Ever since Michelle Obama pulled my beloved French fries out of the vending machines at my high school, I knew it was war. What did my favorite snack ever do to our previous First Lady? It wasn't until I reached college that I began to open my eyes to America's epidemic: obesity. Portion sizes, sugars, carbohydrates, fried everything: it won over the older generation, which was then passed down through gastronomic tradition to the youth of this nation. The risk of diabetes, cancer and obesity increases due to the consumption of processed foods. Writer Michael Pollan discusses these growing problems and our ability to prevent them by consciously consuming healthier options in his book The Omnivore's Dilemma. When we look at all these fattening foods, one ingredient continues to linger: corn. Corn has become a staple in the agricultural industry here in the United States and has become the standard for all processed foods. Corn, while rooted in the history of American cuisine, may be linked to the growing obesity epidemic in the United States and other diseases such as E.Coli and cancer; Unfortunately, its large presence in Americans' diets may make it nearly impossible to eliminate this vegetable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Corn, at its basic level, was mass-produced due to multinational demand for corn products. In the documentary Food Inc., Troy Roush, vice president of the American Corn Growers Association, states that “30% of our land is planted with corn. This is largely driven by government policy… which, in effect, allows us to produce corn at a lower cost of production. The truth is that we are paid to overproduce." Large corporations have an interest in producing corn below cost for their financial gain. Coca-Cola, now the world's leading beverage company, uses high-fructose corn syrup as a cheap alternative to sugar. Chips and fast food chains have become the cheap and fast way to get energy as we rush through our lives. Tyson, one of the world's leading poultry companies, feeds its livestock corn. Not only are chickens fed corn, but our other meats, like pork and beef, are also fed exclusively corn. Why? Because corn is easily available without impacting the budget too much. America thrives on “fast and cheap” alternatives; In America's booming food industry, there is, in turn, a demand for corn. Corn has become one of the main ingredients in our meat feed due to its cost efficiency; however, as corners were cut, the frequency of E. Coli outbreaks increased. Because cows aren't built to consume the starchy material that is corn, they got fatter faster, but they also created a mutated bacterium that infects their stomachs. Allen Trenkle, a ruminant nutrition expert, explains these dangerous bacteria in the documentary Food Inc.: “There are microorganisms, bacteria in the rumen, millions of them. There is some research indicating that a diet high in corn causes acid-resistant E. Coli. And this would be the E. Coli more harmful." With the increase in E. Coli, there has been a direct correlation to the increase in meat consumption due to our ability to lower meat prices and how economically advantageous corn has become. In 2014 alone, the CDC said “eleven people [were] infectedfrom the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 have been reported from five states…seven sick people have been hospitalized. One sick person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure.” Consistent with this statement, in 2014, “the United States exported 1.7 billion metric tons (MT*) of beef and beef varieties.” (North American Meat Institute) As people get sick from E. Coli outbreaks and, in some cases, die, why are we increasing meat production instead of addressing the problem and trying to reduce these meat-related illnesses? Corn even makes us more susceptible to cancer. Lower blood fat levels lead to heart disease, due to “a lack of naturally occurring omega-3s found in healthier livestock feeds [which] lead to a poor omega-3/omega-6 ratio in fed animals usually with corn-based products." .” (Slanker Grass-Fed Meats) This category of “other diseases” includes cancer. Researchers from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute studied the correlation between Omega-3 tumors and breast cancer in mice: tumor growth rates in mice in the group fed the Cm diet were significantly greater than in mice on a of the two groups fed diets containing higher levels of menhaden oil... These results indicate that a high-fat diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can suppress human breast cancer cell growth and metastasis in this mouse model system. Omega-3s are proven to have rich benefits for the human body, but due to the corn epidemic, omega-3s are more commonly found in supplements rather than meat. Since cancer is one of the most studied diseases, why do we continue to ignore its signs? Why do we continue to see statistics about how this specific nutrient prevents cancer, but continue to feed ourselves products that can lead to that cancer? Cancer is just one reason why we should really pay attention to what we put in our bodies. In congruence with the consumption of corn products, the fear of childhood obesity stems from the growing number of children in America with type two diabetes. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, “nearly 26 million American adults and children suffer from diabetes. Approximately 79 million Americans age 20 and older have prediabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing diabetes.” Type two diabetes forms over time, and the first sign is insulin resistance. When the pancreas can no longer create enough insulin, the beta cells are damaged and all insulin production stops. Research conducted by Princeton University in 2015 found that “high fructose corn syrup caused significant weight gain in laboratory animals and further caused significant increases in abdominal fat after long-term consumption” . And as we consume more and more corn products like fructose, our body fails to break down its materials and forms insulin resistance: “fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or increase leptin production. Since insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain.” (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) Childhood obesity can lead to lifelong insulin dependence and increased body mass, all due to our cuisine's reliance on corn products. Businesses thrive on relationship.