Eating disorder Quote by Barbara Kingsolver
““We're a nation with an eating disorder, and we know it. The multiple maladies caused by bad eating are taking a dire toll on our health--most tragically for our kids, who are predicted to be this country's first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. That alone is a stunning enough fact to give us pause. So is a government policy that advises us to eat more fruits and vegetables, while doling out subsidies not to fruit and vegetable farmers, but to commodity crops destined to become soda pop and cheap burgers. The Farm Bill, as of this writing, could aptly be called the Farm Kill, both for its effects on small farmers and for what it does to us, the consumers who are financing it.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Farm Kill”, The Atlantic, 2020
America’s diet crisis is worsened by policies that subsidize unhealthy foods, harming health and farmers alike.
In simple terms: Policy favors cheap junk over nutrition.
Advocate for healthier food subsidies.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- School meals
- community gardens
- legislative advocacy
- consumer choices
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can individuals influence food policy?
- What alternatives exist for sustainable agriculture?
Changing entrenched subsidies is politically difficult and faces industry resistance.