Chapter 6

Connecting via Shared Experiences: Writing to Inform and Explain

A comment that we often hear is that we live in the Information Age. We collect information and make sense of it by what Channel and Crusius note as “interpreting and presenting information . . . and constructing knowledge” (118). We gather data, “or statements about a topic that are not in dispute” (118). We write to communicate that information to others by presenting reasons and explanations. Through expository writing we explain and inform. The following faculty essays provide ways in which you can develop the skill of writing to inform and explain.

Writing to Explain Information

Mary R. Lamb

Writing to explain information connects you to others. This type of writing appears in professional writing as well as academic scholarship, which is written by and reviewed by scholars who are specialists in their fields. In addition, mainstream publications, such as Discover (science), Psychology Today, Smithsonian, and The Scientific American, often publish articles that explain such scholarship to mainstream audiences. Summary is also useful in other types of writing, such as arguments, since you first must be able to fairly summarize issues to your audience before presenting your argument. In other words, summary is useful for you as a reader as a way of learning information, researching a topic you want to learn about, and/ or understanding an issue. Next, the genre is important for you as a writer as a way of explaining information to your audience.

To understand how writers treat the same topic differently according to different audiences, compare a scholarly article (written for experts) to a mainstream article (written for general audiences). Find these in Galileo: “Stress Tolerance: New Challenges for Millennial College Students,” published in the June 2012 (46.2) issue of the College Student Journal and “Stress Carry-Over and College Student Health Outcomes,” published in the September 2012 (46.3) issue of the same journal. Compare it to a mainstream article that presents research findings on stress, “This is Your Brain on Meltdown.” What are the differences in articles written for these two different audiences? Discuss the evidence used in each article. For more information about the differences, see EasyWriter, Chapter 11 “Conducting Research” and Chapter 12 “Evaluating Sources and Taking Notes.” Compare and contrast these articles so you can learn the differences between scholarly and mainstream essays.

Another way to think about your audience is by interest, age, education, hobbies, political views, religious views, etc. Many articles written for mainstream, not scholarly, audiences are also written for specialized audiences based on interest, so they might still be challenging for non- specialists. Consider Writer’s Digest (for professional writers), Developer Network Journal (for software developers), Contract (for interior design professionals), and Super Street (for people who fix up and race cars). Browse articles in these magazines online and think about how the writers address the audience’s knowledge, assumptions, and interests.

Recognizing these differences will help you as you research your essay, which will explain a concept or information to a mainstream, but academic, audience. Thus, most of your sources will be reliable and accurate, but not necessarily scholarly.

In this chapter, you’ll read an informational essay about reflective writing and others that your instructor assigns. Note that Giles used various methods for finding the information she includes, and she uses a blend of published studies and professional experience.

Spotlight on the Expository Purpose

The expository rhetorical mode describes the conventions and purposes inherent in the type of communication that intends to inform an audience about a concept, explain a topic or an idea, describe a process or explore when, how, and why a problem has occurred. Instructors often ask students to explain an idea or a process and there are several other ways instructors refer to essays that ask students to explain something. Instructors may refer to this mode of writing as informational, explanatory, exploratory or expository writing. Although writers use these terms interchangeably, each form has its own nuances.

In First-Year Writing, we will be referring to this type of writing as expository writing or writing with the purpose to inform or to explain.

The Rhetorical Situation and Expository Writing

Although rhetoric is often associated with someone trying to convince another person to agree with his or her idea, rhetoric is also any act involving deliberate communication between people to convey an idea or relay a topic. In expository writing, the rhetorical situation is the context in which your rhetorical act, wherein two or more people intend to communicate about an issue, takes place. When thinking about the rhetorical situation, consider what “situation” has informed the writer’s need to communicate and what conditions exist to facilitate discourse. The issue (exigence) you are presenting is the central aspect of your writing, but writers should also consider other important elements such as purpose, setting, text, author & audience.

For expository writing, we should consider these aspects of the rhetorical situation:

Issue

In formal rhetoric, we refer to the issue as the exigence.

Purpose

The purpose addresses the reason why the person has decided to communicate this topic or idea. Expository essays are very different from argumentative essays. Rather than writing to persuade an audience to believe as you suggest they should, your goal is to find out more about a topic and then explain it to your audience.

Setting

A rhetorical situation can occur in a wide variety of settings—in class, in a business meeting, over dinner, and even on social media. Although you are writing your expository essay in your FYW class, you should also think about where else you could discuss this idea or topic. Would this idea still be relevant in a different time or place?

