200-300 words for the post will be fine, and help me two reply to post. (I will send you later)

Please view video at the following link :

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sN9Zf5BBmk

Give your reaction to this 30 minute Documentary Film HBO made this documentary film as part of its Weight of the Nation series. Though from 2012, the trend in obesity has continued to rise. Here also is a 2015 4 minute video from PBS, In Defense of Food

Choose any of the following to respond to this discussion:

• Listen to the stats about some of the facts presented from the HBO documentary (there are more than what’s listed here):What is your opinion of any of these statistics you have heard?
  • Nationwide, the amount of produce imported from other countries has tripled since the 1990s
  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 out of 10 Americans fail to eat enough fruits and vegetables daily
  • Less than 15% of USDA public funding for agricultural research and development goes toward fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops (remember the USDA is an agency in conflict with itself where just about 1-less than 10% of the agency recommends to Americans how to eat, however, more than 90% of the agency supports the industry, the farmer, the food chain, if you will. This means big business – corporate dollars – have an influence on the entire food industry, not necessarily related to what is most healthy.)
  • *In the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress directed USDA to provide $45 billion (that’s BILLION) in support to farmers….BUT fruit and vegetable programs received less than 3% (that’s only 1.35 billion) of those funds.
• Corn subsidies…had you ever heard of farm subsidies? Check the Internet if unsure what these corn subsidies are and their effect on the economy. What did you learn about the relationship between agricultural subsidies and nutrition, if any? Any thoughts about corn being put into so many products?
• What is your overall reaction with regard to nutrition and the food ‘plate’ (formerly the pyramid) and the role of government?
• What is your opinion about how the “market demands change” (similar to “if you build it, they will come,” from the movie called Field of Dreams); is it possible to change the way Americans think about the foods they eat? Do you think people already are becoming more conscientious?
• *Why do think the government programs are not shifting from “industrial” farming to “local” production of fruits and vegetables?
• Will what you are/have learned about the science of nutrition as well as what you have viewed in this course cause you to purchase food differently? Or will you personally continue to shop similarly to how you always have? Do you think the short PBS video supports any part of the longer documentary? Explain.
• Explain why you do or do not agree that without supporting the farmer to change the foods grown in the crops, ultimately making those available to the market, the obesity epidemic will continue?