Ever since Michelle Obama took my beloved hot fries out of my high school vending machines, I knew it was war. What did my favorite snack 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, carbs, anything fried – this took hold of the older generation, which was then passed down through gastronomic tradition to the youth of this nation. The risk of diabetes, cancer and obesity all increase 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 break down all of these fattening foods, one ingredient persists: corn. Corn has become a staple in the agricultural industry in the United States and has become the standard for all processed foods. Corn, while ingrained in the history of American cuisine, may be linked to the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States and other diseases such as E.Coli and cancer; unfortunately, its significant presence in Americans' diets can make it almost impossible to eliminate this vegetable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the Original Essay Corn, at its core, has been mass produced due to the multi-international 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 to corn. This is largely due to government policy…which, in effect, allows us to produce corn at a price below the cost of production. The truth is that we are paid to overproduce. Large companies have an interest in producing corn at a loss for financial gain. Coca-Cola, now the world's leading beverage company, uses high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective alternative to sugar. Chips and fast food chains have become the most profitable and quick way to gain energy throughout our lives. Tyson, one of the world's largest chicken companies, feeds corn to its livestock. Not only are the chickens fed corn, but our other meats like pork and beef are fed exclusively corn. For what? Because corn is easily available without putting too much of a strain on the budget. America lives on “fast and cheaper” alternatives; In the booming American food industry, there is in turn a demand for corn. Corn has become one of the main ingredients in our meat diets due to its cost-effectiveness; however, as shortcuts were reduced, outbreaks of E. coli have increased in frequency. Because cows are not designed to consume the starchy material that is corn, they have not only gotten bigger faster, but also created a mutated bacteria that infects their stomachs. Allen Trenkle, an expert in ruminant nutrition, explains this dangerous bacteria in the documentary Food Inc.: “There are microorganisms – bacteria in the rumen, millions of them. Some research indicates that a diet high in corn results in acid-resistant E. coli. And that would be the E. Most harmful coli. With the increase in E. Coli, there has been a direct correlation with increased meat consumption due to our ability to lower meat prices and the profitability of corn. In 2014 alone, the CDC reported that "eleven people [were] infected withoutbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 in five states…seven sick people hospitalized. A sick person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Consistent with this claim, in 2014, “the United States exported 1.7 billion metric tons (MT*) of beef and beef products.” (North American Meat Institute) As people get sick from an outbreak of E. Coli and, in some cases, die from it, why are we increasing meat production rather than tackling the problem and trying to reduce these meat-related illnesses? Corn even makes us more vulnerable to cancer. Lower levels of fat in the blood lead to heart disease, which is due to "lack of natural omega-3s found in healthier livestock foods [which] leads to a poor omega-3 ratio /omega-6 in corn products regularly fed to livestock. » .” (Slanker's Grass-Fed Meats) This "other diseases" category 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 Cm diet group were significantly higher than in mice in the Cm diet group. mice from either of two groups fed a diet containing higher levels of menhaden oil… These results indicate that a diet high in fat and omega-3 fatty acids can suppress the growth of human breast cancer cells and metastases in this mouse model system. Omega-3 is proven to have rich benefits for the human body, but due to the corn epidemic, omega-3 is more commonly found in supplements than in meat. With cancer being one of the most studied diseases, why do we continue to ignore the signs? Why do we continue to see statistics about how this specific nutrient prevents cancer, yet we continue to feed ourselves products that may lead to that cancer? Cancer is just one reason why we should really watch what we put into our bodies. Along with the consumption of corn products, fear of childhood obesity stems from the growing number of children with type 2 diabetes in America. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, “nearly 26 million American adults and children have diabetes. About 79 million Americans ages 20 and older have prediabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing diabetes. Type 2 diabetes develops over time, with the first sign being insulin resistance. As the pancreas becomes unable to produce enough insulin, the beta cells become 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 a significant increase in abdominal fat after consumption at long term”. And as we consume more and more corn products like fructose, our bodies cannot break down its materials and form insulin resistance: "fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or increase leptin production. Because 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,..