Hwk 10

Precis:
Food Inc stars Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. This documentary attempts to aware viewers about American food consumption and how as consumers are digging a deeper hole by creating a number of conflicts; many having to do with our environment and economy. The government and subsidies are to blame for this food industry catastrophe; because of this reason, the United States is basically being ruled by industrial corporations. Over the past fifty years or so, the food eaten by many Americans has been touched with chemicals, pesticides or been through a process of genetic modification. Both, Pollan and Schlosser reveal the truth about the food we eat, and this truth is not pretty at all. This documentary goes behind the scenes of slaughter houses and farms showing viewers what really goes on behind closed space. The government and the companies are the ones in charge of the safety and the health of the food, workers, consumers and animals. Animal cruelty is also brought up in the film; footage shows animals forced to feed on antibiotics and corn. In order to make a stop to this, Americans need to consume food which benefits themselves and the environment. We need to lift the veil and aware others about what we consume while getting the government to change their ideas about food production.

Movie vs. Book:
There were many similarities and differences between The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Inc. While reading the book, the reader has to create his/her own images in their mind; they make their own interpretations. It gives an in depth explanation of the author's daily experiences regarding different topics about food; he is able to inform the reader about experiments done in the past while quoting individuals and gathering more evidence and using statistics. I would personally prefer the book over the movie; although the movie offers footage of many topics, the book is able to give more factual truth, while the movie tends to be a bit more biased. The book offers personal thoughts about the author and how he spends his time in a certain environment; the writing is much more detailed since it makes the reader almost picture the setting, as if they were with Pollan on his investigation. The book is like Pollan’s personal diary while he is in a quest to figure out where the food Americans consume comes from. The movie however ties the findings and thoughts of Pollan and Schlosser. The book only offers words, while the movie offers both words and visuals. While reading the book, the reader has to spend time understanding the criteria being discussed, by creating visuals in their mind and making connections to themselves. The movie provides visuals which can make the viewer realize how real the situations discussed in the book are. Sometimes while reading, the text doesn't impact the reader as much as the text would. In the end, the movie and the book both discuss the locked up truth about companies in charge of the food consumed by Americans; comparing the past and the present regarding food, and the effects of food on the human being. The book and the movie both make the main point about how the food "industry does not want you to know the truth about what you are eating, because if you know then you will probably not eat it."

Thoughts:
At this point, I don’t have any questions left unanswered. There were a few times where the documentary discussed statistics about certain topics regarding the consumers and America’s food industry. There was a part in which the health of Americans was discussed in concern. One of these health concerns had to do with diabetes. One in three Americans born after the year 2000 will be a diabetic. This is a very scary fact; this proves how unhealthy we are as a country. There was a scene where the topic of diabetes was being discussed in a health class at a school; the students were asked how many of them had known someone who was a diabetic. Almost all of the students raised their hands. Even though before viewing this documentary I was aware about the problem with diabetics in America, viewing this part of the film shocked me. It made me realize that as a country we are in deep trouble, and if we don’t try to come up with a solution in time, there will be no way to turn back. The average American consumer eats their food without any knowledge what so ever about what is being consumed. I am sure that many viewers who take part of an unhealthy diet will realize their wrong doings towards themselves and the environment. Hopefully many Americans become aware of this bitter truth and make a change in their food ways.