I've yet to meet a single person – male or female – who is completely happy with their body. Everyone I know has something they complain about. Even supermodels don't think they're perfect – lamenting a lack of fullness to their bottom lip or a wayward nipple hair. It just goes to show that when it comes to the human body, you can't please anyone.

Personally, I've been complaining about my small boobs since I was 12. I was assured that things would change when I hit puberty. They didn't. If only I'd known the disappointment that lay ahead, I might have gone all spiritual and set my sights on reincarnation as an American chicken ... As I can tell you're lost, let me explain.

Last Friday, I went to see Greenrock's first screening of 'Food, Inc.' at BUEI. It's a movie that "lifts the veil" on the American food industry and a must see for anyone that aspires to be an intelligent and ethical consumer. The film makes the point that the way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years, than in the last 10,000 – and that although food has never been so cheap (an arguable benefit), it has also never been so nutrient poor and calorie-rich.

What does this have to do with chickens? Well farming methods have become so focused on increased productivity and profit, that new methods are being used that decrease the number of days it takes to 'grow' a chicken (the farmer's term, not mine) and increase the size of that chicken. The end result? Bigger chickens, with – in particular – bigger breasts.

Of course, any playful interest I had in being a well endowed chicken prior to 'Food, Inc.', swiftly dissipated during the movie. As a consumer, it's concerning to note the growth hormones and antibiotics habitually used to farm chickens (which of course pass along the food chain), and as a supporter of animal rights, it's sickening to see the effect this rapid and disproportionate growth has on the chickens themselves. For example, it's completely normal for them to become so fat that they can barely take a few steps, if any at all. Oh and then there's the organ failure.

If only these instances were rare, they may be easier to reconcile ... but they're not. 'Food, Inc.' goes on to illustrate the power that giant corporations have over the average farmer. Once contracted to a corporation, farmers are also contracted to follow certain productivity methods and standards. If they become disillusioned then getting out isn't as easy as you might think. The average American chicken farmer invests more than $500,000 and yet makes only $18,000 profit a year.

By promising a guaranteed, secure (although small) income, a very few, very large corporations have taken control of the farming industry in America. This of course extends beyond chickens. For example, in the 1970s there were literally thousands of slaughter houses producing beef. Now there are only 13, bringing in cattle from miles away – in great discomfort and with huge environmental cost. It's a similar story when it comes to pork, and to make you aware of the scale of these operations, consider this; the Smithfield Hog Processing Plant processes 32,000 hogs (pigs) a day.

Filmmaker Robert Kenner, believes that there are huge problems associated with such large scale farming. He argues that with the farming industry (meat, poultry and grain) in the hands of a very few corporate giants, productivity and profitability are put ahead of consumer health, humane treatment of animals, the livelihood of American farmers, the safety of workers and the environment. It's an alarming list.

It's important to understand that this movie is not a piece of vegetarian propaganda. Yes, there are uncomfortable moments regarding animal slaughter (even on the organic, free-range farms) but the argument is against how mainstream slaughter houses operate, rather than the fact we are eating meat. If you imagine the size of operations that process (and I'm using nice language here) 32,000 animals a day, imagine the bulk methods involved. If you can get over the obstacle of how these animals are killed, you then need to consider the safety of the workers involved, and the safety of the end result.

For example, during the movie, one of the largest meat-processing plants in the States proudly boasts of its solution to e-coli contamination in burgers. It produces a ground meat mix, treated with – wait for it – a tasty combination of ammonia and ammonia hydroxide. That meat mix is then incorporated into over 90 percent of the patties on the American market. As well as your not-so-healthy dose of ammonia, this large scale production means that your one burger contains meat from literally thousands of animals. Weird.

On the other hand, it's nice to know that e.coli is being safely dealt with. Or is it? In reality, in 2007, there were actually more than 73,000 cases of e.coli food poisoning in America. We have to remember that whilst this is survived by the vast majority, food poisoning can kill those who are already sick, the very old, the very young and the very unlucky. 'Food, Inc.' includes a heart-wrenching testimonial of a mother-turned-food-advocate, who lost her two year old son to e.coli from a contaminated burger. Bring tissues ... lots of them.

