Food is without a doubt one of the most important components for survival. It is the way in which people receive the nutrients they need to perform their daily bodily functions. However, the means by which food is produced is evolving, and this evolution can be greatly affected by the effects they bring to human health, which will determine whether or not food should continue to be produced with the aid of genetic engineering. The production of genetically modified (GM) organisms (GMO) have exponentially increased from the time in which they were first introduced to the market in the middle of the 1990s to the present day.  As these GMOs are put into the foods people consume, this gives rise to questions on the methods used and whether or not genetically modified foods have an effect on our health. Some scientists believe GMOs are the solution to solving food availability with the growing world population, while others believe that GMOs can have severe and lasting impacts on our health, one of which being the effect GMOs have on a person’s weight.  Despite the varying beliefs that GMOs allow for numerous benefits to society, I believe GMOs are a possible contributing factor to numerous health effects, including obesity, currently occurring in the United States and are, therefore, a harmful product for consumers.

Genetic engineering is the process of customizing the DNA, which is the recipe for life within an organism. Parts of DNA that are able to display a certain function or characteristic are known as genes. Because DNA calls for the same information in all organisms, scientists are able to take out a certain trait from one organism and insert it into another, allowing it to express that trait. This allows for genetics to recombine in such a way that would most likely not occur naturally. Therefore, organisms, which have been genetically altered by scientists to improve certain traits, are known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. 

The methods practiced to create GMOs are unique. In order to create a GMO, scientists locate and isolate a portion of DNA within an individual, which involves the genetic code for a certain characteristic, and removes it out of the sequence of DNA. Next, scientists relocate the genetic code into another organism’s DNA. Once the genetic code is inserted into the DNA of another organism, it can begin to develop that trait. However, since this method cannot restrict precisely when or how many times the gene is replicated within the organisms, it requires careful experimentation to guarantee that the new gene won’t disturb other processes within the cell (What is genetic engineering and how does it work?, 2005).

According to Freeman (2014), there has been a large range of GMOs produced through genetic engineering. For example, animals are applied in medical research, especially for trying out different medications for certain diseases. Also, in order to potentially reduce the spread of malaria, scientists have attempted to genetically modified mosquitoes in hopes to achieve this. Domesticated animals, such as sheep and cows, have been modified to generate beneficial substances for creating medicines.  Microbes (single-celled organism) are currently being engineered to reduce toxic pollution and are also being engineered to aid in inhibiting diseases of plants. Consequently, plants are a major product of genetic engineering, the most notable being corn, soy, and canola. These plants are modified to resist pests, disease, and allow for weed control without harming the plant.

Even though these discoveries unlocked many more paths for research possibilities, many people including the government, media, and scientists all started to worry about the possible consequences of such methods on human health and the environment. For this reason, in the mid-1970s, the Asilomar Conference took place, where experts came together and debated over the safety of genetic engineering projects. Eventually, it was concluded that these projects would be able to continue under certain guidelines (Rangel, 2015).

One of the earliest consumer protection agencies in the United States is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA protects consumers from potential health hazards resulting from cosmetics, medical treatments, drugs, and unsafe foods. These products undergo processes in order for the FDA to authorize them as safe and consumable, especially in regards to crops. The safety assessments carried out on new foods and drugs acknowledges the distinctive features of new traits in the plants and determines whether or not the new components in food made from GM crops is harmless when consumed (Food and Drug Administration, n.d.).

While determining the method of regulation for GMOs, the federal government of the U.S. was confronted with two crucial matters. First issue was whether or not the federal government acquired full legal authority to control GMOs because if GMOs were an exclusive, new method of biotechnology for agricultural purposes, then there would be a need for a new legislation. The second problem faced by the government was if the new legislations should regulate the processes in which GMOs are made or the actual GM product. The concluding solution was based on the idea that there wasn’t anything to be concerned about in producing GM crops, such as a tomato with a longer shelf-life, as the final product was virtually the same when compared to the original crop (Lynch and Vogel, 2001). GMOs are controlled following environmental, safety, and health laws administrating ordinary products.  Therefore, the U.S. idea of GMO regulation in based on the theory that regulation ought to aim its attention on the quality of the finished product, instead of the actual process by which the product was produced. This means that GM products are treated the same way as traditional products and are therefore regulated under the same laws. So, the U.S. does not have any governmental regulation solely for GMOs, which is highly concerning to the consumers.

