POL 300 Day 3: Jan 24

Journal Questions:

-Were you surprised by how influential the meat industry and other such companies have been on what information the government puts on the food/health guides? How problematic is this? Is the government really working in the interest of its people when putting together these guides?

Considering the overall influence that lobbyists have on our government I can't say that I am surprised. The problem with this, and I'm guilty of it, is that the American people trust that our government would not let politics get in the way of factual scientific evidence when it comes to our health. Therefore, the problem is that we are convinced that our government would act in the best interests of our health, but that is not the case sadly. It seems that in order to combat this, the mentality of the American public is going to have to change or we are going to need to get lucky (i.e. have people in office who actually have morals).

-Do you remember learning about the food guides (Eat Right Pyramid, etc.) at school or at home? Do you think learning this information has an impact on your food habits today? Do you (or did you ever) try to follow the food guides put out by the government in your own life? Why or why not? Do you think they accurately depict what a nutritious diet should look like?

Yes, I definitely remember learning about the food pyramid when I was in elementary school and it most definitely had an impact on the way I used to eat. For starters, I was, and still am, a big fan of dairy products so I always made sure that I ate my fill when it came to these products. When it came to meat products, our family bought HALF a cow every year! ( I know.) Every night for dinner we had some sort of piece of meat on the table along with a vegetable, and a carb (either potatoes, bread, or rice). This habit of "eating healthy" carried on into my times in the military for the most part but I did eat a little bit less meat and more fruits and vegetables in order to stay fit. My eating habits definitely came from my confidence in "factual" information regarding what was needed to stay healthy but as I've grown older, my meat intake has gone done substantially (probably from 8 ounces a day to 2 ounces, and I eat a lot more fish). To say that those guidelines depicted a nutritious diet is a farce!