The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

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Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
The book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” by Michael Pollan engages the reader in a discourse that looks at contemporary nutritional problems in America from a natural and historical perspective (Pollan). The nutritional antecedents outlined by Pollan explains the origin of the current nutritional challenges facing human beings especially concerning the need to eat healthily. The background provided by the author demonstrates authority and extensive research on the topic which immediately attracts the attention of the reader (Pollan). Furthermore, the author has written several books that touch on diet and nutritional issues.
In the introduction, the author explains that human beings are naturally omnivores which implies that they can eat both plants and other animals. Therefore, unlike animals that are either herbivores or carnivores, human beings must make a tough choice of what to eat and what to avoid. The author gives the example of the Koala Bear that is purely herbivore and whose primary diet is the Bamboo bark. Pollan explains that perhaps it was this predicament that led to the development of a complex brain human beings. Human beings developed strong taste buds and sense of smell that allowed him to decide what was fit for consumption and what was potentially poisonous (Pollan). The background provided by the author explains concisely the reason the contemporary American society will often be faced with challenges when it comes to deciding what to eat.

From the perspective of the Americans, the author explains that the challenge has become more complex over the years especially with the knowledge that certain foods can make someone sick (Pollan). Furthermore, America is blessed with food abundance; therefore, people have to think deeply about the kind of foods to eat really. There is also the confusing information given by food specialists and the strategies used by companies to market food. The author provides the example of the realization in the American society that carbohydrates rather than fat were the primary culprit leading to overweight — the discovery that certain types of fats were associated with an increase in the risk of developing heart diseases. According to Pollan, such developments have continued to influence nutritional choices made by Americans. There are others that have opted to avoid meat altogether and only consume milk for their protein needs.
On the other hand, there are others that avoid animal products altogether. The problem has further been aggravated as a result of the popularization of fast foods. From my experience, lifestyle changes and the need for people to work for more hours has made fast foods a necessity in American society. There are alternative schools of thought that have questioned the use of other animals as a source of food using the ethical platform (Pollan). Critics have appreciated Pollan’s approach and the way he manages to connect the history of the human diet and the American culinary preferences. According to a review in the New York Times, the historical approach employed by the author is convincing especially when discussing the root cause of the nutritional problems in contemporary society (Kamp). Finally, the author revisits the subject of the perfect meal for Americans. Instead of providing a direct answer, the author poses the question as a rhetoric question allowing the reader to contemplate on the answer.
Reading the book has been educative especially concerning the background the author provides of the nutritional problem facing humanity. I would use the book to analyze the dietary choices I make on a daily basis to establish how factors such as the media and advertisement influence the food I eat. Furthermore, I would use the book to support the idea that the nutritional choices made by contemporary Americans are not informed but based on sentiments drawn from advertisements and nutritional debates.