Geez what has the world come too.

It's quite perplexing to see how far the corporate food industries have gone to endorse the consumption of their products. So much so that, they have no concern about how their food is detrimental to a consumers very health. Processed/ fast industries have been at fault for putting / using addictive ingredients and meat fillers that cause a consumer to come back for more. The processed food industry also targets low income individuals my catering their prices and deals to lure them to but their products, and the saddest thing about it is these individuals call for it because they can't afford healthier, fresher products. Individuals have accustomed to the ways of the ways of the foodindustry and have forgotten what it really means to have a meal. The days of cooking a meal at home and growing one's own produce are long gone in the eyes of a member of modern society. The are blindly eating whatever the food industry has processed for them . This is the main reason why American health is the worst world wide.
The food industry has come so far tho change the very meaning of eating a meal. Eating a meal use to be about the experience; one it's become some sort of daily routine in a way; this is thier way of manipulating the minds of us, consumers, into eating/ buying what they want us to buy.
I shall end my blog post with the very word of the late great Nuno Bettencourt...
" Those corporate bastards, their only in it for the dollars and cents."

No Surprises Here...

To be frank, my mindset about our country hasn't changed or been shifted much. As bad as this may sound, my opinion of this country wasn't all that great to begin with. Especially after this last presidential election and the amount of hatred and violence going on across the country. For a while now I've been thinking very little of this so-called "great" and "equal" nation of ours. It comes as no surprise to me whatsoever that our government cares more about making money than providing health food to it’s people. It comes as no surprise to me whatsoever that the government lies to us about what is in our food, how it’s grown, and where it’s grown. None of that surprises me, it just sickens me. It’s sickening to think that our government, the people we trust to protect us and represent us, don’t even care about us or care about what is best for us. Just the other day I was talking to my mom about what a mess our government is. I mean it is really messy. It's an embarrassment. And as for my mindset about what I eat? I'd say this experience and research has really made me more of a conscious eater. I think more about the food that's being set in front of me.

Where did it came from?

How were the animals raised?

What type of environment was it grown in?

But then after pondering these questions for a few seconds or a good minute I proceed to eat and don't think about those questions again until the next meal. Who knows maybe four or more years from now I'll be like the girl Ms. Colln told us she went to high school with -- a real pro-animal rights activist or something.

Third Course Blog

My mindset changed completely from the beginning of this unit. I did not know a lot of things that I know now. The affect that pesticides actually have on you is crazy. I did not expect it to be that bad, but this stuff can actually kill you. I am for sure thinking about growing my own garden now, and perhaps have my own chickens. I am definitely going to watch what I eat now. This fake presentation of the food we eat being healthy is sad. Even people that are eating healthy, aren't really eating healthily. They have all these hidden pesticides that people sadly don't know about. I am cautious on what I eat. If I went back 4 years ago and learned this same information, I don't think I would've changed. I watched what i ate before, but now, it's going to be on a whole level. I think everyone should change their eating habits after learning about this unit and I think everyone should do more research than what we did already.

America

I see now just how much our country has neglected our health. With food deserts on the rise and people caring less and less about what goes into their bodies our country has slowly become something different. Some people don't have a choice in the matter whether its because the food their provided or lack of funds they have. Some do though and I think it's up to those to change the way America eats. The high pricing on healthy food is also a problem and needs to be taken up with the government. That's another fight for another day though. I look at my home cooked meals my mom makes now with a different perspective and really value the time, thought and effort she put into it. Knowing full well that she takes time out of her day to make sure we're feed and healthy at the same time. If I had this knowledge about our food that I do today I think I would have been a lot more consciousness about what I put in my body rather than blindly eating away. Not giving into what they say and really looking for the truth behind the food. I wouldn't have contributed to the fast food era as much and taken cooking from home a hard, healthy meal a lot more seriously. What goes into your body matters and that's what should be emphasized to people more often. To help change the food industry I think we should encourage people to stray away from that burger that they so desperately want and steer them towards healthier options. We can teach them from young age to like healthier things that way when they grow up they've grown to like it. It's etched into there brains and that's what they will go for. I would also try to get the government to mark down the pricing on the healthier food items so people are more inclined to buy it. Some people don't buy it because they simply cant afford it.

Throughout my journey of creating this research project my mindset has changed a lot on many different things. For one I now I have realized how unhealthy our country really is, especially compared to other countries. After reading the article on corn and then watching the video on how corn is turned into many different unhealthy sweeteners. It’s in everything, no wonder so many of our people our people are obese. Not only are our plants unhealthy but so is the meat that we eat according to the movie we watched in class. I was disgusted when I saw all of the chickens stuffed with antibiotics and steroids, not even being able to walk. Then there were the cows sitting in there own waste, which was up to there knees. Many people would like to stop this monstrosity going on in our food industry but can’t, because the big owners are too powerful. If I could change the food industry in anyway, I would fight back. I would get all the money I could to sue them and shut down the far from healthy chicken farms. I would turn our food system around and make eating healthy again, ending obesity and all the diseases that come with it. After reading all of the different articles I found myself I’ve realized that healthy eating habits start as a child, so many of us were doomed from the start. Although that does not mean that these eating habits can’t be changed.

This food politics unit definitely gave a lot to think about. Do I think differently about my country? To be honest, I've been aware of how the food industry in this country is, the first time I saw Food Inc, was about 5-6 years ago, and it hasn't affected the type of food I may eat. I may have eaten more processed food since my mom has gotten lazy with our lunches. Still, it makes me appreciate eating a cooked meal much more, and I enjoy it when I am able to eat a wholesome meal made out of ingredients from scratch. I feel that it adds to the taste, too. I'm a bit sick of eating processed junk and want actually good food to eat. If I could change something 4 years in the past, I would decide to start cooking. Cooking is something I've wanted to do or be better at because I like the idea of being able to prepare ingredients and make something good out of it, especially some Japanese dishes. Japan is such a large influence on everything I enjoy and like, and food is no exception. I wish the attitudes towards food here were more like Japan: more fresh and local ingredients, healthier school lunches that looks like food you would eat at home, and heavier emphasis on cooking. Our country would be much healthier, although it may depreciate the things that make Japan so great. Our government could play a role, restricting the use of additives scientifically proven to cause health problems. But I believe more people should be aware of healthier eating, which means eating less processed food and more food with natural ingredients and made by scratch. If we had more time to focus on eating, I'm sure our country would be in a much better state with the attitudes we have on food.

Modified Mindset

This was one of the most interesting units I have ever covered in school because it actually applies to our daily lives and I find it interesting. Before this unit I thought I knew a lot about our food system but I didn't really know anything. After reading numerous articles and watching movies and videos, I have really learned a lot that I never knew. I knew the stuff we eat isn't healthy but I never knew how unhealthy. Also, it was shocking but not surprising to read and hear about how the food companies and government are all about profit and they don't actually care about our health. They really don't even care what they feed us as long as they can make some money. This really opened my eyes and made me think about all the unhealthy food I've eaten throughout my life. It really impacted me in a positive way and motivated me to change my eating habits. It's been like 3 weeks since I've eaten hot cheetos or fast food but honestly I've saved so much money and it makes me happy knowing I'm not putting that stuff into my body as often anymore. Obviously every once in a while is nice but I've greatly been enjoying my mom's delicious home cooked meals. Hopefully everything I learned sticks with me rather than just being temporary.

