‭Tordjman‬‭1‬

‭Ethan Tordjman‬

‭Professor Beard‬

‭ENGL 110‬

‭3 December 2023‬

‭The Imprisonment of Natural Resources: Effects of Food Insecurity and Poor Nutrition‬‭on U.S.‬

‭Americans‬

‭Modern, futuristic, almost museum-like. Vertical wooden slats are equidistantly spaced‬

‭from each other on the‬‭building’s‬‭exterior.‬‭The‬‭Erewhon‬‭supermarket in Beverly Hills is a‬

‭high-end grocery store, with an array of healthy products,‬‭and carefully‬‭including carefully‬

‭arranged produce‬‭sections‬‭sections‬‭of fruits and vegetables.‬‭But the prices are through‬ ‭the‬‭(‬

‭(‬‭ultra-moder‬‭n)‬‭n)‬‭roof expensive‬‭,‬‭–‬‭even‬‭with the store‬‭recently receiving backlash‬‭for a‬‭for a‬

‭single pound of strawberries‬‭being‬‭priced at‬‭over‬‭$20. Produce‬‭, which comes‬ ‭from our shared‬

‭earth‬‭,‬ ‭is sold for astronomical prices at‬‭these expensive,‬‭exclusive supermarket chains like‬

‭Erewhon.‬‭We exist in‬‭This is part of our modern‬‭a‬‭world‬‭in which‬‭, where‬‭natural resources‬‭and‬

‭foods‬‭can be found sequestered‬‭–imprisoned‬‭–‬‭in locked‬‭stores‬‭–almost imprisoned‬‭.‬‭Enclosed and‬

‭exclusive, in America, f‬‭F‬‭ood consumption is‬‭exclusive,‬‭predicated on‬‭your‬‭socioeconomic‬

‭status. The area around Erewhon matches this essence: nice gates restrict outsiders, and maintain‬

‭distance from neighbors‬‭,‬‭;‬‭clear boundaries are cut‬‭with fences‬‭and streets‬‭and streets‬‭, security‬

‭guards, and gated communities. We exist in a‬‭hyper-divided,‬‭stratified and‬‭segregated world‬‭,‬

‭–‬‭but it wasn’t always this way. In nomadic‬‭and indigenous‬‭societies, there was less division‬

‭between people‬‭,‬ ‭and‬‭land‬‭, and property‬‭–a fluid exchange‬‭between individuals.‬‭In‬

‭hunter-gatherer societies, t‬‭T‭h‬ e‬‭earth-grown‬‭vegetables‬‭,‬‭fruits‬‭or‬‭,‬‭legumes‬‭, or wheat that are‬

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‭earth-grown‬ ‭were‬‭not‬‭n’t‬‭held captive‬‭behind wooden slats–they were shared‬‭. However,‬‭during‬

‭colonization,‬‭when‬‭people‬‭coloniz‬‭ers‬‭noticed‬‭some‬‭crops‬ ‭could‬‭make a lot of money. Crops like‬

‭tobacco started to be sold, and‬‭generate income,‬‭food‬‭became a currency, a way to create wealth‬

‭among the elite. In the process, access was taken from others‬‭. Food should be where it’s needed,‬

‭not be exclusive to only people who can afford it, yet we hoard access to foods and resources and‬

‭prevent access from the people who need them‬‭. This‬‭has considerable impacts‬‭on people‬‭beyond‬

‭just taste or enjoyment. People from low-income families cannot access healthy food‬‭options‬

‭because of the hoarding of natural resources for profi‬‭t,‬‭and‬‭t;‬‭this inequitable access to healthy‬

‭foods impacts people’s overall physical health, educational attainment, and mental stability and‬

‭well-being.‬

‭Foods with low nutritional value, like junk food or fast food, have negative impacts on‬

‭people’s overall physical health, especially in marginalized and low-income communities.‬‭These‬

‭foods both lack nutritional benefits and contain harmful materials.‬‭For instance, i‬‭I‬‭n “Why‬

‭McDonald’s Fries Tastes So Good,” author Eric Schlosser discusses the prominence of “natural‬

‭flavors” manufacturing facilities, which‬‭manufacture‬‭produce‬‭chemicals commonly‬‭purchased‬

‭and‬‭ingested by American consumers.‬‭Nowadays,‬‭McDonald’s,‬‭like many other food companies,‬

‭have stopped making fresh food and instead use heavily processed, unhealthy, mysterious‬

‭ingredients to‬‭cut costs while maintaining the same‬‭taste‬‭keep the taste the same‬‭. The “natural‬

