The Ethics of What We Eat - Assignment Example

Obesity is caused by a died full of carbohydrates and salt laden junk food, high fat and processed meats like hot dogs and bacon and sweetened sodas full of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Obesity brings about other chronic diseases such as stroke, type II diabetes and heart diseases. These epidemics have been on the rise and all of them are as a result of what we eat. The industrial manufactured products have also contributed to a decline in nutrients in food. The modern crops are grown for high yield, fast growth and ease of transport.

These crops are often lower in nutrients which are important components of our diets than the conventionally grown crops. The modern crops have shown decrease in protein, potassium, iron, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, calcium, selenium, zinc among other essential macro and micro nutrients. Macro nutrients are consumed in large quantities for the body to function. They include fiber, protein, water, carbohydrates and fats (Clay 2004, 39). Micro nutrients include vitamins, organic acids and minerals that our bodies require to function properly.

Animal nutrients have also risen with the increased industrial farming. Higher yields in milk correspond to lower concentrations of fats, protein and other milk components. The low nutrients values have resulted in increased disease associated with nutrients intake and it has also resulted in the large intakes of supplement nutrients. The supplements are also very expensive which disadvantage those that cannot afford them. This shows that we are what we eat. In industrial agricultural production, the antibiotics that are used to treat animals are the same antibiotics that treat humans.

Large quantities of antibiotics are administered to animals in order to promote growth and compensate for the crowded unhygienic conditions in the farms .The high use of antibiotics leads to development of antibiotic resistant bacteria which is found in soil, water and air around the industrial farms and also in the food products of the farms. This has lead to antibiotic resistant diseases. Antibiotic resistance is the process whereby bacteria resist treatment using speficic antibiotics (Singer & Mason, 2007, 61).

Resistant bacterial infections are common and can be extremely dangerous. This shows us that with the increase in industrial produced products, there is a huge risk in getting resistant bacterial infections hence we are what we eat. In industrial farming, pesticides are extensively used to control pests especially in the production of vegetables, fruits and grains (Clay 2004, 41). Although it is a health concern for the products, pesticides are known to cause health problems which include cancer, neurologic and psychological problems among others in adults.

In children pesticides has been found to cause damage to organs, delayed development, disruptions to the reproductive systems and cancer. Children are prone to the effects of pesticides because of their lower body mass and are also the great consumers of the affected products. Cancer has been in the rise in the recent years due to the increase in use of pesticides this shows that we are what we eat. Industrial agriculture is increasingly using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are created by introducing specific genes into different plant or animal, the genes can be created or from an existing organisms.

The GMOs are important because they address problems that come along