From this unit, I have learned more about the corruption that controls the food industry and the government alike. I now have a better understanding of the laws placed on industries in general, for example I can see how laws can be placed without actually harming any part of an industry by allowing them to be self-regulated or giving them rules that still don't really restrict any harm they are doing to the people or the environment.
This entire unit has inspired to want to get involved in the government. After reading about so many cases of personal interest getting in the way of lawmakers and leaders, I wish I could have the opportunity to speak for the people and change the perception lawmakers have. Although its the few lawmakers that ruin the relationship with their constituents, I want to make the people have complete faith in the government to always put their needs first.

Third Course

My mindset about this country has changed so much after I researched food waste.  I realized how much food we waste every year and how careless we all are!  If we all cared enough to try to save as much food as possible, we would have enough food for everyone that is starving.  Also, after watching Food Inc., I realized how bad our food is for us..  For many farms and companies the only thing that is important is the profit; in other words, people don't produce good, healthy food because it costs more than cheap, unhealthy food.  I don't even feel comfortable eating a burger anymore because I know how the meat is made.

If I could go back 4 years, with this knowledge of the food industry, I would probably try changing the way I eat.  I would not become vegetarian or anything, but I would for sure limit myself from eating so much meat..  Also, back to food waste, I would stop wasting so much food and I would try to inform my family and friends about how much food is being wasted.  Since then, I have stopped wasting a ton of food, and I make sure my family eats all of theirs.

If I were to help change the food industry, I would suggest restaurants to enforce the customers to finish all of their food.  A way that this could happen would be to charge people extra for leaving food on their plates, or to have signs that constantly remind people about how much food is being wasted.  I would also strongly suggest farmers to feed their animals good, healthy food so that our meat isn't so gross.

I'm Definitely Making Changes In My Own Life

I don’t know if I’d say that my mindset about our country has changed, but I can say this unit made me make changes in my own life. It’s always been a little uncomfortable knowing that I was eating a dead animal, but now, knowing more details about the whole process is more unsettling to me. Now I know that not only did the animal die so that I could have food, but it lived an awful life – caged, in unsanitary conditions, abused to an extent – because it was meant to be food. That alone makes me avoid processed meats, especially fast food meats. I also gained new information about how crops are not only drowned in chemicals but altered to make production cheaper/faster. Thus, I’ve made the decision (with my family, of course) to put a garden in our backyard. It’s always been an inkling lingering in the back of my mind, but learning what I have through this unit solidifies it. The idea of growing my own vegetables and fruits, knowing that there is no chemical involvement or any other use of unnatural substances is reliving. I’ve also noticed that I’ve been asking more questions concerning the food I do buy; I catch myself seeing a product labeled “organic” or “GMO free” and wondering if it’s true or if it’s just a scam. Though I wish consumers didn’t have to worry about these factors, I think it’s smart to be educated about what really goes on in our food industry. Thinking about all those times I ate food that either was doused in chemicals or came from an animal that walked in its own feces, never seeing daylight makes me feel gross, and I feel a little better knowing that at least the food from my garden will be fresh and chemical free.

This Weird Country

My mindset about this country is still and always being the same. Why? I do not like how the country portrays our food to be clean and real. When it is really not clean or real, because most of the food that is being "made" in the US is fake, giving human being’s pesticide growing in their vegetables and fruits for looking a larger size. Who wouldn't like this country after learning about the secrets of the food companies!? Will it ever change the way I eat? Yeah, I will watch out on what this country will bring in front of me and my stomach. The crazy part is, many of the companies that are giving consumers these artificial flavors, gmos, and saturated fats are giving their families this too. It's crazy how everything works in this country that we live in. This whole unit, made me think of raising my own cattle, fish, pig, chicken, and growing my own veggies and fruits (even though I grow them anyway). As Americans, we should eat better because around the world, they stay eating healthier than us. That's crazy! I will eat healthier and still have a burger and fries here and there. Since, we were on this unit, I always thought about eating a salad at a restaurant like the reality tv celebrities do. And wondering  how that will feel, like actually eating a salad and getting nothing else from the menu while other people have ribs and mac and cheese. Man, that'll be hard. 

PoF Blog - Third Course

Throughout this unit, my mindset about this country has not changed at all.  However, my mindset about the food I ate has.  I always knew that there was something unsettling about knowing that the meat that I ate came from the meat from an animal that has been killed.  In addition, the animal presumably didn't die peacefully or painlessly, which kind of sucks.  I am also paranoid about the meat processing.  I do wonder how many chemicals are implemented into the meat that I buy from stores.  My inference says that there may be somewhere between two to five chemicals; however, my hunches say that there may be thousands of chemicals in processed meat.

If I could go back in time four years ago with the knowledge of food I have today, I would probably change my eating habits.  As of now, I don't eat a lot; however, four years ago I did.  When I ate many meals, most of the time the meals were processed meats.  I still eat processed meats today, but not as much as I did four years ago.

Other than eating less processed meats, I wouldn't change anything about my life.

If I wanted to change the food industry or influence them, I would suggest that processed meats such as sausages and ham in a can should be produced less frequently.  Real, natural meat should be the main focus of the meat industry.  Not only do the products go through less processing, but they should taste better, and be more risk-free of any pathogens.

New outlook

Prior to doing this research project, I didn't know much about the food production process or effects it may cause to individuals. Throughout the research project, I found some information that has definitely affected the way I will continue to look at food from now on. Growing up I would eat whatever was given to me unconcerned about where my food came from or how it was made. It's scary now knowing that big food industries are producing at a higher rate without much concern for the overall health of the consumers, and are making a ridiculous amount of revenue. Processed foods especially are so convenient to consumers, yet can lead to many health issues. Unfortunately, some families are limited in that they resort to the inexpensive alternative lacking the nutrition as opposed to what fresh produce would provide and more. Processed maybe not all that bad, but thinking long term can have a negative affect one mentally and/or physically. I've had a lot of processed food in my life and I'm not gonna say that I'm going to completely give it up, but maybe some sort of balance between processed and unprocessed foods would be beneficial to my well-being and being more cautious about what i eat.

Third Blog Post

Honestly, I am not sure what I think much about all of the food we have in our country but I know there is a lot of it and we have a lot of unhealthy food that we eat constantly. Most of the people in this world live off of fast food and it does this country no good. I'm pretty sure I could have made a difference 4 years ago IF I did have the knowledge of the food industry because it isn't so well now. I feel like I could of helped influence the food industry back then due to the fact that I would have been more into food. I probably would have found a way to help produce more healthy foods to others such as homeless, and random people. I wish I knew this earlier and It really would have made some type of difference. It wouldn't be the biggest difference, but at least big enough for our society today. It is a pretty big role to take as a young scholar to change basically our society about food politics because today in our society we have what we call ignorant people and they seem to never listen and go about themselves. I would say that my mindset has changed now that I know and all we need to do is set the tempo and be healthy, pass it along to our children and so on. We can make a change we just need to be about it instead of talking about it. We can do it!

