For this time's blog post, I read the chapter titled The Consumer, A Republic of Fat. What's it about? You guessed it, people and fat.
He starts off by bringing us back to the 1900's when corn first started to become mass produced to a point of surplus. Farmers had managed to produce more corn than people could eat. To try to maximize profits and minimize waste, the excess corn was turned into corn whiskey. This surge of corn whiskey dropped prices, making whiskey extremely cheap and affordable. Everyone started to buy pints of whiskey to drink at every meal. Just as we drink soda, people back then drank whiskey. And rightfully so due to the affordability and abundance. Though the two drinks are entirely different, they're major ingredient is still the same: corn.
Coke was the first company that turned to corn as a substitute for sugar. A surplus of corn made high fructose corn syrup cheaper than real cane sugar. Very soon other soda companies adopted high fructose corn syrup as the sugar substitute. And as we all know, high fructose corn syrup is extremely high in calories, making it much easier to expand our waists.
Michael also addresses something similar to what we've discussed in class: a plant's ability to adapt to human needs. Corn has nailed it when it comes to being desired by humans. Just like how apples have appealed to our sweet tooth, corn too has evolved to become a very useful sugar substitute. Everyone already knows about the famous Johnny Appleseed, but perhaps there should be another figure who spreads the joy of corn across the nation. After all, corn is all around us.
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