Our National Eating Disorder

The New York Times > Magazine > Our National Eating Disorder
MICHAEL POLLAN
"Carbophobia, the most recent in the centurylong series of food fads to wash over the American table, seems to have finally crested, though not before sweeping away entire bakeries and pasta companies in its path, panicking potato breeders into redesigning the spud, crumbling whole doughnut empires and, at least to my way of thinking, ruining an untold number of meals. America's food industry, more than happy to get behind any new diet as long as it doesn't actually involve eating less food, is still gung-ho on Low Carb, it's true, but in the last few weeks, I can report some modest success securing a crust of bread, and even the occasional noodle, at tables from which such staples were banned only a few months ago. "

Everybody knows that Atkin's dieters are eaters in search of an addiction that will make them "healthier."

Food, I beleive, is a concentration of culture, energy, resources and social meanings. It's importance, beyond simple nutrition, is, at most, only alluded to: "comfort food," "home-cooked," etc. America's food choices are based neither on cultural or gustatory richness, but on concentrations of energy--in the form of money. We choose what media and advertisers tell us to, starting at a very early age.

The system is screwy, biased and therefore we are screwed.

Andy