Third course

This unit has been very interesting and very informative when it comes to the politics of food. I did really enjoy learning what I did learn in this unit because learning new things and researching can be fun. The thing with food politics is that I never knew how messed up it is and how the food industry can be so corrupt. My mindset has definitely changed about food and how we eat. It amazes me that we are allowed by the government to produce food that is so unhealthy for us, and can really hurt us in the long run. When I did more digging on the internet, I learned even more in depth how terrible the food we eat is. It is just down right disgusting if I am being honest. I have now been trying to eat less of the bad food, and I have really tried to stop eating fast-food so much. I have not cut it out of my diet completely, but I am almost to that point because of learning the now not so hidden truth.

If I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now, I would have made many better eating decisions in my life. I would still eat bad food once in a while, but I would try to not eat it as much as I am trying to do know, because better late than never right? Some might say that it's a waste of time to try and stop eating bad, processed food, but that is why we are in the spot we are in. Someone has to be the change, and in order to change, we have to slow down on the ultra-processed, unhealthy food we eat. I am not changing my life with food completely, but just making some changes for the better. That is what I have learned from this unit, that eating better and making a change is great, and anyone can do it.

Third post

Thinking about how our country is harmed by so much, no one really mew that food was part of it. I didn't think what we do to get money from our own kind. Now every time I eat I always read what the labels say. Those labels aren't there for no reason. I feel weird knowing that so much of this processed food is all over the country and people not noticing how bad it is. Honestly I would change how I ate if I knew all this information 4 years  ago. Maybe not be vegan or anything like that but for sure more careful with what I bought or ate. Also help spread the word and not try to stop it because that's impossible, but maybe try and minamaize obesity as much as possible. Their are many things I would change in food industry's. For example I would try and get many people to start growing their own vegetation. Maybe more of a healthy and les expensive way. Also I would try and erase food processing  by not letting industries process the food. Maybe just simplifie the use of all those chemicals and gmos that their is in all the food.

My mindset for our country has slightly changed with the new knowledge that, even with our food, the rich and powerful make all of the decisions. It's surprising how our foods are basically regulated in a way that it is promoting profit instead of promoting nutrition. It's a very negative characteristic of our food industry and our government because they are supposed to protect and promote the well-being of the people. Instead there are some corrupt people who would rather make large amounts of profit rather than upholding the moral code that they have established. Aside from making profit from the food a that we eat, there are cheaper and quicker alternatives that are being used in order to quickly put foods on the market. Since it is being put out faster the natural and nutritious aspects that foods should have are being skipped over and not reviewed. Currently, I don't eat that many processed foods because it is not provided to me by my family. However when I am out with friends or other family members it can be seen all around me. Especially during grocery shopping do I see shelves upon shelves full of bagged food or canned food which is in some way processed. Due to all of this my opinion about some politicians wanting to supposedly uphold the well being of the people has declined. Also, this information would be capable of putting fear into many people's minds as long as they actually listen and take many examples into account instead of demonstrating blatant ignorance.

Third Post

I have learned mush from this paper. I researched how the food system turned industrial and how we could change back to a healthier system. I've always known that fast food was bad but what I did not know that regular products at the grocery store are processed so much. Learning the illnesses and the effects of this industrialization of food has been insightful and somewhat inspiring. I have started to be more conscious about the food I eat and am now trying to start cooking with organic unprocessed foods.

Four years ago, having the knowledge I do now, I would try to be more mindful of the food that I put in my mouth. I would have been more involved in cooking and healthy eating. I would have bugged my parents more to buy healthy food instead of microwavable precooked meals.

I would propose, as others have before me, that we transform the many empty lots into community gardens. Gardens that everyone is welcome to take part in. Where the community keeps the garden going. This would provide a healthy and mostly free source of food for your local community. It would also encourage healthy eating. That is important especially for the youth.

Changing my mindset

    This entire unit has changed a lot about my mindset on what foods are appealing or disgusting to eat. After seeing the documentary on how animals are treated and raised on the "farms", and how meat is processed and packaged for the consumer, it made me realize just how appalling and truly disturbing the meat industry really is. Since animals tend to suffer and sometimes die while they are raised, it also made me wonder if the way they were treated affected their overall health, which led me to my research question: how does the way animals are treated and raised affect the meat they produce? The answers helped me better understand the realities of industrial farming today. This unit really made me more aware of what I eat on almost a daily basis.

     If I could go back 4 years knowing these realities of industrial farming, I would have definitely been more aware of what I was eating. It might have changed me today as a person because I would be more conscious of the horrible condition animals go through before they are slaughtered and then processed for consumers to buy and simply microwave the meal.

     In order to change the food industry to be healthier and more safe for people in general to eat meat, I would suggest going to farmers markets to ask where the meat comes from, and how the animals were raised in that particular farm. One could also find more information about what they eat at restaurants or on food labels. If everyone participated in this cautiousness, America as a whole would be more healthy and less prone to disease from the food they consume.

Different Views

This unit has truly been a learning experience to say the least. My perspective on the food industry and just food in general has been renewed. Before I was introduced to the food waste crisis, I would waste food without thought. I would just throw it away if I was too full, or if I was just plain tired of the meal. I wasn't wasting every single day, but I definitely wasted my fair share of food. When I began my research and realized all of the waste in food, money, and resources of our land I had some what of a small epitome that I was the cause of this problem. By wasting food even in the slightest sense, I was partaking in the trend of food waste. Because of this unit I will forever be more conservative and creative when it comes on how to use food whether it be as a meal or for compost in my yard. In another sense, my researching skills also improved. I was happy going into this unit because although I knew it would be very hard for me to skillfully write about research and my position on the topic, I knew that through this experience I would learn and get better as a writer. As I predicted, I did learn a lot about extracting good research from reliable resources and truly understanding topics like mine, food waste. I am not by any means saying that I am now a good writer, but I am saying that this paper has helped me learn a lot of useful skills on research analysis that will definitely be accommodating in the future when I'm in College.  This unit has helped me grow as a writer and as a consumer of foods, and for this I am very grateful. 

third blog post

During this long unit, my mindset has changed a lot about what I eat especially processed foods. Now I am always thinking how there are so many artificial ingredients in processed foods, many people can literally become addicted to processed foods, It is low in nutrients and fiber, and processed foods are “Hyper Rewarding” and lead to overconsumption. From now on I’m probably going to decrease my intake of processed foods to a minimum. There are so much other healthy foods I can be eating to become even healthier. Then again I might not because I love food. So it might be hard to just stop out of nowhere. My mindset about our country has never changed it has been always unfair. If I could go back four years with this knowledge of the food industry, I will probably not change a lot because I’m a healthy kid and always eating my broccoli (kodak black reference...kind of) so I am fine. I will most likely have started a little fruit and vegetable garden in my backyard full of tomatoes, strawberries, avocados, lettuce, and much more so I can at least know I have fresh food to have at any point. If I was really trying to change or influence the food industry, I will probably make a short documentary and put on twitter because if you want something fast to happen put it on twitter and watch the likes and retweets and then more people will become more aware.

