This research question is interesting to me because of the topic of food. Food and the Western diet has interested me since I read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan during senior year of high school. I also have friends that are vegetarian or vegan, and they have greatly influenced the decisions I personally make regarding my food decisions. I intend for this research project to be something I can use for my own personal research on the topic in order to further advance my knowledge on the topic. This will help me make improved decisions with my own habits.

My values are affected and reflected within this question. I personally would like to know everything I can in order to make better decisions for my health regarding my food. I am also interested in learning about the corruption of the American food industry. 

Like previously mentioned, my personal experience comes from the influence the people I have surrounded myself have on me. A few of my friends have succeeded in getting me to experiment with vegetarianism during a couple short stints in my life. I've read books and articles on the topic before as well as a few documentaries.

I believe I am qualified because this is a topic that interests me, and I have a solid background heading into my project on the topic. I do not claim to be a nutrionist, however I believe I have the resources at my disposal to accurately convey my argument in an intelligent way without overwhelming bias.

In this article, Allison Aubrey of NPR details a study revealing the eating habits of Americans for the past year. As stated in the title of her article, the main focus is describing the near 2,000 lbs. of food the average American ate in year 2011 based upon a recent study from economists who used data provided by the US Department of Agriculture. Aubrey gets down to specifics and lists the total consumption of each category that adds up to the 1,996 lbs. It seems as if the author is attempting to show readers where exactly in their diets they can cut back on consumption. She even hypothesizes the upward trend in total consumption explains "the trend of Americans' expanding waistlines." In terms of credibility, Aubrey does nothing detrimental to herself. She is mostly just listing the facts of a recent published study, and her opinions are mostly kept to the side. This keeps the article as information-based as possible as she is just reporting on the study with minor comments and conclusions.

David and Marcia Pimentel detail the practical sustainability of a vegetarian, plant-based diet versus the sustainability of a meat-based diet. Information on the amount of fossil fuels, water, land, and food needed to produce and maintain both the meat-based and plant-based diets is provided, and they are compared and contrasted. The authors arrive to the conclusion that neither diet is fully sustainable, but the plant-based diet is more practical for long term survival. However, they place the blame of the unsustainability on the rising population of the planet. It seems the authors are trying to analyze the ability of our world to continue producing food at the current rate; they come to the conclusion neither diet is 100% sustainable. The world population must decrease because we cannot produce food given our resources at the rate needed for survival long-term. Bias in this article is at a minimum. The authors are not more favorable to either of the diets being examined and come to their conclusion purely based on their facts listed. Multiple perspectives are given, and the article is loaded with information.

Detailing the issues on the American diet, Woolston focuses on where the extra calories in our eating habits come from and how to eliminate said extra calories. He starts off with quotes from many nutritionists who claim Americans eat way too many calories. He then specifically describes how massive portions, convenient fast foods, and nutritional imbalance are having very negative effects on our society's health. Woolston has bias in this article; he is trying to convince the reader of the problems with our food. No sweeping claims are made, and Woolston is reasonable with his conclusions. He suggests complementing meals with meat instead of focusing on the meat and advises attempting  moderation with all meals. The sources are incorporated in an intelligent and credible way. He clearly is going to have a bias against the modern diet due to the nature of the article, however, his arguments are supported by overwhelming evidence. A quick google search can be used to fact check his statistics/assertions.

This research question is arguable in many ways. I can take different approaches in arguing the level of harm of the diet, proper alternatives, specific effects, etc. The sources I have collected so far offer varying levels of support/opposition to the American diet. I will be able to give different perspectives by having this information at my disposal. The perspectives of the sources will influence the direction I take my paper depending on its ability to persuade my opinions. My research question may need revised in order to have a more open conversation with an opposing viewpoint within the paper.
