Josh Darpino wrote this bit of counterintuitive thinking for my Comp 2 class, SP11. Maybe it will help you consider food as a topic.

What if I told you that fast food is bad for you. You would intuitively say, “Of course, everyone knows that it is better to eat at home.” Although what if I told you that eating at home may be the same as getting fast food. Now I know some people may eat Cheetos or ice cream and you would say, “Well it is all about eating healthy, fruits and vegetables, ya know.” The real kicker is that what if I told you that fruits, vegetables, and meats are all about as healthy as eating McDonald’s when you buy from a regular supermarket.

The way that food is being produced has changed quicker in the last 50 years than the last 10,000 years. All food is now only being controlled by three or four companies in a food group. The problem with this handful of companies is that they are sacrificing our health and well-being for quicker, better tasting, and cheaper.

The food companies that are being backed by the government are changing our food. Meat is being produced quicker but is riddled with E-coli, chicken has more meat but is filled with antibiotics, and corn is massively produced but is engineered to grow quicker and stay ripe longer inadvertently changing our DNA makeup.

Another problem is that supermarkets give us no choice in choosing these lame foods. It cost twice as more to eat organic than to get something at a regular supermarket. Why even get anything at the supermarket when you can get a meal at a fast food restaurant for three dollars.

Our food has become this unstoppable industry that the common people are blind to knowing what actually happens to our produce. Something has gone seriously wrong and must change to not only raise awareness but to clean up our so-called fruits and vegetables.

Reminder: This post comes to us courtesy of my Spring 2011 student, Josh Darpino. Thanks, Josh!