Final Blog Reflection

Throughout this course I have learned many different things about food and how it changes across areas around the world. I have always taken an interest in putting good fuel into my body and have tried to learn as much as I could about the different tricks our food companies have up their sleeves. I think classes like this one are very important in our world today because so many people lack the education of what their consuming and how it is effecting their health. As I learned more about the things we add into our food or feed our animals to grow faster/bigger/ the more I think about the increasing levels of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. Looking at all of these increasing health risks, makes it almost impossible not to point to our food as a major factor. Food in the United States and many other places around the world has become a money concern instead of a health one. What we put into our bodies is influenced by other things than just being healthy, like convenience and price.

In Fast food perceptions: A pilot study of college students in Spain and the United States, they discuss how two of the main aspects of buying fast food is that it is convenient and is cheap (Bryant & Dundes, 2008). By making bad food more readily available and less expensive it encourages people to eat unhealthily. Even though I am aware of the dangers of fast/processed food, I can't say that I haven't eaten it while in a rush before. Many people who are busy with work, have children or do not have the greatest source of income continue to eat fast food because it is already prepared and it tastes delicious. Even if you avoid fast food restaurants like the plague, the way our food industry is run makes it almost impossible to avoid processed foods that are just as bad for you.

The averages american watches around 3,000 advertisements a day and watches about 2 years of TV in their lifetime. Media sources like TV have a huge impact on what children want to consume. Most advertisements are for foods high in fat and sugar and are appealing to children because they are often portrayed as "fun" items of food. One study looked at how advertising effected food consumption in children of different weights. Advertisements that show foods with higher levels of sugar and fat have been shown to cause significant increases in intake in overweight and obese children. Children who watch the most TV are also effected by enhancing their preference for foods high in fat, sugar and carbohydrates (Boyland & Halford, 2011).

I really enjoyed the soup kitchen part of this class because it is something I try to do often while I am home in Detroit. It was interesting to see how different Meadville's soup kitchen was from others that I have helped out at prior. I was amazed that the food and meals were picked out by a single woman and was happy to see how much food was donated to the kitchen. I always feel very humbled while helping out and at the same time grateful for what I have. The people passing through the soup kitchen were all very nice and thankful for our services. Prior to this class I had no idea that there was a soup kitchen in that church and would love to go back and help out next semester as well.

Our final project was also really fun and intriguing for me to do. I chose to research areas around Meadville that grew local organic produce and found a lot more than I expected. It was really interesting to read the backgrounds of each grower and understand why they farm the way they do. I have to say I really respect and appreciate all the hard work that goes into their produce and that they haven't caved into the ways of mass production. It was cool to see how each grower had customers that were regulars and were considered their "friends". They felt that knowing where your food comes from and who is handling it has a huge impact on what you buy and I couldn't agree more. I am excited to come back next semester and use the newfound knowledge that I have on local organic produce and make myself some delicious, health-conscious meals!