Obesity Town!

In my opinion “The Consumer: A Republic of Fat” by Chevat, Richio, and Michael Pollan was a very insightful reading as to how HFSC (High Fructose Corn Syrup) snuck into the pantry in many American homes, and introduced obesity.
Before this reading I had a basic idea of HFCS, and the products it is added to. However, as I advanced into the reading I realized that HFCS was also used a numerous of products I never would have imagined; such as ketchup, mustard, breads, cereal, and crackers among other products. Learning this surprised me, because there were foods mentioned that can be seen as healthy but in reality they aren’t. people are stacking HFCS on top of more HFCS being unaware of it, and the part that is most alarming is that some if not most children are eating products that is most alarming are eating products that not only have HFCS but sugar too.
The second thing I found most interesting was the invention of super sizing, by David wallerstein. Wallerstein analyzed the consumer and came to the conclusion that people always wanted more food but were too embarrassed or ashamed to get up for more; people did not want to be classified as “gluttons.” What Wallerstein did to put a solution to this situation and increase sales was create the “super sized portions.” This way people would get more quantity in one serving and avoid the “piggish feeling.” I think that this was a brilliant discovery and with time so did other companies. Coca Cola and Pepsi also jumped on the super size bandwagon and increased the size of their beverage. So now Americans were dealing with HFCS, sugar and super sized meals that combined both of these deadly ingredients; from here there was no where to go but to obesity town.
In the end I was left with a feeling of disappointment. I realized that people do not tend to think for themselves. An example of this was the whiskey drinking situation of the 19th century, and now the unstoppable need to eat more and more. In my opinion we have to stop allowing companies play mind games with us, dictate our lives.