Beyond Organically Farmed Chicken Leads To a Healthier You Michael Nnadi
ENGL 135
DeVry University
June 17, 2012

Abstract
This paper covers the trends associated healthy eating especially in relation to the assumption that eating chicken labeled “organic” leads to better health. Partly because of the increase in the obesity rate in the United States, people have begun to pay more attention to the labels on the food they consume. Consequently producers of agricultural products especially chicken try to meet the minimum standards required to affix the “organic” label on their product. While “organic” means that the chicken does not contain fungicides, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, hormones, or herbicides, it does not imply the absence of strong antibiotics, and other toxic vaccinations which coincide with the industrial system of farming. In a society with increasing awareness of the importance of a healthy diet one must look beyond the label “organic” in order to actually have a healthy diet.

Beyond Organic Chicken Leads To a Healthier You. In a nation where obesity-related diseases account for a huge percentage of the medical spending, or as the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2009, an estimated $147 billion a year is spent on obesity-related diseases. It is no surprise that consumers are more aware of the importance of a healthy diet. Consumers at supermarkets are now faced with the task of making a choice for the healthiest yet affordable agricultural products. Emphasis placed on the advantages of organically farmed foods over industrially farm foods, has eased the decision making process for some consumers who go through counters in search of products labeled “organic.” Influenced by the consumer’s increased awareness and change in their preferences some producers have slightly