Text

The text is the medium or form the communication takes such as a painting, advertisement, sign, letter, blog post, research essay, ballad or speech. Note: For the expository genre of writing, multiple mediums are effective, so follow your instructor’s guidelines for the appropriate medium and format to publish your content.

Author

The author is formally referred to as “rhetorician.” You are the author of this particular essay, but anyone who initiates communication with an audience is the author.

Audience

The audience is able to make a difference as interested, intelligent readers. Although you are writing for your instructor and peers in your FYW class, consider who else may be interested in learning more about your topic.

Remember to consider the multiple identities and cultures people assume and how these concepts inform the audience’s rhetorics.

Prewriting

Once you are clear on the rhetorical situation and have chosen your topic, you want to collect more information, talk to others, and organize your thoughts. Several effective prewriting strategies can help you do just that. Free-writes, Jot-lists, Outlines, Clusters, T-graphs, Webs, Venn diagrams and a host of other graphic organizers can help you narrow down and organize your thoughts. Here a few student examples:

Freewriting

Freewriting involves just freely writing what you know about a subject without regard for organization, clarity or unity. You are just getting your ideas out on paper. See Sebastian’s free-write about food deserts below.

I am super interested in food deserts, I really don’t know much about it besides a news report I saw once. I do recall needing dairy- free coconut creamer because I can’t with that other junk and not being able to find it at the corner store. There isn’t a good grocery store in walking distance and the store closest to my family requires two bus transfers and it doesn’t even have that milk. Come to think of it, there is no produce there. The staff is crazy rude. My mom hates that place and we always end up having to go to another store for stuff we want or need.

Although Sebastian needs to do more research about this particular phenomenon, he has some ideas about why “food deserts,” or neighborhoods without access to fresh food and produce, are an issue worth exploring further. Yes, his free-write has errors and does not follow the conventions of academic essay writing, but he is just getting his ideas out—which is the point. Sebastian’s full free-write is about a page and

a half of handwritten single-spaced text, and he used this, along with several body paragraphs of his resultant Cultural Critique, as his artifact to demonstrate the writing process in his portfolio. Sebastian’s resulting cultural critique may incorporate some of his personal experience, but the focus of his inquiry is in defining the term “food deserts” and figuring out why they are a problem. See Lamb’s “Connecting to a Community: Writing Cultural Criticism,” for more details on this assignment.

Listing

As a college writer, for lists to be effective, students should consider the entries on their lists as responses to a series of research focused questions that may be, as of yet, unanswered. Look at Christina’s jot-list model below for her essay on The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

• Why is it important? Too many citizens are incarcerated for non- violent crimes. The country has more prisoners that most other industrialized countries (CNN 11/13/2017 “Incarceration Nation”).
• How many Americans are incarcerated? According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJ5), 2.2003 adults were incarcerated in US federal and state prisons, and county jails in 2013 – about less than 1% of adults (1 in 110) in the U.S. resident population.
• Which group is most affected? Although the bulk of male prisoners are white. African American men are disproportionately represented (Duvernay film 13).
• Has there been an increase in the number of citizens imprisoned and why? Yes, crime dropped though? Clinton buckled under pressure and passed a law that increased the number of prisoners.
• Summary—I think I will focus on the law Clinton passed in 1994 because the prison population boomed even more after.

Christina conducted quite a bit of research and even constructed a formal outline to organize her essay. Later, she built on the Cultural Critique assignment and developed a solid argumentative essay for 1102, which is available to read later in the book.

Research

Writers conduct research for expository writing to find out as much as they can on a topic. Below are some questions you can consider when devising a research strategy:

• What is the issue?
• Why is the issue important?
• How did the issue come about?
• How is a process done?
• Who are the decision makers and stakeholders involved in creating or resolving an issue?
• What possible solutions exists to resolve a problematic issue?

*You do not have to argue for a solution to the issue at this point. The point of the expository essay is to ask an inquiry question and find out as much as you can to try to answer your question. Then write about your inquiry and findings.

The Big Question

Students who write expository essays should begin with the question they want to answer and conduct research intended to respond to that question. Consider the following examples:

• How does the legislature confirm Supreme Court justices?
• How do filmmakers secure financing for films?
• How can readers figure out what is or isn’t “fake news”?
• What happened during the Atlanta Race Riots of 1906?
• What are the differences and similarities between the immigration bills introduced by Republicans and Democrats?
• How did the Great Barrier Reef Garbage Patch form?
• What were the causes and consequences of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994?

