Michael Pollan came to the Kohl Center this past Friday, September 25, to discuss his book, In Defense of Food. He came as a part of the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s “Go Big Read” program. Many people, both in support and in opposition of Michael Pollan, attended the event. The event format was a lecture in which Pollan discussed several of the key aspects of his book.
Overall, Michael Pollan did a great job in conveying his ideas to the public. Pollan knew his audience and appealed directly to everyone in attendance. His speech was even molded as to apply to both those who were familiar with his book and those who weren’t. One of the neat points in Pollan’s speech was how he made it difficult to disagree with him. For example, to start out his speech, he stated that he would gladly wear an “In Defense of Farmers” shirt to silence some of his opposition. Subtle tactics like this made the event even more interesting.
One of the more notable and interesting points in Pollan’s speech was his discussion on healthcare. Michael Pollan makes numerous references, in his book, to the western diet and how seemingly unhealthy it must be. He described the western diet and then went on to describe the diet of the Inuit among other civilizations. Along the way he pointed out how Americans supposedly eat healthier, yet they are the ones suffering from cardiac diseases linked to diet. This says something about the microanalysis of nutrients in the western diet. Pollan also discussed how America spends 2 trillion dollars on healthcare; three quarters of which is spent on preventable chronic diseases, mostly pertaining to diet. This raises a red flag about the western diet. Not only is the western diet ruining the lifestyles of many, it is also affecting our national healthcare system. Maybe it’s time to change our eating habits.
Another interesting point that Pollan brings to the forefront is the hidden motives of nutritionism and advertisement. In this example he creates a parody of the fruit loop. He talks about how scientists can alter the fruit loop to contain any nutrient that will make the product sell better. For example the “smart check” system on these products was created to increase the appeal of their product to make more money. Don’t let the “smart check” system fool you though; fruit loops are still 44% sugar by weight. Then he contrasts a whole food like the avocado to fruit loops. He states that an avocado can’t be altered to contain any ingredient, which allows the consumer to know exactly what they are consuming. Through these examples, Pollan makes a strong case against processed and other manufactured foods, simply because anything can be added to these foods.
Throughout Pollan’s entire speech, he was interesting, comical, and informative. He was able to deliver a persuasive speech that was based not only on opinion, but also on expertise (several references came from Harvard studies). He did a great job promoting the book, while increasing the general public knowledge. The evening can definitely be considered a success for the “Go Big Read” program.
No comments:
Post a Comment