Janet Poppendieck's Want Amid Plenty

Though obesity has been rapidly increasing, and part of the American culture is as Janet Poppendieck, author of “Want Amid Plenty”, puts it, “Individual Americans have been preoccupied with avoiding, losing or hiding the corporeal effects of overeating” (573). Unfortunately, it isn’t being stopped quite as successfully, as of now about 300 million Americans are considered obese (Brewis 463). American adults aren’t the only ones suffering, obesity and diseases caused by it, such as hypertension and diabetes type two are now commonly seen in children. One reason for this is suggested in the documentary Forks over Knives as being the fast paced life of Americans, developed after WWII, produced convenience food, rich with processed sugars and …show more content…
For example, though the way we eat has changed drastically in the past 50 years, though food is still being marketed the same way. There is still that image of farmers out on fields and in pastures, when as of now it simple isn’t true. Also many products are made to look as though they are being sold by a multitude of different companies (Kenner Food Inc.). Companies that have no interest in educating the public and in some cases even lie about what goes in their products. With this information, it may seem quite insolvable. However, with the combination in education of food and the ability to practice a balanced intake, the problem of obesity could be tackled. It may seem that diet is a cliché, or perhaps an overused answer to the increasing problem of obesity. It known that obesity brings with it other diseases, so how could just one thing be the solution for a multitude of problems? However, there have been several studies done in the U.S and in foreign countries with conclusive results which suggest that one’s eating habits can reverse the effects of many