Post 9

             In recent years the United States has been dealing with staggering and alarming rates of obesity, heart disease, and other health problems amongst the population in association to the people’s eating habits. Both Pollan’s “Unhappy Meals” and Dupuis’s “Angels and Vegetables” delve into the politics history of the people of the United States. In particular, on the main questions that both papers try to address is  “what is it about the United States as a nation that commits itself to present excess while placing great hope in future moderation (Dupuis ,1)?” Both authors focus and how events in our past have influenced our eating habits in the present, as well as the consequences of the way we eat.

            The main focus that Dupuis chooses to delve into is the gastropolitics of the United States and how reform and diet are related to one another. In particular, Dupuis focuses on our eating habits being affected by two main things, a messenger, and a mediator (Dupuis, 2).  Dupuis goes on to explain that much of the reforms to our eating habits have stemmed from religion and science  (messengers), but the ones to directly influence others using such messengers are preachers or scientist (the mediators).  Dupuis also goes on that the questions “what to eat?” is not what we should be focusing as a people, but instead focus on the stigma that this questions poses in the first place.

            On the other hand, Pollan’s “Unhappy Meals” is also about our eating habits, but with a higher focus on nutritionism. His article examines the notion of “food” becoming “nutrient” and how there are some serious weaknesses with nutrient ideology. He examines how it is our focus in nutritionism that has led to some of the problems we are facing today.