Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-210) and index.

What controversies surround nutrition? -- Is the U.S. food supply safe? -- Are fast and snack foods responsible for obesity among youth? -- Are organic foods a positive trend?

The politics of food / Marian Burros -- Government dietary guidelines are political, not scientific / Walter C. Willett -- Health studies overemphasize the impact of diet / Barry Glassner -- Obesity is not a public health issue / Radley Balko -- Bans of certain foods are absurd / The Center for Consumer Freedom -- The best diet is the product of common sense / Jacob Sullum -- Misleading nutritional advice has led to an unsustainable diet / Michael Pollan -- The government's food stamp program encourages poor eating / Patt Morrison -- Irradiation and genetically modified foods increase food safety / Henry I. Miller -- New food technologies are safer than older ones / Thomas R. DeGregori -- New biotechnologies increase the safety and availability of food crops / Gregory Conko -- Hormone use in dairy cows increases milk production and is safe / John Fetrow -- Self-regulation by the food industry keeps food safer than government regulation does Steve Chapman -- Food safety regulations and lack of enforcement leave America's food supply unsafe / Paul Krugman -- New technologies supplant old precautions with high-tech shortcuts / Marion Nestle -- New technologies of raising animals decrease food safety / Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson -- Genetic engineering is too dangerous to be used in human foods / Brian Tokar -- More powerful antibiotics in dairy cattle increase the likelihood of drug-resistant bacteria infecting humans / Minneapolis Star Tribune -- Wellness programs encompass diet and exercise / Amanda Paulson -- Snack foods and school-lunch fast foods contribute to childhood obesity / Greg Critser -- TV marketing of junk food affects children's food preferences / Sally Squires -- Schools offering fast food sacrifice student health for profits / Kelly D. Brownell and Katherine Battle Horgen -- Banning fast-food advertising would not reduce childhood obesity / Radley Balko -- Inactivity, not soft drinks, is to blame for obesity / Richard Berman -- Environmental factors and genetics are the source of obesity / Barry Glassner -- Identifying organic food / National Organic Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture -- Organically produced food improves human, animal, and environmental health / Peter Singer and Jim Mason -- Organic foods are healthier for children / Sandra Steingraber -- Organic production wastes land that could be used for direct food production / Alex A. Avery -- Organic farming can lead to soil depletion and widespread starvation / Ronald Bailey -- The organic movement will not enact real environmental changes / The Economist -- Affordable organic food is not sustainable / James Joyner.