make me wondered what about if the people exercise more this can balance they bad habits, or at the end the wrong eating habits are manifested in each body?? can the exercise release all the toxic chemicals the body is getting from the food?.