Book Review: In Defense of Food

 
The essence of Michael Pollan's follow-up to the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma can be reduced to this simple directive: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." At least it seems simple until Pollan begins "unpacking" these seven words with his unusual blend of wit and intelligence and we realize that what we're eating (often way too much of) isn't really food at all. Americans are suffering from more diet-related diseases than ever before, he says, and yet, "We are becoming a nation of orthorexics: people with an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating." Apparently food--real food--is indeed in need of defense.
 
Pollan begins his informative, highly entertaining book with an explanation of what he calls "nutritionism," the study and science of food as a collection of individual nutrients rather than the sum of those parts. Although the roots of nutritionism go back over a century, the concept took hold in the 1980s when packaged foods began being advertised as "no cholesterol," "low fat," etc. Demonizing one nutrient (let's say fat) and exalting another (let's say protein) quickly led to warring diet fads but not to better health or slimmer bodies. It seems that a beta-carotene pill is no substitute for, as Pollan puts it, "the soul of a carrot."
 
However, Pollan says, nutritionism is just one of our problems. Humans are omnivorous yet, in the West at least, we have reduced our diets to a combination of wheat, soy and corn. We Americans eat one-fifth of our meals in the car and depend on visual cues (an empty plate or the end of a TV show) to tell us when to stop eating instead of when our stomachs feel full. The organic produce in supermarkets comes from China and much of what we snack on would not be recognized as food by our great-grandmothers. As for the meat we consume--be very afraid.  Worst of all, we no longer take any pleasure in eating.
 
Although In Defense of Food is neither a polemic nor an instruction manual, Pollan does have some sensible, simple suggestions that anyone who's ever faced down the ingredient list on a package of Twinkies will appreciate. Avoid the center aisles of the supermarket, he says, as that is where most packaged, processed food-like products beckon. Furthermore, eschew products making spurious health claims on their packages. Whenever possible, buy produce from CSAs (community supported agriculture), which has the dual benefit of supporting the local economy and providing fresh, whole foods. Once you have the food (not too much, mostly plants), Pollan says, you must prepare it. Real meals do not come in microwavable boxes.

Eat food, Pollan says. It's excellent advice, superbly served.--Debra Ginsberg