Chapter Six: The Consumer: A Republic of Fat

HFCS

In this chapter, Pollan equates our processed food and obesity issues with the national drinking binge of the 19th century. All other differences aside, Pollan focuses on the cause: "American farmers were producing far too much corn." Just like today, the thing to do with all that extra cheap corn was to process it. But, "the Alcoholic Republic has long since given way to the Republic of Fat." Sad, isn't it. According to the Surgeon General, fat is actually an official epidemic. And corn accounts for most of the surplus calories we eat, much of it in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Americans, on average, consume 66 pounds of HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) a year. And much of that is in soda, since HFCS is cheaper than sugar (corn refiners secured tariffs on imported sugarcane). Supersizing has also led to this problem, from McDonalds to a 21 ounce soda. If you haven't watched Supersize Me, I recommend it. From sickness, to obesity to diabetes, our nation is unhealthy. And we can thank, in part, corn. So why haven't we done anything about it yet? Because corn is cheap and people are hungry.