Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America

Christy Conte is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

This is a remarkable thorough look at the economic, political, and
cultural factors that determine the way Americans have looked at food
over the past 60 years or so. Levenstein has managed to uncover major
themes in nutritional history using a huge body of literature that
includes (but is not restricted to) the popular press, medical journals,
government archival evidence, and private letters.

Levenstein’s earlier volume, Revolution at the Table: The
Transformation of the American Diet, examined the years 1880 to 1930.
Paradox of Plenty begins with the Great Depression and carries through
to the present day. All the major developments are covered, from wartime
breadlines, rationing, and “vitamania” to the rise of the food
processors, “nutritional terrorists,” fast-food culture, and
“cholesterolphobia.” This history is particularly provocative for
its constant questioning of the motivation behind official policy and
for its proposition that food scares and other fiascoes have been
self-induced, the ill-fated result of policy-makers convinced of the
necessity and viability of a national food policy.

There is something for everyone here. The average consumer will be
fascinated by the politics associated with the distribution of our daily
bread, while those in the nutritional field may experience some degree
of discomfort at the author’s implicit warnings against universal
rules of nutrition.