Increasing the access that people have to locally grown, organic food could be a huge movement. After all, when you read about the health benefits it has, the job opportunities it could create, and the energy it saves, the whole idea seems like a no brainer! If this is the case, however, then what is it that is keeping us back from investing in such a system? Perhaps it is just the fact that we –as Americans- are used to foods that taste good rather than foods that actually are good. Perhaps it is that we are unaware of the different ways that the foods we buy from grocery stores are processed and preserved. Perhaps there are in fact too many food deserts. Whatever the case may be, I do think that it is important to ensure that a variety of healthy foods are made both accessible and affordable because without these two components, the opportunity to live a healthy life is not something that everyone can pursue. In other words, the goal of eating both locally and healthily is one that must be reached through multiple avenues not only because people have different reasons as to why such a movement should occur, but also because individuals have different levels of ability to partake in such a movement.

You are what you eat

During my first week as a summer associate, I was asked to go out and check the sprinkler for our campus garden because it had been malfunctioning the week before. When I turned it on it worked perfectly, but we decided that the next day we would let it run for an hour and check to see if it worked after a more extensive amount of time. The next morning we did just that and sure enough, the sprinkler ceased oscillating after a while. Before rapidly declaring it broken, I decided to try fixing the sprinkler by changing the setting. During my attempt to do so, I pushed a button that caused the sprinkler to quickly spiral out of its current position and into the air right where I was standing. I was soaked, and embarrassed.

Presentation is everything.

The way we look is very important culturally. It gives the rest of the world a glimpse of who we are, and makes a statement without using any words. This explains why I was so embarrassed the day that I was soaked by the untamed sprinkler, as I felt that my returning to a professional office soaked in water would look a little out of place.

That day, my appearance was something that I was acutely aware of because I felt as if people were drawing conclusions about me based on the result of my sprinkler malfunction. Why did I feel this way? Well, I was comparing myself to what is seen as the norm- working in a professional office in dry clothes. Though this particular experience with image was standard and a bit humorous, many experiences regarding image aren’t as harmless. In fact, body image is one thing that can cause some individuals to draw hurtful conclusions about others that affect the way groups are viewed and treated on a daily basis.

This is something discussed in the article that we read in terms of poverty and obesity. The article touched on the idea that lower-income individuals eat unhealthy foods that end up expanding their waistlines and extending their budgets. There are many problems with this phenomenon, one of which is the creation of stereotypes that the poor are unhealthy and uneducated when they are actually underpaid and misunderstood.

The truth is that it costs to be healthy; trips to the grocery store, more nutritious options, doctors’ appointments. They are all resources that can be accessed using capital.

When you take a moment to consider this, it makes you wonder what it was that made nutrition something that is reserved for the privileged. It is something that just doesn’t seem fair..especially when those privileged are the same ones who complain when marginalized individuals are the ones in need of support and health care.

Just like Pollan says in the article, the system has become so skewed to a point where “wealthy farmers feed the poor crap and poor farmers feed the wealthy high-quality food.” It simply does not make sense.

If we were to see a shift in the way Americans thought about food, however, a shift in the way the food market is utilized would occur as well. In such a case, what is sold in grocery stores and the availability of food overall would be much more acceptable. America would grow healthier as a nation, and a strong standard would be enforced because healthy options would be available for all classes. It would change so many ways that our system runs today, and it would change them for the better by promoting genuine healthy lifestyle for everyone; not just individuals who are well-off. After all, we don’t have to be choosy about the kinds of people eating food, but do have to become more aware of what the kinds of food we eat are, so that it can affect the lifestyle of our nation accordingly.  

Divided We Eat

"Divided We Eat" brought up many debatable and interesting topics, from the government regulating what food stamps can purchase to the way we view food. Problems related to food distribution are disturbingly prevalent, and it seems necessary that the public and government acknowledges a good point made in the article: "A healthy community produces healthy people." The fact that the amount of Americans on food stamps has increased by 58.5% is disturbing, but I find it even more bothersome that those on food stamps are more likely to be obese and suffer from food-related health issues.
Reading these blogs and articles each week is definitely changing the way I look at food; I pay attention to what foods are corn-based, and now I am trying to view foods like the French- as a "shared resource."

Food and the Classes

After reading some of these previous posts, it seems to me that an obvious answer would be for the goverment to re-route farm subsidies and the money they would use to regulate what people on foodstamps can buy, and use those funds to invest in small, organic farms, who proceeds would go directly to food banks and pantries around the country. If the farms were located all over the country, all different types of produce could be available year-round. This would create and sustain agricultural jobs in our country, and allow low income families access to healthier produce.

However, answers like this are never as simple as they seem. Think of the million little details I fail to mention. What about the cost of shipping the produce around the country? How could small farm provide enough food for food banks all over the nation? Who will teach the newly-employed farmers how to grow and harvest the crops? How do we ensure that the produce stays fresh before it reaches consumers? Even if futile funding was re-directed, would it prove enough to start these farms?


On a completely unrelated note, I found it really interesting that this article mentions that only 6 percent of households in this country qualify as "very low food security," or "hungry," according to the USDA. Since I serve at a Summer Food Service Program, it makes me wonder just how "hungry" the kids I'm feeding are - what are the odds that I'm actually reaching that 6%? Is "hunger" the issue we really need to be focusing on in this nation? Or is malnutrition the real monster?