However, the most frightening thing about the e.coli statistics is just how avoidable they are. E.coli is becoming increasingly problematic due to cows being fed a diet of corn, rather than the diet of grass they evolved to digest. Cows are fed corn because it's cheap and makes them fat quickly. The insanity of this hits home when we're told that 80 percent of the e.coli in their guts would be shed in just five days of them grazing on grass. So why do we end up with ammonia in our burgers? Remember, the mainstream food industry is all about maximising productivity and ultimately, profitability. (If you're wondering how e. coli from the digestive tract of cows makes it into your burgers, then hold on to your lunch. The simple fact is that processing such a high volume of cattle at such high speed, means that the butchering process is not as accurate as you might like it to be.)

But how can all this possibly be legal? The frightening thing is that there seems to be a revolving door between these massive food corporations and government agencies in Washington, DC, leading to dysfunctional regulation at the expense of the consumer. For example, during the Bush administration, the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was the former executive VP of the National Food Processors Association and the chief of staff at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was the former chief lobbyist for the beef industry in Washington.

Even worse, the very bodies that exist to regulate the industry are becoming increasingly less powerful and less efficient. In 1998, the USDA implemented microbial testing that meant if a plant repeatedly failed the tests, they had the power to shut the plant down. However, after being taken to court by the meat and poultry associations, this power has been revoked. Further, whilst in 1972 the FDA conducted 50,000 food safety inspections, in 2006 they conducted only 9,164.

Ultimately, with diminished regulation and accountability, 'Food, Inc.' argues that the mainstream food industry in the United States has become morally corrupt – not only in its disregard for the protection of farmer, worker and animal rights, but in it's facilitation of our current obesity epidemics.

'Food Inc.' explores the monopoly of cattle and poultry farming, but also exposes the same trends within agriculture – especially within corn and soy production. It's amazing to see that 30 percent of land in the US is used for planting corn, but then we know by this stage how important it is for cattle feed. What's also alarming, is how integrated corn is into virtually all processed foods, including baked goods, ketchup, cheese slices, peanut butter, salad dressings, coke, jello, juice, kool-aid, meat products and fast food. Not only does corn make cattle fat, but the highly processed nature of these products makes us fat too.

In Bermuda we can't escape the fact that our diet is heavily influenced by American trends. The majority of what we import comes from America and we are subject to their marketing through most of our media. So just as our consumption mirrors that of the States, so does our health.

We already know that we have a major problem with diabetes in Bermuda, but do you know just how bad it could get? It has been estimated that one in three Americans born after 2000 will develop early onset diabetes – I imagine it could be the same here.

All this is undoubtedly depressing, but remarkably, 'Food Inc.' actually leaves you on a bit of a high.

It wraps up with the example of Walmart having banned growth hormone from its milk supply and signing a huge contract with Stonyfield Farm for organic yoghurt. They haven't done this out of the goodness of their corporate hearts, they've done this in response to public demand. It just goes to show, that every single time we as individuals make a purchase, we are in fact casting our vote. We may feel as if we can't change the direction and policies of enormous corporations, yet in reality we honestly can ... even in Bermuda.

'Food, Inc.' showed me a lot of what I already know, but inspired me to recommit to my principles.

It has also inspired me to do a bit of probing behind some of the major brands we rely on here and do even more to encourage local, organic options. However, whilst I'll do my best to research the healthiest and most ethical choices for you, I suggest you check out 'Food Inc.' for yourself. It would be easy to put your head in the sand over this, but I challenge you not to. See the movie, research the facts and then cast your vote at the check out.

Catch the last showings of 'Food, Inc.' at BUEI this weekend. It is on at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. tonight and tomorrow.

See www.greenrock.org for details. Admission is free!

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietician. Contact her at nourishbda@gmail.com