‭flavoring” has unknown chemical ingredients that makes the food palatable for consumers, but‬

‭not designed to benefit the‬‭m in a healthy way‬‭ir health‬‭(Schlosser). Schlosser writes that the‬

‭same companies that manufacture the perfumes, deodorants, and floor wax that we use in our‬

‭homes are the same companies that manufacture the tastes of food. Foods that are heavily‬

‭processed and have artificial products are cheaper to produce, transport, and store and therefore,‬
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‭cheaper to purchase–making these foods more accessible to low-income communities, especially‬

‭those who experience “food oppression” by living in “food deserts” (Freeman). For instance,‬

‭Freeman’s article, “Fast Food: Oppression Through Poor Nutrition,” considers the incredibly‬

‭harsh effects of poor nutrition, fast food consumption, and lack of access to healthy foods,‬

‭especially for low-income, urban communities of color.‬‭The article discusses how f‬‭F‭a‬ st food is‬

‭more popular in low-income areas because of larger systemic factors, like food deserts and‬

‭prohibitive costs‬‭,‬‭–‬‭as well a‬‭but also because of‬‭s‬‭heavy media influence and advertising.‬

‭African-American and Latino communities are‬‭therefore‬‭more susceptible to health-related‬

‭problems‬‭because of food oppression‬‭, such as being‬‭more likely to contract chronic health‬

‭problems and, therefore, have shorter life expectancies (Freeman).‬

‭Consuming fast foods, and other unhealthy‬‭items‬‭items‬‭with low-nutritional value,‬

‭negatively impacts students’‬‭school‬‭performances and‬‭educational attainmen‬‭success in school‬‭t‭.‬‬

‭In the article “Understanding Links between Adolescent Health and Educational Attainment,”‬

‭author‬‭Margot Jackson considers how the effect of‬‭adolescent health impacts their performance‬

‭in school. In particular, she discusses that differences in nutrition can explain educational‬

‭disparities between students of different racial backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses‬

‭(Jackson). According to researcher Pedro Alviola, the consumption of unhealthy foods is linked‬

‭to chronic health conditions in young people; chronic health issues prevent students from staying‬

‭in school, being focused, and excelling in the classroom. Students from low socioeconomic‬

‭classes are more likely to eat foods with low-nutritional value and live in “food deserts,”‬‭which‬

‭is an area‬‭areas‬‭in which there are no natural, healthy‬‭food options available to community‬

‭members (Alviola). Living in food deserts has detrimental impacts on a child's nutritional and‬

‭health status, as Alviola finds that the number of convenience stores in children’s areas (a‬
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‭common feature of food deserts) correlates to higher rates of childhood obesity in those‬

‭neighborhoods, which is linked to the development of chronic health issues. Lacking access to‬

‭healthy foods has far-reaching implications beyond day-to-day; they are more likely to have‬

‭long-term health‬‭chronic health‬‭issues, and adolescents‬‭in poorer health will go on to attain lower‬

‭levels of education in their lifetimes, which affects their long-term access to employment,‬

‭resources, and healthy foods for themselves and their families in the future (Alviola).‬

‭In recent years, research has found a link between diet and mental health–and therefore‬

‭an individual’s overall quality of life and experience. Research from Grajek et al. suggests that‬

‭diet can be a factor which contributes to mental health issues–but also that improving nutrition‬

‭could be used to treat and prevent mental health disorders. Their research suggests that nutrition‬

‭and diet can be used to replace or supplement traditional mental health interventions like‬

‭medication or therapy, demonstrating the power of access to healthy and organic food options‬

‭(Grajek et al.). I myself experienced the impact of changing my diet when I experienced‬

‭long-term depression during‬‭middle and high schoo‬‭my‬‭l‭y‬ outh‬‭. In‬‭8th and 9th grade‬‭middle‬

‭school‬‭, processed junk food was a way of life: I ate‬‭afternoon milk and cookies every day‬‭after‬

‭school‬‭, consumed In-N-Out‬‭and‬‭or‬‭McDonald’s‬‭for each‬‭meal‬‭ritualistically‬‭, bought 20 M&M‬

‭cookies from Subway to last for 2-3 days‬‭, downed 10-15‬‭Kit Kats‬‭and 10 M&M cookies‬‭in a‬

‭single day‬‭daily‬‭, and ordered Krispy Kreme glazed donuts‬‭most‬‭days of the week‬‭mornings‬‭.‬

‭Because I didn’t gain weight,‬‭I didn’t think there‬‭was an issu‬‭e with only eating a diet of junk‬

