Here I am, reviewing yet another book by Michael Pollan… what can I say? It is urgent to read Pollan. If one of his books replaced each sugary snack sold in vending machines in US schools, the world would be a better place (and it wouldn’t be such a silly place to start, when one knows the correlation between sugar-laden diets, hyperactivity in children and teen violence). In this Eater’s Manifesto, the ever sharp minded Pollan sets to debunk quite a few dietary fads of the past 70 years or so, and defines a seemingly simple, common-sense approach to food: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. It will surprise a lot of his readers, but the vast majority of the new products that flock the aisles of the average supermarket each year do not deserve to be labelled as food. From the widespread use of chemicals and sweeteners, to bogus health claims and nutritionist myths, Pollan addresses all the contradictions of the modern food industry and its collusion with Big Pharma, and advocates a return to simple, portion-controlled meals. Easier said than done, in a world where the safety of the food chain has been compromised to a point that one can now die from EHEC-contaminated beansprouts. If Pollan’s material covers mostly US sources, his conclusions can be extended to many a modern society. Anyone with a sincere interest in their, and the planet’s, long term health should read Pollan.
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