Nutritionism: Beneficial or Detrimental?

Nutritionism, disputed by Michael Pollan, is defined as an ideology that proclaims that the key to understanding food is first understanding the nutrient. In the more current industrial times, this idea of nutritionism has been researched endlessly and has taken a more scientific approach to food. This reasoning makes sense in that if food can be altered to contain the more healthy nutrients, the food will be healthier itself. However, as Michael Pollan discusses in In Defense of Food, this ideology of nutritionism may not be the answer.


In the first section of his book, Pollan summarizes the history of vitamins and nutrients. He also discusses how nutrients became a large part of attempting to solve certain complications of the western diet, like obesity, diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases. In hindsight, he states that the best way to analyze one's diet may not be to view foods simply as "the sum of their nutrient parts." Nutritionist Joan Dye-Gussow agrees with Pollan in making the argument that if foods are only thought of by the nutrients they contain, then organic whole foods are no healthier than the processed foods that contain the exact same nutrient levels. This is the first paradox introduced in In Defense of Food.



A second argument deals with the French paradox. The paradox is that if the French enjoy food so much and eat food that is considered to be unhealthy, how come they have much lower rates of heart disease than Americans. Part of the problem is considered to be that Americans spend too much time worrying about the food they eat. This is widely becoming considered "Orthorexia," which states there is an inverse relationship between the amount of time spent worrying about food and one's overall health. This idea that Pollan introduced in his book has yet to be proven, but is becoming seemingly more recognizable. Dr. Barbara Berkeley has made agreeing contributions in recognizing "orthorexia" as an eating disorder, in a recent article.



Both of Pollan's arguments in the book are solid points, which are very relevant to the western diet. Already in the book, he has found several problems with the western diet and has already provided several solutions providing the readers with much more to look forward to.