Section 1
The Changing Significance of Food [Overnourished and Undernourished in America]
What is "overnutrition," and how does Mead argue that it came to be a problem?
What specific evidence does Mead provide for her assertion that biological traits as well as social traits lead to the diseases of affluence?
Who is the audience for her argument? How are they affected by it?
What is her purpose, given that audience? Provide textual evidence for your answer.
What rhetorical opportunity does Mead address? What is her thesis statement? What supporting assertions does she make about the roots of this problem? What evidence does she provide to support her assertions about the sources of the problem?
How does Mead establish the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos? Provide textual evidence to support your answer. Which of the rhetorical appeals does she rely on most? Be prepared to share your answer with the rest of the class.