3rd blog post

As a result of my research topic, I've realized that our country has helped put a huge emphasis on the fact that eating organically can improve everyone's health, including young children and fetuses. Although not everyone has joined the organic food movement, it seems like the stigma surrounding organic food products is gaining positive support and may result in a dramatic shift in the consumption of organic sources due to the first generation of those who were given organic foods starting to have their own children and wanting to provide their children with the best products. Another fact that many people don't realize also is that just because something comes as an organic option doesn't mean it's necessary for a healthy diet. Many parents think that organic foods such as organic cookies or processed foods can be consumed in larger amounts because they carry the organic products. However, this isn't the case. A diet full of processed foods without little nutritional value from produce won't help anyone and is basically pointless if our searching for a healthy organic diet. As Americans shift towards buying, cooking, and ordering foods made with organic sources, our country may start a food revolution that will promote a healthy, balanced diet to positively influence our future generations. Our government should put their best effort to attempt to subsidize organic food sources if they want to provide the American people with foods that will give them a healthier and influential lifestyle which may have a great impression on the rest of the world.

third course blog

Before starting this project I had some knowledge about the processing of food and had certain beliefs about the kind of foods I ate and how much of them I ate. However throughout the entire course of this project and investigation, reading articles, other people’s papers and watching the food Inc. video I’ve come to discover even more about what really goes on with our food and have been able to solidify my beliefs. Although I may not be able to carry out all of my food preferences at this moment, I am definitely a lot more conscious about the food I eat and where it comes from. Not only the food itself, but also the people that are involved in the processing and handling of the food before it reaches the supermarkets as well. Reading about the food systems here in the US has greatly changed my mindset towards how popular food is marketed, distributed, and the kind of food involved in things such as food banks and school lunches. A big thing that has stuck with me is the idea of a passive consumer and how it is this type of consumer that fuels the big companies to continue tearing down the quality of food. Overall, the way I see the food I eat and the foods that surround me has changed in a way that I consider more the food choices I make.

Third blog

After opened research on the food, we eat more specifically meat. My perspective has most definitely changed the way our country treats and processes the food. At first, I thought that our food was healthy if you made it from scratch. Now I know that every vegetable, meat and other products have additives, steroids, GMO's and other things. This opened my eyes because on al these commercials and ads about eating healthy, don't promote all these things and they do good in doing so. Because my research paper was based on animals I looked up the treatment of chickens. In the document we saw in class, we saw how those chickens were treated there is no hiding it. I found this website all about chickens and they also had a video and in this video, the chickens were able to walk around they mentioned giving them water and only feeding them proteins to make them bigger. With that being said I think that our government does a great job with hiding all the ugly behind the seance, and who can blame them it's horrific. If the public was well informed about it, they would probably not buy the product and that is extremely less money for our government as this is America home of the hamburgers and meat. As far as the way I eat and my countlessness, I, unfortunately, won't turn into a vegetarian because I love food too much, however; I will pay attention to the food labels and companies I buy from but I think that's a start.

[KC]: PoF Dear Reader Letter and 3rd Quarter 3P Prompts

 Politics of Food Research Paper Self-Reflection

(This should be handwritten and put into your portfolio with all your drafts.)

Third Quarter 3P Self-Evaluation

(This should be completed and turned in on Friday, March 31st.)

How Food Changed My Way Of Eating .

Everyone in our class now knows a little bit more about the foods we consume daily . Yes, we grew in thinking about what we eat, where it came from, and how it was treated.  This concept of food has really changed my ways of eating and picking certain foods when I go out .  Me personally, i had no clue what things I have been eating after this lesson of foods .  I start to notice I've been eating junk and foods that might have been experimented with GMO . I truly think that , this lesson will help us figure out what we eat later on in our futures and we'll  see what's best for us or even for the children we will raise later on. It's a pretty cool concept in all honesty , it's a good way to analyze something worth learning than other concepts that won't protect our health

new perspective

After writing this incredibly long research paper I found out a lot disturbing things when it came to our food. There isn't that much scientific research on the this topic but I was able to find some information on this topic. I never knew that majority of the crops that we grow here in the United States were mainly genetically modified. Its crazy to think that most of the processed foods we eat now a days is mainly made up of a corn. The majority of the corn that is grown is also genetically modified. It makes me think about how the government is trying to implement healthy eating into all of our public schools to ensure that the new generation of kids will be eating a healthy and balanced diet. If I knew about all of these genetically modified foods were over powering our states I would've been more conscious about what I use to eat. Growing up with a single parent my mother wasn't always able to get the most expensive produce or shall we call it the organic produce. I would've asked my mom to be way more conscious about the produce she would buy. I would also ask her to not buy as much fast food because the fast food industry is trying to sell in mass with out the regards of being organic. I'm not a protestor but for this instance I would say to all of the farms that grow genetically modified produce, i'm willing to start a protest to start growing only organic produce.

How my mindset has changed

The research paper on politics of food has to be one of the longest papers I have written. The process was not the easiest and it took a lot of time and dedication. It was important to find the right type of information from credible sources and have it integrated properly in the paper. Even though doing a research paper isn't one of the most enjoying things to do, I still gained a lot of insight and information on the politics of food. Through the research paper I learned a lot about the organic food industry and it has somewhat changed my mindset about our country. Before just like most people, I thought organic products were being offered more by companies to provide us with better, healthier options. I use to assume, "Well it says organic, it must be better than the one that doesn't." However, I've learned that that is not the case most of the time. The government and companies only use the organic label as a marketing tool and a way to persuade more consumers to buy their products. The foods that are labeled organic are not always the best choice, even though their high prices make them seem superior. When it comes to organic, people think it is better for the environment, better, for animals, and more nutritious than regular foods, but through my research I’ve found out that organic is not always the best choice.

Progress.

  Throughout this unit, many topics regarding the politics of food have been noticed or reinforced for me personally.  Even if I had been previously aware of an issue, I had the chance to witness the severity of these problems in America (some worldwide).  Specifically, it was a good reminder to talk about the enormous food waste in our country, because mindfulness is necessary to bring change, no matter how small.  Whereas I knew virtually nothing about the subsidization process or the corn reign until now.  I've noticed I've been choosing locally farmed raw honey as opposed to industrially processed honey and while that random fact may seem insignificant, it shows at least my mindset has been altered about food in some shape or form.
  Personally, if I could go back 4 years with this knowledge of the food industry I'm not sure if I'd make any major changes in my diet, but probably change the sources of my food.  I would have been motivated earlier on to prepare my own food at home and depended less on school lunches or store-bought meals.  I'd probably start planting fruit trees earlier on.  After a few articles on dairy farming, I'd definitely quit drinking milk, but I don't think I'd ever have the willpower to give up cheese.  Like, ever.
  Maybe I'd have the courage to write a letter or sign a petition to reform the school lunches in our district.  A local advancement could start a chain reaction for other nearby school districts to follow.  Just the ability to say you made progress in your community would be a success in itself.  Then I wouldn't have to spend my time avoiding every serving of mystery meat during high school lunch.  Imagine that.

