Our modern eating habits raise questions of health

We live in a society that is obsessed with food. It seems like every other commercial I see on TV has something to do with snacks, dessert or "The Fourth Meal." Be it the newest, juiciest, most sizzling-est hamburger from Wendy's or the fastest way to cook flavored rice out of a box (less than a minute!), it is impossible to escape our nation's preoccupation with food.

Now I love to eat just as much as the next person, but can the stuff we're continually shoveling into our eager little mouths really be considered food anymore?

Coca-Cola, one of the most popular soft drinks of all time, literally has the power to clean toilets with its abrasive components; yet, it is readily available for consumption at almost any fast food establishment. That we could go to any McDonald's in the world and get the same exact sandwich with the same exact taste should be off-putting, not tantalizing.

So-called "home cooking" has taken a turn for the worse, as well. Mashed potatoes don't even deserve the title anymore, because the last time I checked, pouring potato-like flakes into a bowl and adding water does not constitute "mashing." I don't think most people know that tomatoes are not, in fact, in season all year long.

What about the freakishly large chicken breasts that are readily available in pretty much any grocery mart? I feel as if I have to say a little prayer for the poor souls of the chickens who are kept away from the sunlight and fed so many growth hormones that their bodies can't even keep up with their growth.

I think we live in a society that is a little too wrapped up in the idea of "bigger, better and faster." It shouldn't be OK that we eat fruit and vegetables that have been injected with chemicals to keep them looking fresh, or that it's cheaper to buy candy and snacks than it is to buy asparagus or carrots or anything remotely green and leafy looking.

It's as if we've all been turned into zombies and forgotten what it's like to think for ourselves. Here is a little known secret that big brand name companies don't want you to know: You, as the consumer, hold the power. If you don't buy it, they won't make it.

If we all just put a little effort into educating ourselves and buying food responsibly, eventually we'll change the way this nation dines.

— Alexandria Vasquez is a junior human services major and member of Pi Lambda Chi.