Verified Document

Food, Technology And Class The Digestive Divide: Essay

Food, Technology and Class The digestive divide:

Food, technology, and class and the changing eating habits of Americans and people around the globe

Much has been written about the 'digital divide,' or the fact that poorer people tend to have less access to cutting-edge technology and are thus disenfranchised from many educational, vocational, and personal opportunities for self-improvement. However, this digital divide is also seen in the different eating habits of the social classes, only in reverse. Today, wealthier people have access to simpler, healthier food that requires less technology to produce. Once upon a time, bitter greens like arugula and fish like salmon were the foods of the poor while the rich dined on heavily spiced meats and alcohol. Today, the equation has been reversed. Wealthy people can afford to eat organic produce and wild-caught fish. But walk into any disadvantaged neighborhood and you will find a bodega that is filled with highly sugared beverages and snacks -- most of which are marvels of food technology with unpronounceable ingredients (Winne 2008: 176). There is likely a liquor store just around the corner.

This reversal of fortune suggests that technology matters less in terms of dictating what people eat than their incomes. Sometimes, cutting edge food is fashionable while on other occasions being slim and fashionable and healthy is of interest to the elites. This determines access to food, food prices, and quality and has a substantial impact upon people's health. In the case of the poor in America, eating habits and the availability and affordability of good food...

Most are major agricultural conglomerates that are still highly dependent upon government subsidies. Fresh fruits and vegetables are, in general, on a calorie-by-calorie basis, far more expensive than sugar, with the exception of products derived from soy and corn. This technological innovation does not enable Americans to eat better as a whole, but ensures that there is a cheap, steady supply of food which is high in calories and low in nutritive value. Even commercially-grown produce is expensive relative to its cheaper, sugary counterparts -- a Twinkie costs less than an apple and has three or four times as many calories. And organic produce is far more expensive. Both are also less accessible to people living in low-income neighborhoods. The 'lowest tech' method of obtaining healthy vegetables with the least amount of pesticides at Whole Foods is ironically the least available method of sustenance for the poor.
Sugar became a mainstay of the diet of the poor relatively quickly. By 1900, this food, although once very rare and the choice of the elites to dine upon, became the source of one-fifth of the calories of the English diet (Mintz 1986: 6). Today, the American diet is dominated by sugar to an unprecedented degree amongst all social classes, but it is amongst the poor where sugar is particularly noteworthy in its presence. Fast food, soft drinks, and cheap and convenient sources of…

Sources used in this document:
References

Blatt, Harvey. (2008). America's food: What you don't know about what you eat.

Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, 2008.

Mintz, Stanley. (1986). Sweetness and power. Penguin.

Winne, Mark. (2008). Closing the food gap. Boston, MA, USA: Beacon Press.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Christian Values and Business Management
Words: 27724 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

Christian Biotechnology: Not a Contradiction in Terms Presented with the idea of "Bioethics" most people in the scientific community today immediately get the impression of repressive, Luddite forces wishing to stifle research and advancement in the name of morality and God. Unfortunately, this stereotype too often holds true. If one looks over the many independent sites on the Internet regarding bioethics, reads popular magazines and publications, or browses library shelves for

Longstanding Tradition of Hindu and
Words: 3703 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Maharshtrian cuisine comprises of hot, aromatic meat and fish curries and subtle flavoring of vegetarian cuisine. Peanuts and cashew nuts are widely used in vegetables and the main cooking medium is peanut oil. Another feature is the use of a deep purple berry with a sweet and sour taste, otherwise called kokum, in sol kadhi, an appetizer-digestive, which is served chilled. Non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes are served with boiled

Health, Exercise & Weight Loss
Words: 4628 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Prescription weight loss pills are diet drugs, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. If certain side effects exist, then they are advertised and prescribed for weight loss only under certain criteria and in certain pill-dosages. Examples of prescription diet pills include Merida and Phentermine, and these types of diet pills are principally designed for those suffering from serious obesity. Diet and weight loss prescription drugs are not a

Direct to Consumer Advertising History of Drug
Words: 16271 Length: 59 Document Type: Term Paper

Direct to Consumer Advertising HISTORY OF DRUG ADVERTISING THE DTC ADVERTISING PHENOMENON CREATING DEMAND DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING - A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING CAUSE OF DEATH PROFIT UTILIZATION, PRICING, AND DEMOGRAPHICS LEGISLATION, POLITICS AND PATENTS LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES REGARDING DTC RECALLED and/or DEADLY DRUGS In order to provide the most efficient method of evaluation, the study will utilize existing stores of qualitative and quantitative data from reliable sources, such as U.S. Government statistical references, University studies, and the studies and publications of non-profit

Human Factors Engineering There Is
Words: 3285 Length: 10 Document Type: Case Study

The work environment, for example, could be conducive to this type of stress, as can the relationship with other employees and with supervisors. This type of fatigue is vastly different from the mental or physical fatigue of direct work overburden, and is also more subtle than these types of fatigue. It should therefore be carefully monitored in terms of its nature and how it interacts with other types of fatigue,

Japanese-American Biopharmaceutical Industry in the 21st Century
Words: 20340 Length: 60 Document Type: Term Paper

Japanese-American Biopharmaceutical Industry in the 21st Century Optimizing Ethical Drug Availability Between These Two Pharmaceutical Superpowers" The Japanese-American biopharmaceutical industry represents an ongoing international effort between the two top pharmaceutical markets in the world. These two economic powers provide consumers with a majority share of all pharmaceuticals produced in the world. However, a number of pharmaceutical products that are currently available to U.S. residents are unavailable to Japanese consumers. From a humanitarian perspective, this

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now