Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-205) and index.

Provides an alternative history of nutrition in the U.S. that focuses on the power of scientific language. As nutritional studies proliferate, producing more and more knowledge about connection between diet and health, Americans seem increasingly confused about what to eat to stay healthy. In Measured Meals, Jessica J. Mudry looks at language used in the United States to communicate about health and nutrition, and reveals its effects on reframing, reshaping, and controlling what and how Americans eat. Analyzing the USDA and American federal food guidelines over the past one hundred years, Mudry shows how the language of nutrition has evolved over time. She critiques trend of discussing food in terms of quantification : calories, vitamins, and serving sizes. She also examines how organizations such as the USDA attempt to legislate a healthy diet by mandating quantities of food based on measurable nutrients, revealing the power of language to make meaning and influence social action--Publisher's description.

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