The purpose of this type of writing is to inquire about a topic, collect information, and disseminate what you found to your audience. Your response to the question you proposed can help you construct a sound thesis (main idea for your essay). Here is a sample thesis that responds to the question—How do filmmakers secure financing for films:

Filmmakers can use several crafty strategies to secure personal funds, crowd-sourced funds, government grants, or studio generated funds to finance their films.

Here is a sample thesis that responds to the question—How can readers figure out what is or isn’t “fake news”:

Readers looking for quality sources can figure out what is or isn’t “fake news” by evaluating the quality of the information, the type of publication, who produced it, and what the outlet’s explicit or implicit biases may be.

Notetaking

Be sure you take notes and annotate properly. A hallmark of good academic research is being able to organize and retrieve the research effectively. There are many ways to effectively take notes. Develop a systematic way that works for you. In addition, good note taking can help you avoid. *Citation Note: For more details on properly citing source material, refer to your handbook.

Drafting: Organization for Expository Essays

If you are writing a traditional academic expository essay, this structure may be useful:

Introduction

The introduction previews the topic. You may consider briefly outlining the topic’s central issues, the individuals concerned about the topic and what may have been done to address the topic or what may have transpired to cause any problems associated with your topic. Your introduction does not need to address all of those ideas. Select the main purpose of your essay and frame the discussion from there.

Body Paragraphs

Expository essays should be unified, all the ideas should relate to the main idea and each other. Expository writing should also be coherent or understandable. You can accomplish this by following a pattern of organization:

• Chronological order (based on time)
• Emphatic order based on the importance of ideas (most important idea to least important or least to most important)
• Spatial order based on area and how items in a space relate to one another

You should also develop each body paragraph according to a method of development that suits the purpose of the paragraph and use proper transitions between ideas. These methods include comparison/contrast,

cause and effect, narration and description. See your handbook for more on developing paragraphs.

Conclusion

The conclusion should reemphasize the main idea of the essay and summarize the major points of the essay. You can predict what may happen if your audience doesn’t address the topic or offer recommendations to solve any problems you’ve presented. Writers sum up their essay here, which is good, but the conclusion can also make your reader want to think more deeply about an issue and to explore it further.

Works Cited

Bitzer, Lloyd. “The Rhetorical Situation.” Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. 1, no. 1, January 1968, pp 1-14.

Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives. U of California P, 1969.

Luman, Ruth. “Writing an Introduction: PowerPoint Presentation.”

Modesto Junior College.

Sproat, Ethan, et al. “Rhetorical Situations.” The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab, 2 Aug. 2016. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ resource/625/01/References.

Writing Connections

Explaining information is part of many genres of writing, from encyclopedia entries and instruction manuals to gaming instructions (i.e. surviving in Minecraft’s hunger games). The articles on e-How.com are instructional, information pieces. A white paper in business is similar to an academic research essay.

Think about your topic for previous essays that you have written in this course and see if you would like to do additional research to explain a facet of it.

Find other texts that explain a concept or a process. By looking at other examples, you will broaden your understanding of how to inform or explain. For examples, review the following:

• “How to Shoot like Steph Curry: Shooting Form Blueprint,” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMDOZW6rPs,
• “The Difference between Western and English Riding,” at http:// horses.about.com/od/horsesportsexplained/p/engwestdiff.htm, and,
• Dana Becker, “Stress: The New Black Death?” from her book, One Nation under Stress: The Trouble with Stress as an Idea. Oxford UP, 2013, pp. 1–18.

Suggestions for Writing

Write about something you know. You don’t have to argue or persuade, but write about what interests you. Do you know a lot about cars, the Beatles, raising goats? Do some research, cite your sources, and write about something that sparks your interest. Note that the key to this type of writing is effective summary.

Drafting and Revising

Begin researching in the library. Find background information on your topic with Galileo. Find it through the CSU library webpage. Note that the site changes often, so visit frequently. This screenshot is from 2021:

Read critically and take careful notes of the information. When you are explaining information, you need to pay careful attention to summarizing information clearly for readers. To do this, you have to be sure you understand the material you are explaining. Wendy Bishop, in Acts of Revision, offers the following strategy:

Two days after finishing your first full-breath, shareable, draft, copy your conclusion to a new file and write two pages, using the conclusion to begin your new draft. When working with a research paper, resist including any quotes. Now that you’re more learned and expert about your subject, try to detail your points in your own words (you [must] include and attribute sources later). If you can’t do this, you have a clue that the sources in your full-breath draft may be shoring up a discussion that you don’t really understand. (21)

If so, you need to reread and study your sources more carefully so you can write about them effectively.

