Good afternoon classmates!
1. I think food can definitely be an addiction. Nowadays, food is far from natural, and with all the added preservatives and ingredients, our bodies react to these foods almost instantly, so we want more and more of it. As mentioned in the video, fats, sugar and variety is what our body naturally craves, so if we have all these things in our foods, we will be physically programed to “need” these foods. However, I also think part of the food addiction problem is not only biological but psychological as well.
2.Genetically modified foods are easier to sell because they taste better, they last longer, and are more affordable. However, the effects of it on our society has been damaging. Increases in disease, health costs, and deaths related to obesity, diabetes and heart disease all prove that genetically modified food has been more harmful than good over the years.
3. Socio-economical status has a great deal to do with health. In the affluent neighborhoods you will always see a variety of supermarkets and healthfood stores that provide good nutritious foods. It is also assumed that residents from these neighborhoods have more education on health and are more aware about making better choices about healthy living. In lower class neighborhoods, the availability of healthfood stores and supermarkets can be limited. It is more affordable to buy foods that are cheap, which also happen to be the less healthier choices. And usually these neighborhoods are saturated with fast food chain restaurants that are not healthy, yet affordable and easy to get at anytime.
4. Stress and emotional issues are all psychological factors that affect how we eat. It is known that many depressed people are emotional eaters and tend to eat things that will make them feel “happier” such as junk food.
5. The most serious health risk outside of the US is over-nutrition and obesity.
6. Main problem with too many ingredients is that it becomes harmful to our bodies. As stated in the video, the environment keeps changing at a rapid pace that does not match evolution. So our bodies are not equipped biologically to respond well to all these preservatives in food. Food is no longer natural.
7. We like ice cream over cauliflower because although cauliflower has more nutrients, ice cream has the fats, sugar and extra ingredients that give us an instant gratification. Naturally, our bodies protect us against starvation, so we will always want the (unhealthy) foods that give our bodies immediate energy.