Perspective

     During this whole unit its been a ride (that almost makes me wanna vomit). You know I have been told that the government hides things away from the citizens of the united states (laughs hesitantly) but I never expected that the government would hid things away like what put in our food. Like its food come on, no one should mess with ones food. Anyways my mindset has been reformed. Thinking about it, I was able to see that the food that the country serves is bad but going behind the scenes its like a really bad final destination movie for the animals. If I would have know it was this bad, if I had knowledge of the food industry four years ago I think I would of made better food choices. I would have been more aware. ( I feel like this is an interview, oddly). If I were to write a proposal to change the industry I would make it so that farmers become less industrialized, make it so that animals have a good life, not living in cages. Hiring farmers that actually want to make farm life better for both humans and animals. Also I hear that most farmers have to pay for most supplies and up keep for animals and then end up with less pay then what they work for, so I would also change that (but that would only be for farmers who actually care for what they do, and who wouldn't keep there animals in cages and leave them to fend for themselves).

[KC]: PoF Blog - Third Course

Due by Thursday, March 30th (6:00 pm)  - 1 post, 1 comment

Options:

• How has your mindset changed about our country? About what you eat? About your consciousness?

• If you could go back 4 years with this knowledge of the food industry, would you change anything about your life?
• Innovator: what would you do to change or influence the food industry in any way? Write a proposal.

Reminder: Posts should be around 250 words and comments should be several good sentences. (No more of that single sentence business.)

Food Waste Information Summary

Given my title, It is obvious that my research topic is focusing on food waste; specifically, on how food waste in America affects the country negatively, and what measures we should take to end mass food waste. I've hoped to find information that is thorough and helps me understand just how bad we Americans are wasting in America. It is Obvious that we as a country are more wasteful than others with our copious amounts of fast food places and such. I wanted to go beyond that uncovering the facts of waste not just in food, but the money wasted in the food industry as well. In addition, I want to uncover the truth of how the environment is affected by the constant abuse of the land through mass producement of food.
While there are a decent amount of articles with factual evidences regarding the costs of food waste, and how much we waste on a yearly basis, there are very close to none on how the waste affects the land and overall environment. This is a bit frustrating as my paper is heavily weighing on this aspect of the subject.
Is there anyone out there that has found decent information on this topic? Or anyone who might have good information on food waste all together?
I hope to find more good info on it all soon as I start to really solidify my findings into the actual writing.

So Why Can't I Find Non-biased Stuff??

In my research I've found that were I'm lacking is in the counter argument.

Almost every article I've come across has been everything bad associated with big business take-over of organic farming. Even the peer read through in class gave me the side I've been seeing all across the internet; "Big business takeover is bad". Everybody is giving ways to stop it or fix it, but that wasn't my initial question nor what I want to focus on. I'm curious to the actual effects this takeover is having on farmer America as well as consumers and the earth. I want to know if it's really THAT bad, like everyone seems to believe, and if it IS this bad, I want to hear a counter argument.

In Food Inc., the CEO of Stonyfield, an organic dairy company that was bought out by Danone, argues that the future for a healthy world RELIES on big business participation, and that essentially, the more players you have in the organic business, the better. I want to see more articles like that. I want to hear more than just one company give me a really fleshed out and detailed take on the good side of big business takeover. Because after a brief glance at the Stonyfield website, it seems pretty clear to me that the company has maintained their ethics and values, all the heart and soul that is so important in organic farming. The original founders have even remained in command of the company, and they appear to take great care in the treatment of their animals, workers, customers, and product.

So my question is, if Stonyfield seems to be handling the takeover so effectively and advocating for these big businesses, why is it that so many companies run into problems? Why is it that almost every investigative report on the matter that I've read seems to focus on purely the negatives surrounding the matter? Maybe things aren't how they appear in Stonyfield. Or maybe these other companies are having a hard time digesting the possibility of good ethic and morality in a big company. As a Stonyfield executive in Food Inc. explained, the organic market isn't an exclusive club, and maybe the issue is with smaller companies seeing the market as such.

Pesticides

I know that my research paper is going to be about pesticides, but I don't know how to make it into a better question than what I already have. My research question is about pesticides and children. I've been doing my research and it seems like none of the stuff is worthy to be in a research paper. Maybe the question is not meant for a research paper. I'm hoping to find information that'll actually benefit the paper itself, but so far, I haven't found any articles really. Do you guys think I should explore a new topic or just pose my question in a different way? Please help!

In my research paper, I will be investigating the affect low incomes have on a family's diet. I will also be discussing how the government plays a role in how low income families make their diet choices.

 When we were watching the segment on the working class family in the film "Food Inc.", it became clear to me to base my paper on this subject because I can sympathize with families with this background. I found it really interesting that the way the government funds fast food advertisements to cater and intrigue not only families of  working class families but the average american adult.  I also wanted to focus on the diets of families with higher incomes and how they compare, but I'm having a hard time expanding on it. I want to make it apparent to the reader the difficulties these families are facing as far as their diet choices. Low income families are really being shoved in a corner , the amount of money they make doesn't allow them to make healthier choices because fresh produce is too expensive, so it is up to food industries too look at their prices and consider the health of families of all incomes.

obesity from school lunches

The topic that I am researching for my paper is obesity coming from everyday school lunches. Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing the people of America today and is starting to have an impact on kids too. Studies show that bringing lunches from home are less likely to become obese. In the article,"Childhood: Obesity and School Lunches" Roni Caryn Rabin, the author of the article, states that,"those who regularly had the school lunches were 29 percent more likely to be obese than those who brought home lunches."  They came to this conclusion because "Most school lunches rely heavily on high-energy, low-nutrient-value food, because it's cheaper." Something that can also prevent obesity with eating home lunches is spending less time at home on the TV or playing video games. In doing that obesity increased by 19 percent for kids plus the ones who ate the school lunches, increased the speed of their obesity percentage. From the kids spending everyday playing games for 2 hours or more they an spend that time but also put some activity into their daily lives for that obesity rate to go down. Something that has me thinking issssssssssssssss how can we raise money for better school lunches instead of buying useless things like an electric sign we just got at Mayfair. I was thinking maybe we can take some money from a different department of the school to help fund. Either that or we can just tell people to bring lunches instead of buying school lunches.

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The signs of obesity

Throughout years, man has discovered many ways on how to manufacturer foods at a fast rate . But man hasn't thought about how making fast-food will benefit the persons health. Of course, fat food fills you up but what does it really do to your body. You might be filled with question but yet have no answer about it .
  An article I read about "obesity skyrocketing" , they point out the facts people make to buy these products that we don't really need. For example the markets advertise their product to the point we're you have to buy it or else you won't be full filled.
  Towards the end, the author points out why many companies don't care about their customers​. And the number one reason is . Is that money is the thing that keeps these corporations moving . Such as McDonald's and Burger King. People know they're not healthy but yet consume . They make money off of it but we gain weight or illness's that can effect a person wellbeing.
 In conclusion, the market doesn't really care about consumers they only care about money. If you bought something ate it and didn't like , guess what you lost your money . That's how the business works . I know there's more to it that I haven't covered but that most of what I researched.

In my research paper, I am writing about how the way animals are treated and raised affect the meat/ products they produce. In this paper, I hope to find out more about the specifics of the question, such as which products will it affect the most, and if it is really that unhealthy for us to be eating those products. I alas I want to find out if there is really a tell tale difference between meat from animals with good lives and animals with no sunlight or space to move. I am searching for how the stress on their brains affect their body, and how that affects their production overall. I am having some trouble finding information about how exactly humans are affected by the whole thing, not just the animals. I know it causes disease, but is that all it causes, and what other things can It cause?