Writing effective essays using sources requires that you take extra time on organization and transitions within the information. Bishop offers this strategy:

Insert subtitles into your text. This is as if you were inserting key headings from an outline into the text. Before and after each subtitle, develop reader-friendly transitions: consolidate what you said in the section you are ending and forecast what’s coming in the next section. As you actually move past the subtitle into the next section, open by forecasting what is to come in this section and provide a bit of connection to the overarching point(s) of your whole text. In doing this, think of yourself talking to a friendly, interested listener. Later, [you’ll] remove the subtitles. (20)

Finally, save time to revise your writing for what’s called “synthesis” of sources. This means your essay should be a blend of sources rather than one summary after another. Your essay should be a cake, not a layer of flour, a layer of eggs, a layer of sugar, etc. Thus, try writing a “multi-colored draft.” Assign your voice and each source a color (using Microsoft Word or colored pencils on a hard copy). Next, color the text from that source each time it appears in your essay. Examine the essay.

Each paragraph should have your color mixed in with the sources. You should not have a red paragraph, a blue paragraph, a green paragraph, etc. If you do, sort your sources into themes and main ideas, and build your paragraphs around these.

Reflecting on Writing

Reflect on your assignment and what you learned. These reflections will be useful when you create your ePortfolio later in the semester. Questions to consider are as follows:

• What is the most surprising thing you learned about your topic?
• What did you learn about the CSU library that you didn’t know before?
• What is your favorite signal phrase to introduce sources? Why?
• What MLA strategy about citing sources do you always have to look up? Which one(s) do you remember easily? Why?

Focus on ePortfolio

This essay should include multiple sources, so it will demonstrate several of the learning outcomes required in your ePortfolio. This project, if assigned in class, might be a good choice as a Best Writing Artifact, so be sure to save a copy to revise if you choose it as your “best.”

Discussion Questions for Analyzing Expository Writing

As you read the essays that explain or inform, consider the following questions:

• What genre is the essay? Find another example of this genre in a magazine or on the Web, and discuss the similarities and differences.
• What is the writer’s purpose? What strategies does the writer use to develop his or her purpose? Is this essay a response to another essay, a political event, etc.? Explain.
• Research in Galileo for additional essays on the topic. How do they compare/contrast? Discuss how the writers address various audiences (scholarly vs. mainstream, social sciences, humanities, etc.)
• What is the thesis of the essay? Where and how is it presented?
• What does the conclusion include? What strategies are successful?
• What type of introduction (or lede) does the writer use?
• How is the essay developed? What type of evidence is used?
• How is the essay organized? Write a descriptive outline of the essay by discussing what each paragraph does (its function in the essay) and what each paragraph says (its content).
• How did the writer introduce and cite sources? Note the signal phrases.
• Research the essay’s sources, and find the original. How well did the writer use the source?

Published Essays: Expository Writing

All of the essays listed below are excellent examples of this genre.

• Kevin Davis, “Does Going to College Mean Becoming Someone New?”
• David Dodds, “Beautiful Brains”
• Elizabeth Aura McClintock, “The Psychology of Mansplaining”
• Companion Video: “Jimmy Kimmel Mansplains to Hillary Clinton”

Student Examples: Expository Writing

2021 Sharon Sellers’ First-Tear Writing Award Winner – English 1101

Amanda Knipper
Dr. Brigitte Byrd
ENGL 1101
19 October 2020

The American Football Jersey

Throughout the United States, the football jersey is a symbol of cultural pride for the most popular sport in the country. Sixteen years ago, while standing in my high school’s gymnasium, I received my official football jersey. As I enthusiastically gazed upon the uniform in my hands, I had not realized I was holding an item steeped with history that humbly started in 1896. The football jersey is a piece of history that survived societal underestimation, facets of human nature, prejudice, and restructure to become the iconic symbol of the most beloved national sport.

I fell in love with the game of football at an early age. In elementary school, at the age of six, I watched my first football game and was instantly mesmerized by the players, jerseys, and the excitement both on and off the field. Unbeknownst to my six-year-old self, I was captivated by a sport that descended from English rugby over 100 years prior and was distinctly defined from its origins by Walter Camp who is known as “the Father of American Football” (“Walter Camp”). The vibrant colors of red and white on the football jerseys that dashed across the field were extreme contrasts to the early simple uniforms of black, brown, or blue wool sweaters worn by players in the late 19th century. My own football jersey differs from the ones I saw as a child. My predominately maroon mesh jersey, with a black stripe down each side and one across the top of the shoulders, is more tailored and body conforming similar to the design introduced in 1997 by the Denver Broncos which incorporated the use of spandex. “The development of nylons and polyesters, whisking away sweat without becoming heavy, now allows designers to leave little for defenders to grab, unlike the 1970s when Earl Campbell often lost pieces of his jersey” (Walker).

