Food Inc.

Watching the documentary Food, Inc enlightened me on the actual origins of the foods I eat. Although I had watched this documentary once before, the information shown was still shocking. Unfortunately, after watching the documentary, I still continued eating the same way I did pre-exposed. The documentary is impactful, but only in the moment of which you are viewing it. In that moment, watching the poor, battered and abused animals, it can make most viewers adamantly decide to go vegetarian. However, life carries on as usual and that moment becomes a mere memory. Unless the individual personally experiences the evils of fast food corporations, it is not so easy to relate. Even though I know that my food is predisposed to being from a factory farm, and the meat I eat is probably injected with steroids and other mystery chemicals, I still eat it anyway. But then again, I usually don’t think about these things when I eat. If I did, I don’t think I can get pass my feelings of nausea, as that is how parts of the documentary made me feel. [Incidentally, I was eating an apple while watching the documentary and as the documentary progressed, I suddenly lost my appetite even though there was nothing wrong with my apple.] Not only is it hard to relate, there are not that many alternatives. The documentary even shows that non-meat products such as corn and beans have also been industrialized. Can you trust any food you eat?

            The food issue that stood out the most to me was the fact that they were feeding cows corn. It is obvious cows are not meant to eat corn, as their stomach are not made to digest corn, but rather, grass. On top of being fed an unhealthy diet, the cows are standing around for the most of the day in their own manure. This can lead to bacteria entering the body and infecting the cow with E.Coli. This disease will then transfer to the food we eat. This is precisely what happened to two year old Kevin. He had eaten a hamburger and died from E. Coli. E. Coli is a fatal disease and unless corporations take care of their animals, they will be the cause of many future deaths.

            Overall, I enjoyed the film and I am very grateful to have been exposed to it. Not many people truly understand that their food does not actually come from a small farmer Joe type of environment, but that it is in fact from large industrialized farming systems. However, I am not content about one aspect of the film, which in truth, is not really the film’s fault. I disliked that big corporations refused to speak up and be interviewed for the film. Then again, I understand they may not want to talk to the people who are bashing them. Yet, by refusing to give any comments, they are only making themselves seem worse. They are not just animal abusers or people deceivers, they are also cowards.

            The agricultural corporation, Monsanto, even put up a response to Food Inc. on their website [http://www.monsanto.com/food-inc/Pages/default.aspx], yet they could not have simply done an interview for the film?

            “Eat well. Indulge moderately. Exercise.” It is important that people remember food is not their enemy; food is an essential part of life. To live is to eat. Of course, it is never good to overeat, but it is also dangerous to under-eat. That is why it is vital to eat just enough that the individual is full, but not overstuffed. Also, being selective about what you put into your body is imperative. It is best to have a varied diet, full of proteins, greens, and fruits. Indulging in sweets and salts every now and then brings thrill to life. How boring would it be if you ate bland food every day? As corny and cliché as it may sound, you really do live just once, so why waste this time by restricting yourself to unsavory food? Of course, just as I stated before, these indulgences must be taken in moderation. Stuffing your face with Twinkies is never good for you, or the Twinkie. But having one Twinkie once in a while is not bad. I personally have a sweet tooth and by allowing myself to indulge in this decadent, I feel more motivated the rest of the time to eat well. Finally, exercise is key. No matter how little you eat or how thin you appear, at the end of the day, if you don’t exercise, you are not physically healthy. Exercise helps prevent several health problems, and can improve muscle strength and endurance. Additionally, exercise can help you control your weight. There are many various ways people can exercise; they can play sports, workout at the gym, or just go grocery shopping and complete household chores. Remember, food is your friend.