Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

Food is the most important component of everyday life. We look to food as just something that is supposed to be taken in 3 times a day, and how you take it in depends on what’s surrounding you. Now in days we have a society that has now figured out the complexities of food, the negative and positive affects of what the average American seems to love and be most drawn to. For example if you put a green market poster and a fast-food poster and asked an American to go for the one they want, they would be drawn to the fast-food. A Discourse is a purposeful discussion or debate about a certain subject. In a discourse you have a Dominant discourse and a Marginal discourse. A dominant discourse is the ruling point of view on the subject, whereas the marginal discourse is a viewpoint that less follow. The dominant discourse that we face now regarding food ways in the United States is food that benefits the human body should be essential in the daily practices of every American.

The dominant discourse consist of scientists, nutritionists, the news, magazines, newspapers and radio in which have all contributed to influencing the how most of the population sees food. Were all basically puppets that are controlled by the puppeteer that is the dominant discourse that is enforced on us on a daily basis. Referring to the article from the New York Times "Told to Eat Its Vegetables, America Orders Fries
" by Kim Severson shows the efforts of the government and people pushing to better the eating way of the American people. "Despite two decades of public health initiatives, stricter government dietary guidelines, record growth of farmers’ markets and the ease of products like salad in a bag, Americans still aren’t eating enough vegetables." this shows that government officials, Michelle Obama, health centers and more have pushed to try and help the United States problem of obesity and unhealthiness. If one tactic on preventing obesity or unhealthiness doesn’t work or show results than we will be persuaded into trying another one.

In an article from the New York Times, "Fixing a World That Fosters Fat" by Natasha Singer". The name for the title speaks for itself. How could you fix the mentality of people who live in a society where unhealthy food and bad habits have been engraved in our minds in a variety of strategic ways. It states in the article," If you take a changed person and put them in the same environment, they are going to go back to the old behaviors,” says Dr. Edington, who has a doctorate in physical education. “If you change the culture and the environment first, then you can go back into a healthy environment and, when you get change, it sticks.” Dr. Edington explains that our bad habits will not change over time because we have lived in a manipulative and unhealthy environment all our lives. Now were being looked to make an effort and change. our culture is now trying to instill  healthy through numerous ways like TV shows and how to cook "green food" cook books so we could reach that point where eating healthy is the normal thing to do.