In the early development of the sport, most of society did not view American Football or the National Football League (NFL) as institutions that would become more than mere flight of fancy. Even the Father of American Football, Walter Camp, and the first Commissioner of the NFL, Elmer Layden, did not envision the scale and magnitude the sport, which they helped create and mold, could evolve into as it has today. However, even with the advancement of the league, social and racial prejudices have always remained prevalent in some capacity. Whether it was violence on the field and line of scrimmage or disallowing the use of the team’s locker room due to race in the 1930s until after WWII or due to gender in modern times, it remains. Charles W. Follis (the first African American professional football player) “had to contend with hostile words, knees, and fists on the field, and hostile words off the field” (Crepeau). I recall the first time I told my high school’s, newly appointed, Head Coach that I was interested in participating in the try-outs for a position on the team. His words of “girls don’t play football, this is a man’s sport. Why don’t you try out for cheerleading?” made me realize that even with the progression that society and the sport have made, as a whole, there was still more than enough room for change. This was validated even more when I was knocked unconscious and unknowingly cracked my skull during practice by my steroid-using teammate. He was specifically chosen by the head coach to tackle me in an attempt to “dissuade” me from staying on the team because he didn’t want a girl on “his” team. Like the players during the modest beginnings of the sport, I persevered and earned my right to wear my football jersey. To play the sport I truly love just as Charles W. Follis, Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Emmitt Smith, and Jerry Rice did before me.

As the sport evolved further during the early 20^th century with the development of official teams, jerseys were still relatively simple and generally consisted of the main or “team” color of each particular team. “Wool and cotton were the materials of choice for years, in turtlenecks and sweaters to the more modern jerseys” (Walker). In the 1960s and 1970s, shorter sleeves began as a trend by some players rolling up their sleeves or altering them, and eventually more players adopted this style. “The 1960’s saw an explosion of color and new, bold logos. Teams adopted color schemes that would become iconic to their brand and lead to the evolution of team colors and logos that we know today” (“Original Throwback Uniforms”). As the popularity of the game progressed, jersey design evolved as well, transforming from turtlenecks to a more modern jersey style. By the 1980s, jersey sleeves were designed to be shorter and tighter. This particular style has continued in today’s modern designs. The extreme short sleeves and form-fitting design of my high school football jersey cause me to remember the exhilaration I felt, and still feel, every time I wore it, the fluorescent lights on the field, and the tackles and blocks of colliding players during a game.

The football jersey is a piece of history that survived societal underestimation, facets of human nature, prejudice, and restructure to become the iconic symbol of the most beloved national sport. The original uniform of loose wool turtlenecks is unrecognizable compared to the modern short-sleeved jersey of form-fitting spandex and polyester.

It has endured through tumultuous times of uncertain beginnings, racial discrimination, and redesign that were unimaginable to those instrumental to its success like Walter Camp and Elmer Layden. The football jersey has transitioned from dark-toned loose wool turtlenecks to vibrantly colored modern jerseys with each team’s unique logo strategically placed on the uniform. The jersey has become an iconic symbol of cultural pride that is visible throughout the entire nation, which evokes a sense of camaraderie and unity within a diverse population to such a degree that was unforeseen in its fledgling beginnings in 1869.

Works Cited

Crepeau, Richard C. “NFL Football: A History of America’s New National Pastime”, University of Illinois Press, 2014. https://

eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzc2MDIy MF9fQU41?sid=238e9ac8-fa06-4905-a978-0fd2243e0787@sdc-v- sessmgr01&vid=1&format=EB&lpid=lp_Cover-2&rid=0

“The Original Throwback Uniforms and Where They Came From.” The Imperial Point. 2017. https://www.theimperialpoint.com/original- throwback-sports-uniforms/

Walker, Teresa C. “NFL At 100: Evolution of uniforms, from bees to Color Rush”, AP News, 2019. https://apnews.com/article/ a9f4b1ac8c8b4b8289af635f4308a67a

“Walter Camp.” National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc. 2020. https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search. aspx?hof=2080

Jennifer Carmona
Professor Lamb
English 1101
8 November 2016

Processed Meat: The Horror

When people order a burger, they often think about the satisfaction they will feel once their stomach is full. Like most, they do not think about where their food comes from, or how it reached their favorite grocery store or restaurant. They ignore the process of feeding, raising, and even killing the cow or pig they are about to consume. To sell more, animals are raised in terrible conditions and their diet is even worse. According to Christine Donovan, “large farms use hormones and antibiotics to make animals produce more food faster, and to prevent any illnesses that modern farming techniques may cause” (461). As much as we enjoy burgers and hotdogs, processed meat has been linked to several health issues and other critical factors.