In 1980, the Supreme Court authorized for scientists from General Electric to patent genetically modified bacteria to break down oil to assist in the clean-up of oil spills. This authorization allowed for ownership rights of genetically modified organisms, resulting in companies quickly developing GMO tools, such as herbicides and pesticides, which could be beneficial and profitable to them (Rangel, 2015).

Developed in the early 1990s, the first genetically modified food, a tomato known as the Flavr Savr, was introduced to the market in the United States. This modified tomato was created with the intention of increasing its shelf life by eliminating a gene which produced polygalacturonase, an enzyme involved in fruit softening. This way, the tomato could be picked when ripe and have a longer shelf life than other varieties (Diehl, 2012).

Besides creating food to be more beneficial, scientists began modifying crops to be easier for farmers to grow. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved of the first crop that produced its own pesticide. Later, they approved corn which contained the Bt toxin gene and is now the majority of corn grown in the United States (Rangel, 2015). Over time, many plants and crops have been genetically modified using methods brought by genetic engineering. 

GMOs are highly prevalent in the foods consumed in the United Sates. The four major GM crops in the U.S. are canola, cotton, soybean, and corn, and almost 75% of processed foods use at least one of these products. Furthermore, some GM bacteria have been used in the production of certain foods such as wines and cheeses. Thus, a majority of U.S. consumers have at some point consumed a product containing GMOs, especially without even being aware of the fact that they are consuming GMOs as there is no law requiring them to be labeled (GMOs and Cloning, n.d.). 

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been a major concern with the advancement of biotechnology and the techniques used. It has been stated by scientists and health organization that GM foods have negative and harmful impacts on our human health. Many of the studies performed to determine the effects and general safety of GMOs are done on rats and mice. The reasoning for this approach is due to the fact that the behavior, biological, and genetic characteristics of rats and mice closely resemble that of humans. For this reason, researchers can easily simulate human conditions in rats and mice. Furthermore, these animals are not entirely costly and can therefore be purchased in large amounts making the experimental results more efficient as the study can be performed a number of times and on a number of subjects (Melina, 2010).  According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine,

several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signaling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system. (AAEM, 2007)

 Due to these results, AAEM requests that physicians recommend avoiding GMOs to all their patients and to the overall medical community, and that they take in to consideration the role GMOs may have when treating a disease. Although there might be allegations claiming that GMOs impact our health, there is not sufficient evidence to back up these allegations. However, the idea of having crops’ genetic make-up altered does give rise to the possibility of having detrimental impacts.

All the possibilities of how GM foods influence both the environment and human health is not completely known, which is why it’s so important to perform advanced studies. There are multiple differing studies representing the cause and effects of GMOs. For example, the insect toxicity inserted into corn seeds from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is found in proteins known as δ-endotoxins, and these proteins are then digested by consumers. It is said that the proteins are harmless to beneficial insects and other animals (Gasser and Fraley, 1989). However, Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) performed a study which stated differently. CDC performed a widespread examination to analyze the impact of the consumption of GM corn product on humans. CDC state that “for 10 of 24 case subjects, symptom onset was rapid (within 1 hour) reported loss of consciousness… weakness or dizziness. Nineteen individuals sought medical care… for allergic reaction. Two people were hospitalized” (CDC, 2001). The products in which the subjects consumed consisted of the protein Cry9c from Bt bacteria. Although there wasn’t any apparent evidence which proved that Cry9c was the true cause of the allergic reactions, CDC did not dismiss it having a possible effect.  Additionally, Gilles-Eric Séralini, a French biologist, performed an investigation in 2009 on the continuing impacts from eating GM corn on rats’ health. Based on his observations, Séralini concluded that there wasn’t a definite claim concerning the toxicity, however, he did find possible evidence of toxicity within the liver of the rats. 

However, one impact more closely observed in this paper is the effect GMOs have on a person’s weight, especially due to the fact of how prevalent this epidemic has become considering 68% of Americans are overweight, while 34% are obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). If you are over twenty percent of your ideal weight, which can be found based on your body mass index (BMI) from your height and body frame, you are considered to be obese.  A BMI of over 30 categorizes a person as obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) for Adults, 2014). There are many factors contributing to these results, however, one that is often overlooked is the consumption GMOs. 

