Tordjman 1

Ethan Tordjman

Professor Beard

ENGL 110

3 December 2023

The Imprisonment of Natural Resources: Effects of Food Insecurity and Poor Nutrition

Modern, futuristic, almost museum-like. Vertical wooden slats are equidistantly spaced

from each other on the building’s exterior. Erewhon supermarket in Beverly Hills is a high-end

grocery store, with an array of healthy products, including carefully arranged produce sections of

fruits and vegetables. But the prices are through the (ultra-modern) roof expensive–with the store

recently receiving backlash for a single pound of strawberries priced at $20. Produce from our

shared earth is sold for astronomical prices at exclusive supermarket chains like Erewhon. This is

part of our modern world, where natural resources can be found sequestered–imprisoned–in

locked stores. Food consumption is exclusive, predicated on socioeconomic status. The area

around Erewhon matches this essence: nice gates restrict outsiders, and maintain distance from

neighbors; clear boundaries are cut with fences and streets, security guards, and gated

communities. We exist in a stratified and segregated world–but it wasn’t always this way. In

nomadic and indigenous societies, there was less division between people and land–a fluid

exchange between individuals. The earth-grown vegetables or legumes weren’t held captive.

However, when colonizers noticed crops could generate income, food became a currency, a way

to create wealth among the elite. In the process, access was taken from others. This has

considerable impacts beyond just taste or enjoyment. People from low-income families cannot

access healthy food because of the hoarding of natural resources for profit; this inequitable
 Tordjman 2

access to healthy foods impacts people’s overall physical health, educational attainment, and

mental stability and well-being.

Foods with low nutritional value, like junk food or fast food, have negative impacts on

people’s overall physical health, especially in marginalized and low-income communities. These

foods both lack nutritional benefits and contain harmful materials. In “Why McDonald’s Fries

Tastes So Good,” author Eric Schlosser discusses the prominence of “natural flavors”

manufacturing facilities, which produce chemicals commonly ingested by American consumers.

McDonald’s, like many other food companies, have stopped making fresh food and instead use

heavily processed, unhealthy, mysterious ingredients to cut costs while maintaining the same

taste. The “natural flavoring” has unknown chemical ingredients that makes the food palatable

for consumers, but not designed to benefit their health (Schlosser). Schlosser writes that the same

companies that manufacture the perfumes, deodorants, and floor wax that we use in our homes

are the same companies that manufacture the tastes of food. Foods that are heavily processed and

have artificial products are cheaper to produce, transport, and store and therefore, cheaper to

purchase–making these foods more accessible to low-income communities, especially those who

experience “food oppression” by living in “food deserts” (Freeman). For instance, Freeman’s

article, “Fast Food: Oppression Through Poor Nutrition,” considers the incredibly harsh effects

of poor nutrition, fast food consumption, and lack of access to healthy foods, especially for

low-income, urban communities of color. Fast food is more popular in low-income areas because

of larger systemic factors, like food deserts and prohibitive costs–but also because of heavy

media influence and advertising. African-American and Latino communities are therefore more

susceptible to health-related problems, such as being more likely to contract chronic health

problems and, therefore, have shorter life expectancies (Freeman).

 Tordjman 3

Consuming fast foods, and other unhealthy items with low-nutritional value, negatively

impacts students’ school performances and educational attainment. In the article “Understanding

Links between Adolescent Health and Educational Attainment,” author Margot Jackson

considers how the effect of adolescent health impacts their performance in school. In particular,

she discusses that differences in nutrition can explain educational disparities between students of

different racial backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses (Jackson). According to researcher

Pedro Alviola, the consumption of unhealthy foods is linked to chronic health conditions in

young people; chronic health issues prevent students from staying in school, being focused, and

excelling in the classroom. Students from low socioeconomic classes are more likely to eat foods

with low-nutritional value and live in “food deserts,” areas in which there are no natural, healthy

food options available to community members (Alviola). Living in food deserts has detrimental

impacts on a child's nutritional and health status, as Alviola finds that the number of convenience

stores in children’s areas (a common feature of food deserts) correlates to higher rates of

childhood obesity in those neighborhoods, which is linked to the development of chronic health

issues. Lacking access to healthy foods has far-reaching implications beyond day-to-day; they

are more likely to have chronic health issues, and adolescents in poorer health will go on to attain

lower levels of education in their lifetimes, which affects their long-term access to employment,

resources, and healthy foods for themselves and their families in the future (Alviola).

