Blog entry #5- In Class 812 at the Secondary School for Journalism (SSJ) we have spent the last two months examining issues around food. We have been doing this in conjunction with the Center for Economy, Environment, and Society (CEES) of Columbia University and Ms. Kim Baker. We were concerned with studying food deserts, and the growth and prevalence of the fast food industry, and the effects both of these problems have on the health of Americans. We also looked at the possibilities for a healthier lifestyle and how we might change our diets and also how we might encourage healthier alternatives for those around us.
As part of our study we watched “Super Size Me”, which is about a film maker who spent a month eating McDonald’s food exclusively. We read Chew On This, which details the rise and practices of the American fast food industry. We read a variety of articles which described the relationship we have with food as a society and the way government wants us to live one way but then promotes food which is bad for us.
We did most of our work in Room 300 at SSJ, but we had an opportunity to take our work out of the classroom. We looked at our neighborhoods to determine whether or not we lived in food deserts ourselves. Many of us live in neighborhoods where it is hard to get fresh real food. We took a trip to the Union Square Greenmarket where we had an opportunity to try fresh local food and learn about the benefits of buying food from neighboring farms. We kept food journals to make us more mindful of where and how we eat. And yet we still have a taste and desire for fast food. Hopefully we will use what we have learned to change our behavior…