Conglomerate's are the problem!

     My research question is asking what can the government do, through regulations and education, to change the way food is grown, processed, and marketed to fix the health issues caused by the food industry. Through my research I have begun to learn that the food industry has affected everyone, everywhere in the world. It has reached the point to become a worldwide epidemic that requires the regulation from all the leading countries in the world to start making a change. The U.S. also suffers the most because we are notorious for having a connection between the F.D.A., the people that chose what can eat, the lawmakers, and big name food companies, i.e. Monsanto, Tyson, etc. But there's only so much that the government's legislatures can do, which is why they also need to implement education courses to all schools to start rebuilding the next generations to become healthy and natural again.

     More things I hope to learn through my research are the specific ways the government has contributed to the health issues that affect us today, what a normal person can do to make sure they are healthy and supporting the right people (no big, harmful corporations), and how to properly view advertisements without being misled. 

     

How has the industrial food system taken control of our health and what can we to revive our old food system?

The industrial food system has taken the freedom of choice away from the consumers. They found there way in thanks to WWII. Food companies needed to make food products that lasted. Now they are making completely cooked meals that we just need to warm up. This is terrible to our health and it is terrible for the farming economy. So what can we possibly do to combat this terrible but tempting enemy? There are several different easy ways of going about this. We can subscribe to programs that allow you to financially support a local farm an in return you get a portion of that farms products. We can change school lunches by preparing these meals with fresh and natural ingredients. We also can buy organic products that indirectly supports local farms. Another option is to take part in farmers markets. This directly supports the local organic farms and economy.

Through this research, I hope to discover healthier and more beneficial food. There are countless ways that all of us can do this and that is what I hope to find through all of this.so far my research isnt falling short, so I am good.

GMO

 In my research paper I am researching the negative effects of GMO products in the human body. There is a study that shows that GMO products have increased the death rate and have also increased the rate of cancer. I mean how much worse can it actually get than that? Our crops are mainly becoming genetically modified. Corn, which is one the main crops we grow here in the US, is mainly genetically modified about 81% of our corn is modified . However, the main crop we grow that is GM is the soy bean which is sitting at 91% modified. GMO products have been sky rocketing over the past couple of years. While the organic products are slowly starting to do decrease and hopefully not completely disappear. The human body isn't supposed to be able to process foods that are not organic. Any products that are not organic begin to kill the organs inside the human body. There is also a recent study of how we feed the live stock GMO product foods and the consequence of that is now the live stock are becoming GMO products themselves. Scientists are trying to grow meat in a lab which is disgusting because that means we would be consuming stem cells that are grown. Instead of getting the original product from a living animal. So our crops and our live stock is becoming bad for us to consume. When in reality those are the two main foods groups for our survival. I haven't proved anything but I have provided research that show that GMO products are in no way good for the human body.

Monsanto: Kill it Dead

   In my research paper I will be discussing the question of whether or not the end of Monsanto as a company will result in the end of mass-produced genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, resulting in healthier food for the planet as a whole. I have yet to answer my research question, but my hope is that I can successfully say that better options for consumers become available when the producers of irregular/unnatural food either stop having an audience or are restricted from continuing their bad practices.
   I chose this topic based on some of the things I saw in Food, Inc. The main thing that caught my eye was just how much food was scientifically altered. It's insane to think that almost everything we own seems to have some sort of corn-based ingredient in it, and it's possible for farmers to get in trouble for planting specific seeds due to how much a company has messed with it. I decided to focus on the latter, targeting Monsanto's disservices to the food industry and how they can be combated.
   My goal is to talk about Monsanto's history as a chemical company rather than a food one. I also want to see if there are any other large-scale GMO companies that exist apart from Monsanto, and the effect that GMOs have had on the food industry and its consumers.

Processed Foods on Your Health

For my research paper, I'm delving into the effects that processed foods can have on a person's mental and emotional health over a long period of time. Does a diet filled with processed foods negatively affect a person's mental and emotional health? In what ways? There are many links between a person's diet and their physical health but what about their non-physical health. An unnatural and non-healthy diet can lead to depression and moodiness because the brain isn't being supplied with enough nutrients to keep it satisfied and in its normal condition. I used many sources from sites that ended in org and gov because these seem to be the most reliable for containing accurate data on how different kinds of foods can affect a person's mental and emotional health. For example, a person can become very moody if they are on a diet with very little nutrition. On the other hand, they can feel better and focus better with proper nutrition such as from whole foods because it is natural to the body and can be absorbed for energy much more efficiently. These sources came from people who were in the biology and nutrition fields themselves which supports many of their arguments because they would be considered to be very reliable in providing proper information instead of theories or made up information about certain foods such as websites that end in com. My question would be beneficial to the general public because it shares the benefits of a proper and natural diet. It also displays the negative effects of a non-healthy and processed food diet.

It's just Sugar

Throughout my research, I really have been focused on the sugar intake of our daily lives. How the intake of sugar is a first thought in our minds and how it’s an addiction to our bodies. I believe this is the growth of my research paper and how I can divide other material to support it. The falling of my paper I can say is the second question of my paper. I do not know if I should delete or keep it for other people sake. As time goes by, it seems to get harder and harder with the research paper.

I want help finding what other people think of sugar in their daily lives and how does it affect them. When getting a certain number of people with diabetes and non-diabetes people, I think I’ll know how much impact sugar has on their lives. Seeing how sugar impact on the other people will be a great part of the intake of sugar. Truthfully, people don’t really understand how much sugar you should have in one day, because if they did; they wouldn’t eat a whole bunch of sugar. Even skinny people like me wouldn’t even eat a whole bunch of sugar, if we knew how much sugar we are supposed to have. Since I am doing this paper, I will tell you all in this paper how much you are supposed to have and not how much you want. It’s a difference between want and need. I found what I need in my research paper now. 

Placing Blame

So, for the research paper I decided that I was going to write about the responsibility of eating bad food – basically, placing blame. Through my research, I found that the fault of bad eating habits doesn’t lie solely with the individual. Because so many factors influence consumer choices, all those factors, as well as the consumer, contributed to current eating habits. I also didn’t want to make it completely about blame, either, so I was researching how each of the influencing factors could help improve society’s bad eating. More specifically, I was focusing on the consumer, the government, and food companies. I found a lot of helpful information about how each of those contributors could help better the situation. I was finding things like “Grow your own food” …. “Make healthy foods cheaper and more available” …. “Require companies to include all the facts and label honestly on their products” …. Etc. However, I could use more information on how they helped cause the situation – little bits here and there aren’t enough. For example, I know the government gives a decent amount of aide to protect the bigger corporations, but I can’t name any specific ways. I also know that food companies don’t market healthy foods and are only worried about profit rather than consumer safety, but that’s practically all I’ve got in that category. So, if you guys find anything in your research that elaborates more on how the consumer, the government, and food companies contributed to society’s bad eating habits let me know. :)

Overcoming Obesity Course 2

I did my research on overcoming children obesity or just all types of obesity in general and I feel like I have some information that would help another that is talking or just around this subject in general. So, this process of obesity has always started at a young age and goes on beyond that depending on how they want the rest of their life to play out which most likely happens, but we do have those type of people that work very hard to not become so big when they grow up. Those people are seen as hardworking, and dedicated big fellas especially if they cut down a lot on their food, drinking and junk food. I'm doing my research particularly on a College basketball player that struggled most of his life with obesity and is now on his way to a successful platform as the outcome. hopefully this gives whoever is just around this subject a better idea on what to write about because I know looking at others helped me. The best thing that helps with being healthy would have to be drinking water because water solves a lot of problems in this world.

