A Republic of Fat

In “The consumer: A republic of fat” written by Chevant, Richie and Michael Pollan, they mention that “ when food is abundant and cheap, people will eat more of it and get fat”. Without a doubt this is true. In fact, this is the reason why most Americans suffer from obesity, diabetes and many other type of diseases. It is very overwhelming to know that not only grown ups but even children now suffer from diabetes and most of them are obese.

According to Pollan’s article, “because of diabetes and all the other health problems that accompany obesity, today’s children may turn to be the first generation of Americans whose life expectancy actually be shorter than that of their parents” (pg. 102). Although obesity has been affecting our country for many years, it is very sad to see that it is now actually affecting our children. Parents who work all the day long and have no time to cook at home are those who always make their children eat at fast food restaurants. Not only because the food is good tasting but most importantly because it’s extremely cheap. Before feeding their children, parents should be aware and well informed of what they are making them eat. Although they don’t have time to cook at home, they should always try to eat as healthy as possible. However, now a days not even cooking at home is as healthy as it was back then. All the chemicals added to our food is what makes our health system get weaker and produce all the different type of diseases that come from obesity.

Parents are a very big influence on children that is why we should all be concerned and try to have a much healthier lifestyle. We should try to eat as less fast food as possible and keep in mind that because the food is cheap does not mean it's healthy enough for us to eat.


Michael Pollan. “The Consumer: A Republic of Fat”. The Omnivore’s Dilemma; The Secrets Behind What You Eat. New York: Dial, 2009. 100-108.