You Are What You Eat

“The deepest problem that local-food efforts face, however, is that we’ve gotten used to paying so little for food” (McKibben 89). You are what you eat. That expression is probably the one most commonly heard over the past several years. Obesity has been a severe problem in the United States since the explosion of fast food restaurants. With food so cheap and inexpensive comes the price of what is actually in it. Many would be repulsed to find out what really is in their Big Mac. But why do we keep eating such unhealthy food? The answer is simple; it’s cheap. In times like these, who has the time and the money to pay for organic locally grown food? I know I do. “In the 1930’s a family might have spent a third of its income on food; middle-class Americans now spend more like a tenth” McKibben stated. In the 1930s fast food was none existent. So in fact, locally grown, fresh food is not as expensive as the hospital room most Americans will have to pay for after their heart attack.

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

“The self-sufficient all-around farms with which the colonists covered the continent have largely disappeared…But there is an exception to this trend: the quick spread in the last decade of the “community-supported agriculture” or CSA farm” (McKibben 49). I am incredibly proud to be involved with a CSA at my high school. It began two years ago and has made a major impact in our school community. Cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants and even pumpkins have been supplied to the families involved in making this farm possible. The CSA is a new, innovative way to not only provide organic, fresh vegetables but also help support local farmers. Although our CSA does not work directly with local farmers, the simple task of building a mini farm gathered the school community together allowing for a heightened sense of enthusiasm and togetherness.

Is it a Rich Man's World?

“In general, researchers report that money consistently buys happiness right up to about $10,ooo per capita income, and that after that point the correlation disappears” (McKibben 41). Money in the United States means much more than simply a meal for the day or a place to live in. It’s an obsession, an unhealthy one for that matter. Money, Money, Money. It’s constantly running through our minds. But really, what does it do for us? Sure it may buy those expensive pair of shoes, or even that red Ferrari you’ve always dreamed about. I know one thing that money can’t do and won’t be able to do until the dawn of time; it cannot buy happiness. It is as simple as that. McKibble noted that “Past the $10,000 point, there's a complete scattering”, meaning the correlation does not exist. I find it interesting how Americans are so consumed with making more money, increasing their income and so on, that they often forget about what really matters. So therefore, isn’t making more money making us less happy?