- Kyle Small


http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/18523734/purdue-caleb-swanigan-overcoming-obesity-homelessness-become-big-nba-prospect

My research question is "Will decreasing the cost of healthy food increase our chances of becoming a healthier nation?". I also incorporated who is to blame for the mass obesity in America; should we blame ourselves for eating bad, or the government and food companies for advertising mainly the unhealthy stuff. I chose this topic because unfortunately everything does revolve around money whether we like it or not;furthermore, I was wondering if everybody was fortunate enough to have the extra money to buy the healthy organic food, would they actually do so or has unhealthy, fast food taken over? Something I hear often is, "why does the healthy salad cost way more than the burger and fries?". That is because of the quality of the food, which comes back to the money issue. Also, the fast food we eat is sold for cheap since it's made with cheap, unhealthy ingredients. Through my research I hope to find a positive answer to my question or to find a solution to the high price problem and hopefully be able to do something about it even if it's just for a small group of people who are interested. So far I have found a lot of good information on my topic and it is going well.

The Quality of Grown Meat

My research question centers on the idea of growing meat from animal stem cells.  For those of you that have read my last post, you know that a lab experiment conducted about three to four years ago determined the possibility of growing meat from animal cells, as opposed to obtaining meat by slaughtering an animal.  Due to the success of the experiment, there is a possibility that grown meat may be the future of the meat industry.  This includes many forms of meat such as beef and chicken.

What I want to explore in this topic is the quality of the meat that is grown in the lab.  From what I have gathered from my research, people who have taste-tested the meat have said that there is barely any difference between the stem cell meat and the butchered animal meat; at the same time, others have said that the stem cell meat is not as tasty as the "real deal".

Since this is meat that is not coming from a butchered animal, I want to know what your opinion is on cultured meat.  Do you think it could be as unhealthy as processed meat?  Do you think that this is artificial?  Would you try cultured meat if it was on your plate?

Food Waste in America

     In my research paper, I am focusing on how food waste is harming our world.  I will be talking  about how it affects our ecosystem, economy, and health.  I hope to prove to people that wasting food is not okay and that it really affects where we live.  Many people don't even realize how much food they actually waste every year; however, I will provide statistics and examples to prove to people how bad this problem has becone.  By looking more into this topic, I hope to find out different and better ways to save food and stop wasting it so much.  I also hope to become more aware of the problems in this world.  I want to be able to change my ways for the better.  So far I have found good websites with great information for me to use.  I found information on how food is being wasted in different areas.  For example, farming, restaurants, and even school lunches.  In my opinion, the only thing that I am actually struggling on is finding more sources to use.  I have found really helpful sources but I do not want to use ALL the information on one source and basically base my whole research paper on solely that one website.  If anyone has any good recommendations on where to find information based on food waste please let me know.  Other than that, I think that I just need more motivation to do this research paper, because I keep procrastinating and it is going to end up hurting me at the end.

Do factory farm animals have a certain right if so, are they being followed?

My topic is about getting factory farm animals better treatment. The way I see it is that theses animals are not just an object. We actually consume them (stating the obvious), with that being said the way animals are treated are terrible and under horrible conditions. What I want to get out of this is improving the animals life so that they get healthier and then we as consumers could run a lower risk of getting a disease. I know that by providing a solution that would make my point stronger as well so I will be looking to find different alternatives to eating meat from animals. I know that it sounds weird but by using science we could get the same meat from the same animal but not killing the animal. I also wanted to talk about the laws that companies could be breaking but I found a law that protects animals but this specific law exempts all birds. That means Chickens, these happen to be the most produced for their meat and eggs. I am having a hard time finding anything on chickens that could protect them. I'm also trying to find a way to fit some way to bring up money into the topic. I was thinking about talking about why the factories find it more convenient and cheaper to not take care of the animals.

If anyone has any suggestions on anything that has to do with laws that protect the animals or if there are other topics that could make my paper stronger that would be great.    

Proceesed foods harmful to consumers?

For my research paper, I am writing about how processed products might have harmful effects on consumers' health and in what ways can we solve the problem. So I've talked about the thousands of chemicals involved the food making process and how the finished product can lead to illnesses. And greater food safety measures are necessary for the well-being of the consumer. Adults and children may have a greater risk of getting obesity by consuming processed foods and that the level of income might be the source of these problems. Depending on your income it might discourage a consumer from buying fresh produce and lead one to buy the inexpensive packaged item. Furthermore more and more depend on processed items, but don't really know how it's made or its origins and I am doing this research to better my understanding and maybe possibly inform others.
But besides that I really do not have a clue about what to write about next. I have a couple quotes in my paper i'm not sure if I should continue to add more details and quotes to what I already have to make the research paper longer. Also any suggestions on how consumers' might be able to fix the problem of processed foods being unsafe/unhealthy or just any advice for this paper or any articles that might be useful?

What may the other side argue?

My research question is stated as "When it comes to early childhood development of eating habits, who is more at fault: the naive child, or the influential parent? What affect does this have on our food system?". This question basically opens up the idea that parents do play a huge part in a child's eating habits. In my opinion the parent plays a tremendous role in this part of a child's life. Children are a reflection of their parents in many ways, the parent generally lays out the foundation for the child's eating habits, and I have figured that out along the way.  Throughout this research process I hope to find out the truth on how big of a role the parent really does play in a child's food life. I also hope to gain many different standpoints on this topic, not reading and bias opinions. This way I could have my own outlook on the issue. Hopefully with the information i gain, I find out how this all connects to our food system. If we find the root to the problem, we can ultimately eliminate it. The only trouble I'm having this stage is understanding the other side of the argument and how some people may argue that parents don't affect their own children's eating habits. This is something I would like to implement into my essay. My purpose for the essay isn't just to throw my opinions onto the reader, but to also add facts and the other point of views from other people into their minds. I ask if anyone may know what other opinions the article may show, or any other opinions you may have in particular, please do share.

My research paper is about how factory farms contribute to America's obesity  and diabetes problems. We have such a huge problem with our health because of the way our food is made. Most of the food we eat is processed food which is made in factory farms. So, factory farms do have a huge impact on our society's health. It is so much cheaper to buy fast food than cook and it's way more convenient. For example, a family of four can be fed with $20 at a fast food restaurant and it will be ready fast. With $20, you can buy groceries, but not enough to feed four people, and it takes a while to cook at home. In my research, i hope to find out all the negatives of factory farms. Not just health, but every single thing, for example, politics, economy, agriculture. Factory farms have so many negativev impacts on our society and people don't really see it because they are too busy with their lives. I think I'm falling short in my research on how factory farms affect our politics and agriculture. I want to research other first world countries that don't have factory farms and see their health in that country. That'll prove that factory farms have an impact on our health. I need help finding another country that doesn't have any factory farms at all so that i can make a chart or a graph. Can anyone help me to search anything else on my topic?