‭food and fast food‬‭e,‬‭.‬‭B‭b‬ ‬‭ut I experienced severe crashes,‬‭was‬‭constant‬‭ly‬‭exhausted‬‭exhaustion‬‭,‬

‭developed‬‭extreme insomnia, and‬‭stopped‬‭lack of‬‭focus‬‭ing‬‭on‬‭in‬‭school. My depression‬

‭worsened.‬‭I‬‭I decided‬‭to‬‭completely‬‭turned‬‭alter‬‭around‬‭my diet‬‭in 10th grade after being‬

‭incredibly depressed. In 11th grade, when‬‭in 11th grade,‬‭after‬‭my blood work came back, m‬‭m‭y‬ ‬
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‭doctor told me‬‭that‬‭I could get Type II diabetes‬‭by the time I was an adult‬‭in adulthood‬‭if I didn’t‬

‭alter my habits‬‭change‬‭. As soon as I‬‭changed‬‭improved‬‭my‬‭diet‬‭diet‬‭, I felt better‬‭and‬‭–‬‭clearer. I‬

‭regained structure in my life, received better sleep, and ultimately felt healthier. Processed junk‬

‭foods have negative effects because they lack nutrients and compounds necessary for our‬

‭physical and emotional health. Our bodies’ “proper functioning depends on the presence of‬

‭nutrients in food,” such as B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium, which despite being less present in‬

‭our foods, are crucial to‬‭the function of‬‭our nervous‬‭system‬‭–and therefore linked to mental‬

‭fitness‬‭(Grajek et al.). Restricted access to healthy‬‭foods restricts us from the healthy components‬

‭of life, like joy and stability.‬

‭The hoarding of natural resources for profit has created a significant barrier for‬

‭low-income families to access healthy food options. This inequity not only affects their physical‬

‭well-being but also extends to their mental health and educational opportunities. Addressing this‬

‭issue requires a concerted effort to ensure equitable distribution of natural resources, thereby‬

‭enabling better access to healthy foods for all, regardless of socioeconomic status. Perhaps, if we‬

‭collectively thought of food through a different lens, we could begin to see its value–not in profit‬

‭or self-gain–but in its ability to connect us, nourish us, and heal us. According to Robin W.‬

‭Kimmer, author of‬‭Braiding Sweetgrass,‬‭indigenous‬‭wisdom holds that natural products and food‬

‭shouldn’t be possessed and profited off of. Land should belong to itself, not to others, and‬

‭resource hoarding should not occur. Such measures are essential for fostering a society where‬

‭health and wellness are attainable to everyone, paving the way for a healthier, more educated,‬

‭and thriving population. The modern Food Justice Movement strives to change food’s status as a‬

‭currency, and make it a resource to all, through changing our thinking but also changing our‬

‭country’s infrastructure through community programs–from food gardens to nutrition assistance‬

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‭programs. Hopefully, through these efforts, we can see a change in our world–when products and‬

‭produce that are earth-grown are accessible to people–not just enclosed and confined within the‬

‭modern, museum-like structures of an Erewhon Market in Beverly Hills.‬

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‭Works Cited‬

‭Alviola, Pedro A., et al. “Food Deserts and Childhood Obesity.”‬‭Applied Economic Perspectives‬

‭and Policy‬‭, vol. 35, no. 1, 2013, pp. 106–24.‬‭JSTOR‬‭,‬

‭http://www.jstor.org/stable/23356424. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.‬

‭Freeman, Andrea. “Fast Food: Oppression through Poor Nutrition.”‬‭California Law Review‬‭, vol.‬

‭95, no. 6, 2007, pp. 2221–59.‬‭JSTOR‬‭, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20439143.‬‭Accessed 26‬

‭Nov. 2023.‬

‭Jackson, Margot I. “Understanding Links between Adolescent Health and Educational‬

‭Attainment.”‬‭Demography‬‭, vol. 46, no. 4, 2009, pp.‬‭671–94.‬‭JSTOR‬‭,‬

‭http://www.jstor.org/stable/20616490. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.‬

‭Grajek, Mateusz et al. “Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the‬

‭impact of diet on mental health.”‬‭Frontiers in Nutrition‬‭,‬‭Vol. 9, 943998. 22 Aug. 2022,‬

‭doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.943998.‬

‭Kimmer, Robin W. “The Gift of Strawberries.”‬‭Braiding‬‭Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,‬

‭Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants‬‭,‬‭Milkweed Editions, 2020, pp. 22–32.‬

‭Schlosser, Eric. “Why McDonald’s Fries Taste so Good.”‬‭The Atlantic‬‭Monthly; Boston‬‭, Jan.‬

‭2001.‬