Consumed: Why Americans Hate, Love, and Fear Food [Paperback]

Michelle Stacey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 1995

Something has happened to food in America. It is no longer simply food-- filling, good-tasting, life-sustaining. Rather, it is "fat free" or "high in fiber" or "loaded with calories"-- it is an enemy that will steal life away, or a savior that will prolong it. In this provocative and entertaining look at the uniquely American obsession with food, Michelle Stacey chronicles the psychological and cultural forces that have transformed oat bran and broccoli into magical totems, and steak, butter, and eggs into killers. Stacey takes us on a revealing journey through the landscape of American food paranoia-- from supermarkets, to restaurant kitchens, to research labs-- and ultimately suggests a new answer to our fears, one that takes into account our ancient and abiding love for eating. Perceptive and original, "Consumed" will change the way you think about food.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Elle columnist Stacey interviews chefs, scientists, high-fat lovers, health gurus and others to examine America's obsession with food.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A contributor to such magazines as The New Yorker and a former editor at Mademoiselle , Savvy , and Outside magazines, Stacey here attempts a look at America's neurotic love-hate relationship with food. Cataloging the long history of food hype and hysteria from the Puritans through the 19th century's health-food revival down to our current low-fat, low-cholesterol present, she examines the paradoxical view of food as both fat-laden killer and sensuous sustainer of life. In conclusion, Stacey calls for a return to "normal" eating, asking Americans to rediscover the social and ritual joys of food. Unfortunately, by providing a one-sided polemic, Stacey is guilty of the same sin of which she accuses health-food advocates. She dismisses mainstream concerns for food safety and ignores global environmental and other nonnutritional factors for changing one's diet. By lumping together genuine health concerns such as pesticide residues and chemical additives with zero-calorie fat and designer food, Stacey does a great disservice to the serious issues of food safety and healthier eating habits. It's a shame that a much-needed call for moderation is subsumed by facile arguments and shallow reportage. Not recommended except for some interesting historical trivia.
- Jeffery Ingram, Newport P.L., Ore.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (April 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671501011
• ISBN-13: 978-0671501013
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,711,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Consumed: Why Americans Love, Hate and Fear Food, May 30, 2002

By 

P. M. Ryan "modern_graphics" (Estes Park, Co United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Consumed: Why Americans Hate, Love, and Fear Food (Paperback)

Excellent, wonderful book. Cuts through all the garbage and clearly shows us why we, as Americans, are so fat. Thought provoking,intelligently written, a must read for anyone who wonders why there are so many conflicting reports on weight loss. Completely freed me of my many food obsessions and enabled me to lose (forever) 40 pounds,while ONLY eating foods I enjoy. I can't thank the author enough.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good primer on anti-diet thought, August 1, 2004

By 

B. McGovney (Redondo Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Consumed: Why Americans Love, Hate, and Fear Food (Hardcover)

An interesting book-length essay on the politics of food science and culture in the United States. Stacy looks at the weird ways Americans are altering their diets in order to measure up to some imagined nutritional ideal. She interviews several scientists, chefs and food writers who claim that the result is a pathological and cultural fear of food that brings about the very problems that these altered diets were meant to avoid. Along the way, the book pauses to talk with the inventor of Olestra, the fat substitute that failed abysmally in the marketplace, and with the head of the nation's leading vegetarian advocacy group. This is a good companion volume to the last few chapters of Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, and a necessary waystation for anyone contemplating a radical change in diet.

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing examination of America's eating obsessions, April 2, 2010

By 

Angela T - See all my reviews

This review is from: Consumed: Why Americans Love, Hate, and Fear Food (Hardcover)

An entertaining, if at times slightly disorganized look at the history and current state of America's food fads and misguided obsessions in the name of nutrition. Written in 1994, some of the things the author discusses can already seem a little dated since food fads live and die so quickly but the overall book is still just as relevant if not more so now.