Topic > Healthy or unhealthy food on the example of "Resisting the moralization of eating" by Maxfield

Is there really a way to decide whether the food you are eating is healthy or not? Some people indulge in high-sugar foods, but don't gain weight. It is known that humans have people who have a variety of body types, and along with that, each person also has a different metabolism. Therefore, we break down foods very differently from each other. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In “Resisting the Moralization of Eating,” Maxfield criticizes the way Michael Pollan chose to approach the issue in his article, “Escape from the Western Diet.” In “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Food,” Mary Maxfield wrote about the reason for overweight in America. He stated the “mistakes” Americans make when it comes to healthy eating. Maxfield, also said that the American way of eating healthy is to eat differently and less than your normal meal. He also argues that the key to eating healthily lies not in the quantity of food you consume but in the quality you are putting into your body (Maxfield). His philosophy was that we must trust and meet the expectations of our body, but that theory was questionable because it was founded on the assumption that our mind doesn't tell us what we want, it tells us what we need (Maxfield). you think about food, it is neither moral nor immoral, so how do you maintain your body's health with nutritious food when your body sometimes craves unhealthy foods. This is precisely why humans are more likely to become overweight and more susceptible to disease. Some believe that the main cause of being overweight is the consumption of unhealthy food and lack of exercise. According to Maxfield, most people like drinks like soda instead of water because of their habit of liking sweets. (Maxfield) Fast food consumption has been an ongoing epidemic in America for many years. It is one of the major factors contributing to obesity in America. This is a big problem for American citizens and does not concern neighboring countries around the world. Many researchers believe that regulating fast food could potentially begin to reduce our obesity rates. Although Maxfield has interesting observations and makes some valid points, his arguments are very contradictory due to his bias and lack of credible sources. For example, he argues that there is no correlation between health and our diet. The way he confirmed his views on health was to intertwine them with information from his personal beliefs and the opinions of researchers and scholars. He also argued that Pollan's scientific and statistical claims are unreliable since science is a biased, opinion-based form of study. He also argues that there is no "right" or "healthy" way to eat and concludes his essay with a simple idea: people should eat what and how they want without learning the perception of food. (Maxfield) The main argument that Maxfield continues to reinforce in his essay is that diet and health have no correlation. He tries to deconstruct this idea which he believes to be a misunderstanding. Maxfield begins his deconstruction with a look at the links between culture and the perception of health. “The problem is that our understanding of health is based as much on culture as on facts.” (Maxfield) This observation, however, puts an end to any kind of logical sense in his argument. Maxfield attempts to back up his health claims with comments from other sources, howeverhis sources are unreliable due to their background. Instead of including information from well-known and credible health specialists, it uses statements from a law professor and those from a fat acceptance activist. This introduced the idea that there is a capitalist motive behind health perceptions. If you think about it, this doesn't support his previous claims. Maxfield's argument that health is largely based on and influenced by culture has merit. Of course, there are some factors involved in health that are universal and undeniable. However, much of health and the perceptions surrounding it, especially those related to body type and diet, are based on culture and opinion. For example, many cultures produce richer foods and appreciate the heavier body types that can result from such constant consumption of these high-fat, high-sodium foods. For example, I'm Nigerian and we eat a lot of carbs and consider skinnier people less fortunate. There is a saying that goes: "a man's weight determines his wife's cooking." However, cultures that have more Eurocentric/Western views value a thinner frame and serve food in smaller portions with fewer ingredients that can contribute to weight gain. People from cultures that eat richer foods in larger portions may consider it unhealthy to eat less or differently, while people from cultures that feature smaller portions and less fat and sodium may believe that eating more or differently different would not be healthy. Both opinions may be true because most ideas about health are subjective. However, if Maxfield wanted to add some credibility to his argument, he should have chosen sources more suited to the topic of the article. Whether or not a law professor might share similar views to Maxfield doesn't help his cause. If he had written about the laws related to the distribution of health and dietary information, this professor would have been the perfect choice. Furthermore, his choice of a “fat acceptance activist” was unwise because a “fat acceptance activist,” whether self-proclaimed or not, does not have to possess any credentials to obtain such a title. Having the opinions of respected people in the field Maxfield is writing about would have strengthened his arguments and added some credibility to his thoughts. Subsequently, Maxfield finds a way to argue against the validity of scientific research by stating that science is unreliable because "there is a lot of religion in science” (Pollan) Maxfield also implies that because of this 'religion' present in science, the he information supported by science cannot be applied universally because of its biases. He goes on to say that this bias that exists in science also exists in our daily choices and conceptions about food. “That 'religion' shows up in the moralization of food.” argues that this moralization we give to food leads to our misunderstanding of health and is partly responsible for the “contemporary common-sense science” belief that links health to dietary choices concept according to which the perception of health in relation to weight and dietary choices is based on culture. Maxfield uses the idea that these perceptions are culturally based to support the conclusion of his argument. Maxfield concludes that we need to separate our opinions about food from our choices and simply eat the way we feel is necessary. “Trust yourself. Trust me.