The Killer at Large

On Friday we went to see a screening of a documentary made by some friends of ours. After trekking back and forth across 42nd street we finally found the Times Center and snuck in the back happy just to be indoors and comfortable on such a miserably cold night.
It wasn't long until we were once again uncomfortable - but for different reasons. Like reading Michael Pollan (who was also interviewed for the film) watching this film made me take a good hard look at what I put into my body and support as a consumer. Most of the information wasn't necessarily new. But when put together it forms a horrifying picture - similar to how I eat. I justify what I am eating in the moment saying "oh, this one small fry won't hurt" or "I've never heard of anyone actually dying from twinkies." And I'm right. a small fry and one twinkie won't kill me. But when I look at my eating habits as a whole I realize that I eat processed foods far too often and that my consumption of eating processed foods doesn't even come from a genuine love for them but rather, from an addiction to corn syrup and a misunderstanding of how sacred the food process is.
I'm not obese - that's not the issue. But what standards of consumption do I have? How much do I respect real and genuine food and the long and beautiful process by which it comes to my table? Am I a smart enough consumer to make my own choices rather than be swayed by catchy promises of "omega-3 enriched!"? And the real issue is - do I translate these beliefs to my students and the people around me?