The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Essay Example

The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a true-life book written by Michael Pollan. This book explores the eating habits of people and dilemmas that they face during dinnertime. Modern methods of food preservation have not aided in solving food dilemmas due to cultural affiliations that individuals observe. This is because the relationship between food and society are aspects controlled by cultural beliefs. Many people take dinner meals in relation to their beliefs, but not in consideration of the implications of consuming unidentified foods.

Currently, America is facing a national consumption disorder since individuals have formed the habit of eating one diet fab after another. The Americans cannot decide on the right choice of food, which include fast food, organic and subsistence foods. Traditionally, since the invention of fire, man has always faced food choice problems. However, the author suggests that the people’s respond to these dilemmas will determine their survival as a species. This revolves around food policies, politics and pleasures of eating that the entire society incorporates in their daily practices.

The book is in three sections explaining distinct food chains that sustain people. The sections tackle industrialized food, biological foods and the foods obtained through hunting, gathering or farming. The food chains emphasize on the evolutionary relationship with the species that people depends on for survival. Meals that people obtain from McDonalds, share at their residential homes and organic foods reveal the hidden origin of all the items consumed and hidden mechanisms that involve unaware ingestion. This is because the origins and intentions of the Americans in consumption explain that the taste of foods reflects diverse environmental and biological inheritance. The use of fast food meal in the chain is to demonstrate the outcome of the engineering food chain.

Pollan points out that incorporating responsible eating habit at the early stages of a person’s life helps in reducing dinner dilemmas. This starts with attempts to cook and consume a meal the way the ancient people used to do. Cooking food at home helps in building the body and fighting body ailments. This is because organic foods made of fats are disastrous to the development of the body. For example, organic foods are expensive to acquire because of the mineral supplements used to manufacture them. This implies that prices and benefits of a meal should be as obvious as possible so that consumers are conscious of the influence of their food choices on the surroundings.

In conclusion, people need to change their beliefs about dinner meals and focus on sustainable habits that will ensure survival in the future. Eating varied natural foods obtained through known sources, and avoiding oily, unhealthy foodstuffs is a suitable way of encouraging sustainable eating habits. The book is instrumental in guiding readers on how to eat the different foods in the food chain. A person should not consume many foods from one class in the chain, but try to incorporate the other groups in the food chain. For example, in order to solve the dilemma of dinner, a person can take organic foods at lunchtime and industrial food during dinner. This means that all classes of nutrient collection used in the body perform in separate forms. Americans should also value their traditional agricultural system based on food consumption since this is the first step in avoiding national food disorder.