The Artificial World

Have you ever noticed that you eat whatever you want no matter how bad it is for your body? All that really seems to matter is taste. But what if people knew just how bad the food is that they are putting into their bodies; would anything change?

As you walk down the aisle in a grocery store, most of the food has been chemically altered in some way throughout its creation. Whether it’s the apples, nicely coated with a greasy, slippery film of pesticides, or the yummy cookies that you know and love, which just so happen to have artificial flavors and have been made with genetically altered corn. So, are all of these chemicals that now make up out food actually safe for consumption, or are we damaging our bodies, little by little?

Eric Schlosser, the well known author of Fast Food Nation, mentions in his book that people do not think much about what foods they are putting into their bodies, as long as it tastes good. He also points out that by eating foods only for taste, without ever considering healthiness, we are setting ourselves up for problems. He claims that by making poor food decisions, there will be large ramifications later. So what are these ramifications?

If you were to eat whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, you would most likely die from medical complications created by your diet. Our bodies require certain vitamins and nutrients in order to grow and thrive. Without the proper diet, one’s body will become weak and not be able to perform the tasks which we ask of it. I personally believe that fruits and vegetables are some of the yummiest foods we can eat. Fruits and vegetables are two of the most important parts of a meal. Our bodies need the vitamins that can be naturally obtained by eating these very healthy items. So why don’t people crave them more? Our society is hooked on fast food and sugar. We need to begin appreciating the natural foods that our world has supplied for us, and depend less on the artificially made foods that overcrowd the shelves in the grocery store.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.