In recent years, research has found a link between diet and mental health–and therefore

an individual’s overall quality of life and experience. Research from Grajek et al. suggests that

diet can be a factor which contributes to mental health issues–but also that improving nutrition

could be used to treat and prevent mental health disorders. Their research suggests that nutrition

and diet can be used to replace or supplement traditional mental health interventions like
 Tordjman 4

medication or therapy, demonstrating the power of access to healthy and organic food options

(Grajek et al.). I myself experienced the impact of changing my diet when I experienced

long-term depression during my youth. In middle school, processed junk food was a way of life:

I ate afternoon milk and cookies every day, consumed In-N-Out or McDonald’s ritualistically,

downed 10-15 Kit Kats and 10 M&M cookies daily, and ordered Krispy Kreme glazed donuts

most mornings. I didn’t think there was an issue, but I experienced severe crashes, constant

exhaustion, extreme insomnia, and lack of focus in school. My depression worsened. I decided to

completely alter my diet in 11th grade, after my doctor told me I could get Type II diabetes in

adulthood if I didn’t change. As soon as I improved my diet, I felt better–clearer. I regained

structure in my life, received better sleep, and ultimately felt healthier. Processed junk foods

have negative effects because they lack nutrients and compounds necessary for our physical and

emotional health. Our bodies’ “proper functioning depends on the presence of nutrients in food,”

such as B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium, which despite being less present in our foods, are

crucial to our nervous system–and therefore linked to mental fitness (Grajek et al.). Restricted

access to healthy foods restricts us from the healthy components of life, like joy and stability.

The hoarding of natural resources for profit has created a significant barrier for

low-income families to access healthy food options. This inequity not only affects their physical

well-being but also extends to their mental health and educational opportunities. Addressing this

issue requires a concerted effort to ensure equitable distribution of natural resources, thereby

enabling better access to healthy foods for all, regardless of socioeconomic status. Perhaps, if we

collectively thought of food through a different lens, we could begin to see its value–not in profit

or self-gain–but in its ability to connect us, nourish us, and heal us. According to Robin W.

Kimmer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, indigenous wisdom holds that natural products and food
 Tordjman 5

shouldn’t be possessed and profited off of. Land should belong to itself, not to others, and

resource hoarding should not occur. Such measures are essential for fostering a society where

health and wellness are attainable to everyone, paving the way for a healthier, more educated,

and thriving population. The modern Food Justice Movement strives to change food’s status as a

currency, and make it a resource to all, through changing our thinking but also changing our

country’s infrastructure through community programs–from food gardens to nutrition assistance

programs. Hopefully, through these efforts, we can see a change in our world–when products and

produce that are earth-grown are accessible to people–not just enclosed and confined within the

modern, museum-like structures of an Erewhon Market in Beverly Hills.

 Tordjman 6

Works Cited

Alviola, Pedro A., et al. “Food Deserts and Childhood Obesity.” Applied Economic Perspectives

and Policy, vol. 35, no. 1, 2013, pp. 106–24. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/23356424. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

Freeman, Andrea. “Fast Food: Oppression through Poor Nutrition.” California Law Review, vol.

95, no. 6, 2007, pp. 2221–59. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20439143. Accessed 26

Nov. 2023.

Jackson, Margot I. “Understanding Links between Adolescent Health and Educational

Attainment.” Demography, vol. 46, no. 4, 2009, pp. 671–94. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20616490. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

Grajek, Mateusz et al. “Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the

impact of diet on mental health.” Frontiers in Nutrition, Vol. 9, 943998. 22 Aug. 2022,

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.943998.

Kimmer, Robin W. “The Gift of Strawberries.” Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,

Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, Milkweed Editions, 2020, pp. 22–32.

Schlosser, Eric. “Why McDonald’s Fries Taste so Good.” The Atlantic Monthly; Boston, Jan.

2001.