Analysis Of Lizzie Widdecombe's 'The End Of Food'

Chewing over the Food of the Future?
In Lizzie Widdecombe’s “The End of Food,”, the writer shares how “The notion that we can nourish ourselves with something purer and more effective than food has long been part of our collective fantasy life.” This thought holds true for many in the developed world today, for whom food certainly feels like a burden, rather than a pleasure. The time, money and effort of purchasing, preparation, and eating food all seem to be a nuisance. Nevertheless, Robert Rhinehart’s startup of a drink mix, Soylent, has broke through as not only a crowd-funding hit, yet as a potential solution to the utilitarian burden. As Rhinehart explains in the article, the customary system of food “…just seem[s] like a system that’s …show more content…
Widdicombe’s article sheds some insight on a possible solution to this difficult problem of food through Rhinehart’s product. However, “The End of Food,” presents a more frightening outlook for the future as Rhinehart overlooks the significance of eating food. This is evident through the tech entrepreneur’s failure to acknowledge the psychological, physical and social experiences of eating and living. One explanation behind the eerie prospect of a Soylent diet is the negative impact on mental health. Of course, it is no accident that many of the words used to describe eating are the very same ones used to express even one’s thinking process. When presented with an idea, the mind will first grasp it and chew on it (hence, the title).It will consciously break the idea down into its component parts, savor it, then swallow for the idea to assimilate. Rhinehart explains that the product allows individuals to “cruise” throughout the day, without the mind having to worry about hunger pains or running out of energy. As …show more content…
In recent years, liquid diets have become a popular health fad. Often times it is said that liquid diets provide a healthy, improved alternative to the cooking of time-consuming meals and eating responsibly. When it comes to the topic of nutrition, Rhinehart insists that his self-experiment incorporates all elements of a healthy diet, without excess amounts of saturated fats, cholesterol or sugars. He even describes the product as “”Everything your body needs”” and is certain that it holds a nutritional advantage despite its minimal, bland taste. Where this consensus ends, however, is on the question of gut health. Whereas some are convinced that processing nutrients exclusively from Soylent is sufficient enough, many others hold that a great deal of digestive disorders may develop. For instance, according to Diana Sugiuchi, a registered dietitian and nutritionist based in Baltimore, various dietary fibers are essential to maintaining a healthy gut. That being said, the specialist stresses that achieving a balance of fibers, minerals, and vitamins with a solely liquid diet will be rather challenging and difficult. The likelihood of strictly Soylent liquid diet will result in people “fe[eling] like a water balloon” and undergoing other adverse effects on the digestive system. To be completely nourished by any experience, an individual has to savor and