Assignment 16 - Dylan Spradlin

Food is king. Most of us are driven by food. We need it to survive and we crave it night and day. We often neglect to think about what the food we eat does to our bodies and the environment around us. One way to reduce the damaging effects of fattening, unhealthy food is to produce and consume locally grown, fresh, farm-to-table foods. The slow food movement teaches us that not only can nutritional, healthy foods taste better than fast food but eating them also promotes physical health and stewardship of the earth. The centralized and mechanized production and distribution of fast food contributes to major problems facing Americans today such as obesity and diabetes, the mistreatment of animals during the food production process and the destruction of the environment (Food, Inc. 1). 

Human health standards and the mistreatment of animals and the environment are all harmed so that food can be cheaply and efficiently produced and transported long distances in a hurry.  Most people disregard the sometimes inhumane methods used to process animals we eat when fast food is made. We also tend to ignore the ways land and air quality standards can be damaged in the mass production of fast food. The U.S. is a country where obesity and diabetes are major health problems. Research from the Center for Disease Control shows that an average adult is 26 pounds heavier now than in the 1950’s when fast food was much less prevalent. According to a 2006 study, nearly 78 million adults and 13 million children in the United States deal with negative effects of obesity every day (CDC, Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity and Extreme Obesity among Adults: United States). And yet, we continue to consume fast food at alarming rates even though it has been linked to weight gain, illness, and poor nutrition standards. In fact, fast food consumption is epidemic among certain age groups. Many of us could not go a week or even a day without eating some form of fast food.  Even though we are aware that we should make better choices, most of us eat fast food without thinking.

So what does fast food give us? –- choice, affordability and convenience--almost any kind of food you want, and anytime you want it at a relatively a low cost. It is convenient because it offers ready-to-eat, portion-controlled foods around the clock (Stein, 1). And, this is helpful for our fast-paced, busy lifestyles. Without modern methods of fast food production, we would be subjected to waiting longer periods of time to gain access to foods that are grown in other states and countries, or do without those foods. So, fast foods also offer convenience and variety.

In addition, food production would be more expensive if higher standards were required to eliminate all cruelty to the animals whose bodies we eat. And, identifying strategies to remove pesticides that are found to be unhealthy could prove costly to replace. These are all important considerations. However, when you examine each point, you realize that these considerations are much less important than preserving the sanctity of our health and environment as the slow food movement advocates.

Alternative food production and distribution standards may take time and additional expense to implement on a national level, but the end result would be monumental. Of course, no one wants to be inconvenienced by having fewer food choices at higher costs and waiting longer to have access to certain foods. But, concessions like these can lead to better health and the improved treatment of animals and the environment.  The slow food movement is gaining ground because the increased consumption and production of nutritional, locally grown foods provides a solution to the growing health problems associated with eating fast food. And, while extra expense and the lack of choice and convenience are bad, slowly destroying the environment, animal cruelty, and poor health are worse. The slow food movement offers moral and ethical standards befitting our thinking and caring population.

All in all, the slow food movement is a worthy solution to the critical problems facing our society caused by fast food production. Through the use of local food growing and consumption methods, a better and healthier tomorrow is promised. It maintains that quality---healthy foods should be made with the necessary care and concern that both our bodies and environment deserve.