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M. Florencia Campos Yapura

Brett Rosen

Health 1020

April 10, 2019

Nutrition Perspectives: In Defense of Food Documentary

Summary

In Defense of Food ​is a documentary adapted from the book by the writer and researcher

Michael Pollan. It explores what we really need to eat to be healthy. He starts with how

enjoyable food is, but how it is that appeal, together with nutrition claims on packages, might

lead us to consume foods or quantities of it that ultimately make us unhealthy. We are presented

with several people of varying socioeconomic statuses and their eating habits, and related food

experiences. Some food industry history is thrown in to help us understand how we got to be as

unhealthy as we are now. We are not only presented with problems, but with solutions as part of

“food rules,” a nod to another one of Pollan’s books. What we are taught can be summarized in

seven words: “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” If we make this our motto, we will have a

much easier time getting and remaining healthy. Sometimes, the simplest solution is the right

one.

For my Nutrition Perspectives research assignment, I chose the PBS adaptation of ​In

Defense of Food​ documentary, available on Netflix. It is based on the book by the same name,

published in 2008, by the author Michael Pollan. The first time I heard about Michael Pollan’s

work, it was on National Public Radio, on the way home from work, several years ago. I was
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intrigued, as he was talking about his latest book ​Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation​.

In this book, he “​discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements—fire, water, air,

and earth— to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink,” as his

website states (“Cooked”). Being a food lover and curious individual, I really enjoyed

hearing the interview and promptly went home to look up the book. The documentary by

the same author was the natural choice for me to complete this assignment.

Michael Pollan is a writer that has published several books centering on nutrition

research despite not having any credentials related to nutrition. This goes along with his major

theme of writing about nature and culture (“About Michael Pollan”). I find his research on this

fascinating and even have one of his books, ​Food Rules​. Others think so, too, as several of his

books have earned awards, as well as his essays. Several of his books have been adapted into

documentaries, like the one this research paper is about, and he was even named one of the 2010

TIME 100, an annual list of the year’s most influential people (“About Michael Pollan”). I

personally trust his research, and others obviously do as well.

In Defense of Food​ was published in 2015. The themes covered in it are still relevant

today. In my personal experience, the general public has had an inclination with getting healthy

and fit for the last 5 years, I would say. Everyone is concerned about organic versus

conventional, low fat versus whole milk, GMO versus non-GMO. I am personally interested in

these, so I notice all the Facebook links to articles talking about the latest superfood, the latest

healthiest diet...or even nightmare diet that gets people unhealthy. Information is at our

fingertips, so those concerned with their health and well-being definitely get to indulge their

curiosity. The rising chronic disease indexes fuel that concern. I am in favor of this kind of
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information being readily accessible if it can help us be healthier as a nation. Of course, we need

to be able to differentiate between accurate, neutral information, but that is up to the reader’s

discretion to research.

A central theme of the documentary is that food in its natural form is the healthiest. Our

textbook agrees with this statement. One of the statements in the documentary is “Eat food.

Mostly plants. Not too much” (​In Defense of Food​). In several parts of my textbook, I remember

reading recommendations saying to eat a variety of foods but in moderation. Pollan says the

same, citing how food manufacturers process it for longer shelf life and strip it of nutrients. That

almost echos what my textbook says about processed food.

Another interesting observation is that Pollan says that Wonder bread is both the problem

and solution “in a neat little package,” falling into what he calls “food-like substances.” My

textbook recommends to not trust nutrition claims on food packages blindly. Instead, it

recommends to educate ourselves about what these claims mean, really mean, and eat

accordingly. Pollan picks up a Total cereal package and looks at it suspiciously. Zoom ins of

nutrition claims clutter my TV screen. They each compete for our attention, so it is more

important than ever to inform ourselves about what to believe to be healthy.

As a nation, we currently hear pretty much everywhere in the media (including my book)

that we are unhealthy, or at least a majority of us is. Two thirds of the US population is

overweight, with half of that being obese. ​In Defense of Food d​ oes not cite that specifically, but a

cook that was featured in it tells a group of teenagers that “one in a hundred people had diabetes

100 years ago[...] while one in three now do.” Overall, the western diet is to blame.

Industrialization made shelf-stable, less-nutritious food more available and cheaper overall.
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Poorer populations choose that to make dollars stretch to keep themselves fed. This is a vicious

cycle that needs to be broken. Both the documentary and my book offer solutions we all need to

put into practice.

I really enjoyed watching this documentary. These are the kinds of documentaries I

watch. For my family, health is a concern. Everyone in my family has some kind of chronic

condition that is improved (to a certain extent) by healthy eating. I am the one that manages the

food storage in my home. I notice that we mostly do not eat processed food in the first place. Our

problem is that we eat too much. If we want fries, we make them at home. Although we do not

cook or eat as a family together every night, we still spend time together and eat mostly healthy.

Due to our nutrition habits, I was familiar with most concepts in the documentary except

for the mention of Seventh Day Adventists and vegetarianism. My sister is vegetarian, but I

didn’t know this religion advocates for it. The research cited was compelling in making me strive

to eat fewer animal products. I meal prep most of the time for my sister’s and my lunches. We

usually eat the same thing, so I will strive to obtain more of my protein from plant sources

instead of animal ones. This documentary was a good reminder to continue to strive to eat

healthfully for a long, happy life.

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Works Cited

“About Michael Pollan.” ​About Michael Pollan « Michael Pollan,​ michaelpollan.com/about/.

“Cooked.” ​Cooked « Michael Pollan,​ michaelpollan.com/books/cooked/.

In Defense of Food. ​Directed by ​Michael Schwarz​, performance by Michael Pollan, Kikim

Media, 2015. Netflix, www.netflix.com/title/80097071.