A group of scientists in Norway shared similar outcomes from various experimental studies through restricted diets, which took nearly a decade to complete. The outcome revealed a definite connection regarding GM corn and obesity. The subjects that were administered the GM corn diet were observed to have gotten chunkier faster and kept on their weight, unlike the subjects that were administered a non-GM corn diet. Throughout this study, scientists also observed rats, which were administered a diet of fish which had consumed GM corn, had the same outcome of weighing more.  These experiments were carried out on salmon, pigs, mice, and rats, all obtaining the same outcome (Samsel, 2012).

The animals used in this study were given a diet of GM soy and GM corn, containing proteins of high toxicity from bacteria known as Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt). This bacterium is a pesticide which serves to kill primitive pests that harm crops. By introducing and genetically placing different Bt toxins alongside herbicide resistant DNA sequences, the DNA of the plant is modified for a certain use. By doing so, the whole crop is transformed into its own factory for pesticide and resistance to herbicides. One of the most popular herbicide used on crops is Roundup, which is a product made by the company Monsanto, that uses glysphosate herbicide to reduce weeds (Samsal, 2012).

The aim of this study lead by professor Åshild Krogdahl was to demonstrate whether or not eating GM food had any unfavorable consequences on animals, which included those stated above. The study was an international partnership with the scientists and researchers from countries including Australia, Turkey, Ireland, Hungary, and Austria. The study did not only concentrate on the effects of the animal’s weight but also the effects on its organs. Researchers observed noticeable alterations to intestines of the animals fed GM foods in comparison to the animals given non-GM food. Researcher, Krogdahl stated that ”The ones who had fed on GM corn were slightly larger, they ate slightly more, their intestines had a different micro-structure, they were less able to digest proteins, and there were some changes to their immune system” (Samsal, 2012).

Additionally, with Monstanto’s Roundup crops, resistant superweeds are invading agricultural lands, and the human health is bearing its consequences. The GM crops are produced to endure huge quantities of Monsanto’s most popular herbicide, known as Roundup. The main component found in Roundup, glyphosphate, is indeed leaving residue on the crops, resulting in major health concerns. Dr. Don Huber, a researcher who specializes in genetically modified foods, believes that the number of beneficial bacteria found in the intestines decreases with the digestion of GM foods. This result is caused by the glyphosate residue found on crops (Barret, 2011).

Monsanto claims that it is not toxic to humans, however studies show otherwise. These residues of glyphosate are found in common foods including wheat, soy, corn, and sugar. An ignored factor to its toxicity is the fact that glyphosate is an inhibitor for the production of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. These enzymes are essential in certain biological processes including detoxifying foreign substances in the body. Therefore, glyphosate increases the harmful effects caused by other chemical residues because your body won’t be able to produce CYP enzymes. This interference with CYP enzymes can induce disorders including obesity (Samsel and Seneff, 2013).

In the United States, corn and soybeans are by far the largest and most well known GM crops produced. Johnson and O’Connor (2015) emphasizes that GM corn can be found in a number of products by producing various ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and corn starch, which is then used in processed drinks and food. While most corn is used for consumption, about 25% of grown corn is converted into biofuels. GM soy is largely used for feeding animals and producing soybean oil, which is heavily used in restaurant chains such as McDonalds and processed foods. American’s rely heavily on soy since “soybean oil accounts for 61% of Americans' vegetable-oil consumption.” Additionally, soy is present in many processed foods such as dark chocolate and candies as an emulsifier known as soy lecithin. Other popular genetically engineered crops produced in the United States include canola, cotton, squash, papaya, and alfalfa. 

According to Christian Watjen (2013), a non-profit organization known as the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, reported that the U.S. accumulated over 170 million acres of land used for producing GM crops. Ever since 1994, when the first GMO was authorized in the U.S., GM crops have taken part in a progressively larger role within agriculture. Currently, nearly 90% of all soy and corn produced in the U.S. are cultivated from GM seeds, and the U.S. is a leading producer of GMOs with over 40% of the world’s GM crops grown within its borders. Furthermore, nearly 70% of all processed foods consumed among American people includes ingredients from GMOs. However, a major controversial topic concerning GMOs is that these foods are not required to be labelled as such, causing consumers to blindly consume these foods.

As previously mentioned, GMOs are a relatively recent creation and have flourished ever since its introduction into the market. GMOs can be found in many consumer’s daily diet, who do not know they are consuming GMOs due to the lack of labelling, resulting in consumers to not take GMOs into consideration when reviewing the foods/products they eat. Therefore, it can be said that due to such a correlation between GMOs and obesity, along with other health effects, GMOs are not entirely safe to consume.   