Sydney

yikes!

Our food system has become so over-processed and pumped full of synthetic chemicals that we actually have to promote eating real foods instead of an onject we chew, digest, and absorb that resembles nothing found in nature. The controversy lies in government subsidized farming and food manufacturers. But as many are realizing the severe harm our current mass-producted foods are having on our health, the public's attitudes is changing and corporations are beginning to respond in big ways.


Yet as consumers, substandard food is everywhere. Cafeterias and restaurants are at the merrcy of a lowest-bidder system. The priority is not serving the freshest, most nutritions, healthiest food. It's what will sell.


Quality product is not only impossible to find but impossible for anyone with an income near poverty level to afford. We are feeding ourselves and our familes' meals shockingly high in fat, sodium, protein, and sugar. Then they expect our generatipn to go out into the world, make healthy choices, exercise, and thereby solve America's issue... Let's get busy generation Y! we have a lot of work to do....

food desert, what food says about class in america

Food Deserts
I think mapping can provide useful information when looking at food systems and food access, but it doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. I took issue with the shockingly simplistic explanation of the very complex issue of what people eat and why. "The unpalatable truth seems to be that some Americans simply do not care to eat a balanced diet, while others, increasingly, cannot afford to." I feel like the article completely avoids the impact that education and empowerment can have on creating behavioral changes. Someone trying to help diabetic people get healthy wouldn't just put a box of insulin injections on a street corner in a neighborhood that has little access to health care and expect huge changes. Simply looking at available resources is not enough. People need to have buy in and motivation to make a change, they also need to have education and support.

What food says about class in America
I found the part of the article about regulating what food stamp recipients buy, very interesting. There is a lot of controversy about this, but if we take a step back, the government has a huge influence over what all of us eat. Corn subsidies make junk food cheap and have a huge impact the diets of Americans, as do laws regulating pesticides, trade policies, food safety standards, and rules about labeling genetically modified food. On the other hand, a government sponsored junk food tax could completely reshape the diets of Americans for the better. It is naive to think that the government isn't influencing food choices already. It is essentially a "nanny state" situation, unfortunately, one that is not in the best interest of every one's health and wellness.

All Around the Grocery Store, the Hungry Chase the Food Stamps. The Rich Folk Thought 'Twas All in Good Sport. POP! Goes the Economy.

After reading the article "What Food Says About Class in America," by Lisa Miller, I'm torn about what to write about. I feel as if over the course of six pages, I came up with six or more different directions to go with this essay, each of which could expand into a comprehensive paper on its own, yet, as each stands, are simply thoughts and conjectures about the current food crisis. So if this post seems like a veritable cacophony of incomplete thoughts and underdeveloped points, I apologize in advance; it's simply a reflection of the article itself, where there is both too much and not enough to write about.

From the opening, I realized everything in this article has to be taken with a grain of salt (if you can afford it). Written from the stand point of what appeared to be a pampered, upper middle class woman living in Suburbia, USA, I felt that the article did a less-than-decent job of framing the plight of most Americans. Sure, there were some researched facts, but most required nominal searching. The others were simply compiled quotes from various authorities which typically made me discredit the research even further. When Miller utilized such heavily-biased terms such as "locavore hero" and a "movement that became a worldwide phenomenon," the preconceived notion of the snobbish, marginally-informed suburban wife, jumping on whatever passing fad her friend recently got into because it was recommended by Oprah was underscored, highlighted, and emboldened in my mind.

Hell, half the article is just anecdotes and accounts of the author talking with her close friends about making breakfast. Now, I'm sorry, but I really couldn't care less about what Jane Doe in White Bread, USA puts on her toast in the morning, and I highly doubt the 50.2 million food insecure Americans do either. Give me substance; give me a starting point; give me something I can look at and say, "Wow, that explains a lot. I can definitely use this at some point in my life." Telling me what time a typical person in France eats lunch is not one of those things.

Now, before this turns into a complete smearing of this article, I'll attempt to shift gears a bit. One thing I found noteworthy was the description of the relationship between obesity rates and the income disparities of developed countries. This really struck a chord with me. I mean, it's basically common knowledge that money makes the world go 'round, and this little tidbit of pertinent information exemplifies this statement. When we're stuck in a Capitalist Carousel where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, it's a small wonder that our health as a national community is going to be very negatively affected. It's not a new result by any means (happened in the Great Depression as well), but it's still something that needs to be addressed, now, in one of the greatest economic slumps in our history, more than ever.

I think that's the most positive piece of information garnered from this article. It falls on our generation to bridge this gap. I don't know how much we can do in our current political and economical situation (close-mindedness will be the death of us), but in our lifetimes, we need to change this. Whether it's employing measures in order to raise the less well-off to a better financial situation or, if necessary, knocking the wealthy down a few fiscal pegs, there has to be some sort of shock to get this country's heartbeat going again. Like I've said before, we've become complacent. We're that ball at the bottom of the hill that's starting to slow down, yet the powers that be are too content with the fact that we're still rolling to realize that we need to change direction, to exert such a force to get our ball back to the summit of the hill. It'll be slow. It'll be hard. But if we don't all push together, we'll never see ourselves on top again.