AWOF - Response to Pollan

"Whatever native wisdom we once have possesed about eating has been replaced by confusion and anxiety. Somehow this most elemental of activities-figuring out what to eat-has come to require a remarkable amount of expert help." (Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan)

According to Pollan's, 'Omnivore's Dilemma', "we as a culture lack a stable food culture like the Italians or French, are obsessed with health, are confused and anxious about food, and therefore easily succumb to various expert-directed food fads." This does not really apply to my family. My family is one of the many people who are concerned about their health,however the idea of 'eating healthy' is not as affective to us than it is to many people. On a daily bases, most adults watch what they eat by counting carbs, calories, sodium--pretty much what ever is on the nutrition facts of every product. My family rarely looks at the nutrition facts. Although it may be very convenient for us to read what is exactly in our food, [i think i speak for everybody in my family that] we feel that it is important to eat the three meals a day--and to make sure you finish what is on you plate-- just as long as they are small portions. I am not saying that we eat shit out of our asses and eat what ever we see, we do actually 'watch what we eat', although we are not as cautious as 'most Americans'--as my dad would say. My parents [in this case] do not read health books that regard 'how a healthy person should live' or follow what scientists, journalists, chefs, commercials or nutritionists propose in how to live a 'healthy life'. Although all sources may be provided [for my dad specifically due to his past heart attacks], my parents are honestly ignorant to pay attention to those and would rather follow their own diet-- which I do not think is necessarily a 'bad' thing to do.

Ever since my dad had his 4th heart attack, he has been very cautious about what he eats. Now-a-days, he has been cutting out of his strict diet and has been eating foods that he actually enjoys eat--Filipino food. Because Filipino includes a large amount of meat and vegetables, he has learned to eat smaller servings/portions. With that he was able to lose 30-40 lbs in just 2-3 weeks after his heart attack.

With all honesty, I think it is pathetic how so many people can watch what they eat. It may be 'healthy' in some cases to eat a less amount of calories/carbs etc etc, but Pollan is right, "Whatever native wisdom we once have possesed about eating has been replaced by confusion and anxiety" (Pollan 1). People are overly concerned about what is in their food rather than just enjoying the food that is in front of them--& to those who just eat to energize are also too ignorant to realize that they have 'the power' to stop the bad habit. It is also unfortunate how many Americans become bulimic or anorexic, [& i may be one minded for expressing this] when the main issue should not be about not eating anything at all. In my opinion, people should eat what ever they please to eat--just stay away from the fast food restaurants-- and to stay active, and eat smaller portions! "Super-sized portions are an important reason why 66.3 percent of Americans are overweight. Large portions contribute directly to the number of calories we consume."