Processed meats include “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation” (qtd. in Kluger 33). Americans no longer search for fresh meat, instead they consume products that can easily be obtained, such as those that are frozen or in fast food joints. To make matters worse, “health experts have warned that red and processed meats are linked to cardiovascular disease, obesity and various forms of cancer” (Kluger 33). If meat consumption continues to rise, we run the risk of having prostate, colorectal, and even pancreatic cancer. Heart attacks are also common for regular meat consumers. While pork or steak increases the risk, chicken and fish are much healthier, and as stated by Liebman “have less saturated fat than red meat . . . the omega-3 fats in fish may lower the risk of heart attacks” (4). Even though chicken is a better substitute, consumers still need to be aware of the risks between meat and cancer.

The most common cancer associated with meat is colorectal cancer. Upon first doubting if there was any connection at all, researchers have begun to relate the two which is not good news for the public. While most do not believe the chances of being diagnosed with cancer is high, findings show that “50 grams of processed meat per day—one hot dog or about six pieces of bacon—raises the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%” (Kluger 34). It may seem like a small rate of increase, but for those bacon lovers, the continuation of this habit can lead to a terrible health diagnosis. Kluger also adds, “the lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is just 5% for men and a little lower for women” (36). Although the risk varies between men and women, this should not influence women to consume more meat. In fact, both men and women should consider ways to reduce the risk even more, and one way is changing the way meat is cooked.

As stated before, excess consumption of processed meat can lead to cancer. In addition, Ehrenberg explains that “the way meat is prepared may raise cancer risks, too. The high temperatures of pan frying, grilling and broiling can produce heterocyclic aromatic amines (also found in tobacco smoke), which damage DNA” (Ehrenberg 9). If change in DNA is mentioned, the consumer should automatically be concerned. According to Liebman, “they’re foreign substances that need to be expelled” (5). While many enjoy eating a fried slice of bacon, “it’s in that sizzle that the trouble starts” (Kluger 34). By simply cooking at lower temperatures, the risk is less. Liebman also states, “you can eliminate 90 percent of the HCAs if you microwave the meat, chicken, or fish . . . and pour off the juices,” roasting or even baking instead of grilling and barbequing can also be beneficial (6). Different methods of cooking meat can be used; consumers just need to find how to implement these into their cooking habits.

Overall, the consumption of processed meat is rapidly increasing. Hotdogs, beef, ham, and bacon are all enjoyed by the public, but the excess of these foods can lead to various health issues, one of them being cancer. The most commonly linked cancer is colorectal cancer, but prostate and pancreatic cancer are also a possible diagnosis. In addition, HCAs have been found in meat, and like cancer, they slowly destroy our body. To solve this, consumers can change their cooking methods, or simply take meat out of our diet completely. Before ordering a burger, or eating a hotdog, consumers should think about the consequences and decide whether those five minutes of satisfaction are worth the risk.

Works Cited

Donovan, Christine. “If FDA Does Not Regulate Food, Who Will? A Study of Hormones and Antibiotics in Meat Production.” American Journal of Law & Medicine. vol. 41, issue 2/3, 2015, pp. 459-482. ezproxy.

clayton.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? di rect=true&db=a9h&AN=110028894&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Ehrenberg, Rachel. “Processed Meat Linked to Cancer.” Science News, vol. 188, issue 11, 2015, p.9. ezproxy.clayton.edu:2048/

login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db

=a9h&AN=110912028&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Kluger, Jeffrey, et al. “THE WAR ON DELICIOUS. (Cover Story).” Time,vol.186, issue 19, 2015, pp. 30-36.ezproxy.clayton.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=110619734&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Liebman, Bonnie. “The Real Cost of Red Meat.” Nutrition Action Health Letter. Vol. 36, issue 5, 2009, pp. 1-7. ezproxy.clayton.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=40526477&site=ehost-live&scope=site