Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay Everywhere where you go, there are fast food companies advertising their products. You take a road trip to your familys house, and what do you see? Rest stops filled with fast food restaurants. According to Google maps, there are close to 50,000 fast food chains across the United States. (with Mcdonalds being the largest restaurant chain. ) Fast food companies go above and beyond to lure you to buy their products. But what exactly is in their food? Not many people look into that. All theyre looking for is a quick fix and convenient food. But, what is this food doing to your body? How do you know what youre eating is good for you? In this essay, I explain in full detail about the pros and cons of consuming fast food. During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the U. S; and Also an increase in obesity-related medical problems. Such problems include: including type II diabetes, hypertension, caridiovascular disease, ect. In particular, diabetes has become the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Whats the cause of this? Genetic modification is a process in which the genetic make up of living organisms such as plants, animals bacteria, ect are altered. Thus the resulting organism is called genetically modified, genetic engineered or transgenic. By using the genetic information from one organism and inserting or modifying it into another organism, scientists can make food crops stay fresher, grow bigger, and have the crops create their own pesticides. Over the past 10 years, food has been improved in many ways. Before the second World War, all American beef was grass-finished, meaning that cattle ate pasture grass for the duration of their lives. Today, the vast majority of cattle spend anywhere from 60-120 days in feedlots being fattened with grain before being slaughtered. Most cattle today are being fed genetically modified corn, thanks to the Monsanto Corporation. Monsanto Corporation has been feeding the world with its genetically engineered food crops for many years. In 2001, Monsantos genetically modified crops accounted for 91% of the total area of genitcally modified crops planted worldwide. This resulted in Monsanto suing good farmers for copyright infringement. Monsantos crops would spread to neighborhood crops, and contaminate their vegetables. When farmers purchase a patented seed variety, they sign an agreement that they will not save and replant seeds produced from the seed they buy from Monsanto. They CANNOT outline the rules of use, for example, they are not allowed to save any of the seed from their crop to plant the next season. Saving seed is a common practice used for thousands of years, but Monsanto forbids it, requiring farmers to buy new seeds from the company every year. This moves on to farmers feeding their cattle genetically engineered maize. In factory farms in eastern Colorado, genetically modified corn grows next to the confined animal pens. Its DNA-altered pollen is blown over the stockyards, adding further to the contamination of the animals. Even worse, the urine-soaked manure from these animals is recycled as fertilizer in the adjacent corn fields, then contaminating the soil. That cycle of genetically modified toxin is then passed on to you in your meat. This brings us to beef sold in markets and in fast food chains. The artifical growth hormones in beef production poses a potential risk to human health. These six hormones include three which are naturally occurring: Oestradiol, Progesterone, and Testosterone; and three which are synthetic: Zeranol, Trenbolone, and Melengestrol. People have also questioned whether hormone residues in the meat of growth enhanced animals can disrupt human hormone balance, causing developemental problems, interfering with the reproductive system, and even leading to the developement of breast, prostate or colon cancer. Fast food chains such as Mcdonalds claims to use 100% beef though, that isnt entirely true. Americans are literally bombarded with ads for McDonals, Burger King, and Wendys. Icons like Michael Jordan to Drew Bledsoe are featured in Mcdonalds ads.. Even children are lured into their restaurants with the indoor playgrounds, and must have toys. Little do people know that consuming fast food can cause serious health damage. 52 million people are served at Mcdonalds daily, worldwide. 27 million americans out of that 52 eat Mcdonalds daily. Mcdonalds restaurants today seldom have their nutritional information charts up but which to be fair, isnt very nutritional at all. Their Big Mac is made up of 450 calories, 29 grams of fat, 1040 grams of sodium, and 9 grams of sugar. This is way too unhealthy. Mcdonalds promote their food as nutritious, but the reality is that it is junk food. Its high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fiber and vitamins. Most Americans today eat fast food atleast 3-4 times a month. A diet of this type is linked with a greater risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. A good question is how does Mcdonalds sell their cheeseburger so cheap? Heres how. Rumor has it that their meat is made from eyeballs, and intestines. Well, not true. Those things have a distinctly different texture and flavor than even the most finely ground muscle meat (Also more expensive. ) Mcdonalds meat is scraps of meat from the tough parts of the animal that arent sold at higher prices at your local grocery store. Its the strips, and scraps, and the unedible parts of the animal. This, obviously, is not fit for human consumption. But, there is technology in America that can turn that into edible food we eat today in fast food restaurants. After it being stripped of its fat, its then soaked in ammonia. The ammonia kills the pathogens lurking in the meat (E-Coli, Salmonella, ect.) It is then drained, and minced. After thats done, its shipped off to be sold at the cheapest price on their menu. Mcdonalds isnt the main reason why most Americans are obese, though their highly processed food is full of high fructose corn syrup all of which CAUSES obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, the amount of food and the frequent visits Americans choose is what causes the obesity. So, as you can see, genetically modified food has had a huge impact on American life. Advertising of unhealthy foods and products have spread worldwide and dangered the lives of many people (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovasular disease, ect).