American Obesity

In my paper i’m looking for why obesity has affected the lower class in America so much more than in other countries. I’m hoping to find the real source of the problem to see if there is one area in society that can change to fix the problem, a ripple effect if you will. I got my idea for the question after watching the Food Inc. movie where the mother was saying she would like to buy healthier food for her children but could not afford it. Just about her whole family was overweight and you could see the stress on her face as well as sadness. This got me thinking that maybe there is one source that is causing all these problems. It seems to me that most of the problems are coming from food pricing. There seems to be a lot of information on the subject of why obesity has affected the lower class so much but is lacking in why it is affecting America so much more than other countries. This is the part of the research that is getting me. I’ve been searching for an answer to this part of the question and always seem to come up short. I’m not sure if i’m just not looking in the right places or if there really is none to little research done on this matter. Has anyone else had this problem? Am I the only one struggling to find this part of the research? Some help would be great.

For my research paper, I’m looking into the idea of food choices having an effect on everyday student performance at schools throughout the United States. I’m also looking into the subject of students skipping school lunch simply because it’s unappetizing to them. It digs into a lot of interesting facts such as the amount of money schools are given to provide lunch for it’s students vs. how much of that money actually goes to the food.

I’ve managed to find a few useful sources that have studies to go with my topic.

I’m hoping to find the answers to all the questions that have built up in my mind that originally started with two simple questions. At times I find myself researching even when I didn’t plan to research usually late at night for some odd reason.

My research has been great so far I’ve managed to find mostly everything I need except for an article on students avoiding school lunch. If anyone of you reading this happens to come across an article related to students hating school lunch post it in the comments thanks (;

Processed Foods

What I am hoping to find during my research is the negatives of processed foods, how it is advertised and the prices compared to healthy whole foods. Another is why junk food is mostly sold to poor areas than the rich and how can we as community change that. Where my research is falling short is finding more topics to go with my question which is “If the Food Industry Continues to Increase the Amount of Processed Food will it Negatively Affect the Overall Health and Financial Situation of American Consumers.” I do not know what else to talk about.

Thinking if I should talk about the wellbeing of people using processed foods for example how it’s affecting their mental health or talk about politics on how much money goes into processed foods.

It is better to start eating healthy foods now because you can improve your snacking without adding a huge cost difference to your monthly budget. We really should be choosing fruits and vegetables over chips and candy, because if we think about our future, we may be saving money now, but later on we will end up paying thousands of dollars on health bills and medicines from all the junk we put into our bodies. While cooking at home is cheaper than going out to restaurants, not all home-cooked meals are alike. A new study shows shopping for healthier foods at the grocery store is more expensive than picking out unhealthier foods, by an average of about $1.50 more per day. Those little costs can add up to a big burden for poor families. “

For my research paper, I'm exploring how the benefits eating organically as a fetus or child justify the cost. Many people claim that the reason they choose not to buy organic food sources is due to the price, which at times could be nearly 75% more than their conventional equivalents. There are so many benefits to eating organically, many being improvements in I.Q., prevention of many diseases, and prevention of some  mental issues. Some individuals would say that there's no way to prove that these are results of eating organically; therefore, that is where my research is calling a little short. I've cited many sources supporting the claim that eating organically at a young age definitely outweighs the cost, but I haven't been able to find a source, such as a research paper, that had these same claims. A question that I pose to you is how do you know if your source is considered a reliable one? Many of my sources are either from websites that support organic products or from a blog post. Two of my most used sources are articles from creditable websites, one being Time Magazine. How have all of you decided if your sources are credible enough to use in this research paper?ive found about 8 sources that I've used throughout my paper; however, if I could find more reliable, well known sources to insert instead of the ones in my paper that might not seem as creditable, I could switch them out and have greater acclaimed information in my paper. It's important for me to have accurate sources in this paper because I greatly support organic products and I want people to know the amazing benefits that accompany their consumption.

Organic food research

For my research paper, I am discussing the topic of organic foods and why the industry is slowly crumbling. I have been using reputable sources throughout the internet to help find information about the topic, and I have been doing pretty well so far. I have found many articles discussing how organic food corporations work and how organic food is actually handled and dealt with. It has been a very interesting topic with many interesting facts as well. With organic foods, there are many hidden facts dealing with it, which is why this research is good for getting the real truth out about the food.

This topic entails things like the way organic food is processed, and the way organic food is dealt with on a big corporation level. Also, it goes into depth about how the government is not helping the smaller companies, because they want the big companies to flourish so they get their cut. This is the research I had been hoping to find, but I need a little bit more. I would like to find more information about how the government can play a role in policy making for food companies, and if they can change the way organic companies prosper by making new policies. I have been finding great research up until the politics of organic food. I have found sources that discuss it, but I do not know how accurate they really are. What I am really in need of is a good source dealing with the politics of organic food, because I think that would make feel really comfortable about my paper. If anyone could provide that, I would be very grateful.

Farm Animal Cruelty and Its Health Affects

My research was on what animal cruelty and what health affects it can cause human health to do (as you could tell by the title). It's mostly like if an animal is abused what does their trauma/problems with the animal affect the human health like does it cause the human to gain weight, does it cause a bad immune system. Does that make sense? I hope it does cause my mind is everywhere right now. My hopes are that somehow I gain more knowledge on where and what happens as it lands on my table (even it makes me become vegetarian), but it's not just me it's also the readers that will read my research essay (if they like essays that really need a lot and I mean A LOT of revising). Another hope I have is that this essay will actually be good enough to make the cut, cause some of my other essays were not that impressive. Some areas where I fall short on is giving detail which is actually pretty surprising. I don't know whether I should put the horrific details or hold off on them, and also my grammar and punctuation.( I wonder if most of you thought "it's the research"). So my question is: Do you think I should put more detail into my essay or if I should hold off on it? And if I do put detail where is the boundary line on too much.

Like I said before good luck to everyone on there paper! I hope you all do well, best of luck.

I chose to write my research paper on poultry farmers and the way they raise their chickens. Contract poultry farmers are farmers that take on contracts with big poultry processing companies such as Tyson, these farmers enter the business usually due to financial problems and a need to make money. These contract farmers are “rewarded” for turning in chicken with the most weight gained using the least amount of feed. On the other hand there are cage free farmers who believe in allowing chickens to take on their natural life course without the use of hormones or any other chemicals that are injected into commercial chickens. Through my research I have discovered that contract poultry farming isn’t an issue that needs to be looked into just for the chickens but also for the farmers who seem to also suffer a different form of abuse. Something I need to continue researching to add to my paper is the benefits of cage free chicken farming and if resorting to this method for all chicken production would affect profits and efficiency within companies. I’d like to have a strong comparison not only between the two methods of chicken farming but also compare their results, how much profit do they bring in? How efficient is each one? Who is benefitted in each method? The fact that farmers need more rights and freedom to practice farming as they see best for themselves and their animals is not a question the true question is how can we get farmers to where they need to be to produce healthy poultry that doesn’t sink them into helpless debt and a guilty conscience.