A University of Wisconsin food science professor and a dietitian criticized Michael Pollan Tuesday for his refusal to address the issue of obesity and to provide a nutritional solution that applies to all social classes in his novel “In Defense of Food.”

While Pollan’s book does offer an important message by promoting the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, to have a book that does not recognize the detrimental effects of obesity in the United States today is damaging, UW food science professor John Lucey said.

“The idea of leisure is light-years different than what it used to be 30 years ago because people have a different sense of what exercise is,” Lucey said.

On average, Lucey said one out of three Americans do not incorporate any exercise into their daily routines. Children also spend a total of 27 hours per week playing computer and video games instead of doing physical activity.

Lucey added this lifestyle problem cannot be solved simply with wishful thinking. He said Pollan advocates for eating less food and healthier foods, yet society must also encourage people to make whole lifestyle changes that include the implementation of a greater amount of activity.

In promoting the consumption of these healthier yet more costly foods, Pollan tends to ignore the huge economic issue that directly accompanies food consumption, said Monica Theis, dietitian and senior lecturer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“I believe in his tenants of eating less and eating more fruits and vegetables, yet I also believe that there is unequal access to these types of food,” Theis said. “The people who are economically challenged are the missing voice in many of his discussions.”

Pollan’s support of spending more money to maintain a healthy diet is geared to a specific, affluent audience, which is highly receptive of the idea, but it does not take the whole country into account, Lucey said.

When asked about the sense of elitism within the fresh food industry, Pollan argued it would only really be a problem if it was still present 20 years from now, Theis added.

“What I am concerned about is the fact that there are many people who are not receiving fair and equitable access to fresh food today,” Theis said.

UW senior Brian Dammeir, who attended Tuesday’s discussion, said the issue of food consumption is definitely not as simple as Pollan puts it; therefore his book will have no effect on the portion of the population that is suffering economically.

“I was angry when I read Pollan’s arguments that advocated for the purchase of more expensive yet healthier foods because I felt he was cold and did not care about those living in unemployment,” Lucey said.

Lucey added because an increase in food costs has serious consequences for a large part of the population, there are benefits to the production of cheap food. Government subsidization of a few key crops, such as corn and wheat, provides enough cheap food to feed the masses, as well as produces an excess amount of food to feed those who are hungry in third-world countries.