Practitioners reference best-selling authors, such as the journalist Michael Pollan, as well as scholars, such as the historian Warren Belasco and the anthropologist Sidney Mintz.
The journalist Paul Levy has noted, for example, that "Food studies is a subject so much in its infancy that it would be foolish to try to define it or in any way circumscribe it, because the topic, discipline or method you rule out today might be tomorrow's big thing."
[2] Discussion of these questions has increased as a result of the emergence of a vast array of novel food technologies throughout the last century, ranging from chemical fertilizers to GMOs.
Pursuers of food studies approach these questions by first understanding the scientific, economic, and philosophical issues surrounding them.
When a household is lacking the means (money) to buy proper food, their health ultimately suffers.
[3] The major part of this research was examining children's food insecurity, the effect of this have greatly affected a child's performance.
Due to food insecurity also runs the risk of possibly birth defects "5 anemia, 6,7 lower nutrient intakes, 8 cognitive problems, 9 and aggression and anxiety.
[5] The close proximity of fast food restaurants to schools has been speculated be one of the reasons for such high childhood obesity.
[7] Usually these foods are high in fat and sugar, and access to vending machines allows for students to have sugary drinks as well.
Healthier food costs schools more to buy, so the concern of losing revenue influences the purchase of cheaper, less healthy options.
Even so, schools in Maine, California, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania were able to replace sugary drinks with healthier options without losing revenue.
Schools have been doing their part by changing food contracts, promoting better eating, and fundraising for better student health.
[8] But these workers specifically have to deal with poor working conditions such as unsanitary kitchens which affect the food that is served to the consumers and can negatively impact their health.
These conditions are categorized as 'acculturative stress' but the goal is to maintain a healthy and better life which does not have a negative impact on family relations and job performance.
There can be programs developed as a solution to the problem[8] with the goal of improving social networks for the migrant farmworkers and better education systems for the children.
The benefits of creating these programs will help in improving work, childcare and housing conditions for farmworkers and their families.
In "Feeding America: Immigrants in the Restaurant Industry and Throughout the Food System Take Action for Change", they provide data which looks at the working conditions and poverty rates that affect the workers.