"What to eat?"

After reading certain excerpts from In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and the recently introduced "Ban Poisonous Additives Act," we were assigned to answer discussion questions about eating habits and government involvement in public health.

First and foremost, I think people eat unhealthy products because as a population, we are very uneducated in matters of food. The people of society aren't all aware of the calorical intake and nutritional balance we are supposed to maintain. We aren't very well informed of the consequences of our food choices. On the other hand, I do believe that many people eat based on convenience. What I mean by that is that we tend to eat what's most available and cheap, without considering our nutritional needs.

I think the government should be involved in our eating decisions to a certain extent. I don't think they have the right to tell us what to eat; it is essentially a free choice. I do however believe that it has the responsibility of keeping society aware of the ideal nutritional meals and suggest specific foods, as well as warn us of potential health risks. I think the government's duty is to protect us from the food industries and their desire to exploit and sell; our health is the prime concern, not production revenue.