The Review of Michael Pollan's Book in Defense of Food

Michael Pollan sets out to explore the relationship between the Western diet and nutritionism; therefore, he argues that nutritionism, the belief that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its components, nutrients, and vitamins that have harmed American’s eating habits. Due to a fall range of nutrients, scientists still have yet to identify influence people’s eating habits. Americans are focusing more on nutrition and this is leading them to become less healthy. As deceptive marketing practices and faulty nutrition science have encouraged us to replace real food with scientifically engineered “edible food-like substances.”

The author uses rhetorical devices to get his point across about nutritionism and the effects it has in the Western world. Throughout the book, Pollan evaluates data and discusses human physiology to reason why the Western diet should be avoided. He suggests that the Western diet is responsible for the fact that people who eat lots of refined carbohydrates, processed foods, meat are highly prone to diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease. Pollan addresses the psychological aspects of food, indirectly causing the reader to feel guilt and to change their eating habits. He argues that, rather than focusing on eating specific nutrients, people should focus on eating real food that their ancestors associated with, food as it exists in nature before it’s been processed. The book is presented in an effective eye-opening argument of the difficulties of modern food that plays a role in our lives and provides suggestions for a more healthy diet such as in terms of our meal costs over the long term, our money right now, and the effects on the environment.

Nutrition, what does nutrition truly mean? Fung, Steingarten, and Pollan are all bracing an eloquent manifesto show us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, bring pleasure back to eating, and enrich our lives. Fung conveys his message on how to choose a healthy diet, by portraying his book as more practical in the sense of word choice and analyzing reality. Pollan does the same as Fung but talks about the deceptions society has of nutrition. Steingarten incorporates love in his book and how people view food to be the love of their lives metaphorically. Steingarten states, 'fairly sure that God meant the color blue mainly for food that has gone bad.'

All in all, I liked this book because it reminded me of what I learned in Fitness and Health as a high school student. I learned that everything has nuance and that we need to be mindful of what we eat. However, everything is being marketed and advertised and looked at a scientific perspective. Pollan illustrates in his book on how to follow your body and eat until you are satisfied. The ability to recognize yourself and understand the difference between boredom, anxiety, and hunger is to identify what your body requires. Therefore, the more educated you are the most likely you are to be one of the healthiest and wealthiest eaters in the Western society.