Essential to human life is food. And since medieval times, food had been labeled in some way or another, and those reasons have changed over time. The Progressive Era and the Pure Food and Drug Act brought a new reason for labeling: to prevent producers from filtering or misbranding a product, and to prohibit false or misleading information about the food. Few people could argue against the benefits of food labeling. Food labeling has led to safer use of food, increased accuracy in branding and has allowed for the correct information to be shared about a particular product. Being able to walk into any supermarket, walk down any aisle, and see the vivid and dull, colorful and bland packages of food is a blessing to many shoppers. I love being able to find my Triscuits when I walk into a grocery store while on a trip for cross country. I know where to find it because of the colors, the delectable cracker on the front, and of course the label that brands it: "Triscuits". Labels, at face value, are so helpful. The label on clothing identifies where it's from, the size, and how to wash it. Labels on food help us find our favorite foods, allow us to partake more safely, and help us find different kinds of food we need. I give these labels 5 stars. But there are more labels than the physical food ones. In 1877, Adolph Kussmal coined the term "word blindness" to describe individuals who struggled with reading despite being of average or above average intelligence. Nowadays, this is known as dyslexia. In 1798, Sir Alexander Crichton first noticed children with difficulty focusing and hyperactivity. These symptoms are now associated with ADHD. Both dyslexia and ADHD are examples of "learning disabilities". This term was first introduced in 1963 to a group of parents and educators. Learning disabilities are neurological disorders that make learning skills like reading, math and writing difficult despite being of average or above average intelligence.  Children that have been diagnosed (labeled) with dyslexia often have challenges like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and behavioral issues. Dyslexia becomes a label due to the fact that the most impacted area is also the area where students spend to most time: school. But it's not the dyslexia that causes these challenges. The challenges come from being labeled with "dyslexia". Children struggle more because they are essentially told they should be struggling. The label of dyslexia says that the child struggles with reading. Because that is what the label is saying, the child will never see themselves as more than struggling with reading. Having that struggle at the forefront of their mind will discourage them from trying harder and pushing through the challenges. They just accept this label and begin to accept more labels like “stupid” or “dumb” and internalize those things about themselves. Food is labeled to show what it is. The label makes it what it is. A layered cracker made of wheat becomes a Triscuit. A black and white sandwich cookies becomes an Oreo. Even when it’s not the Oreo or Triscuit brand, when that delicious sandwich cookie is seen, it’s an Oreo. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the Pure Food and Drug Act is to prevent misinformation and prohibit false or misleading information. This can be applied to children too. The issue is that because identity is attached to these labels, they do end up providing false or misleading information about who a kid is. Now, food is obviously different from children. But when a label is given to a kid, they are still trying to figure out who they are, so they cling to whatever helps give them that piece of identity. That's the biggest thing about labels. It builds identity. That's really what people are looking for. They're trying to find themselves: who they are, what they can do, who they want to be. But people aren't defined by a single label. Michael Jordan isn't just a basketball player. A kid with dyslexia isn't just a dyslexic kid. I am not just a runner. If someone only saw me as a runner, they could assume a lot. Just being a runner leaves lots of areas in my life gray. I love being outside, so I must not like being inside. If I run, I must be skinny from all the running. But those things are just assumptions based off one label. I’m also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If that was all I identified with, so many things could be assumed about me, like maybe I’m crazy, or maybe I’m not Christian. But those are just labels as well. They don’t define me. My labels I’ve mentioned help define me, but no single label is who I am. One label does not equal an identity. The real purpose of labels isn't to give clarity to a certain area. The real purpose is to help create identity. But that isn't found through attaching oneself to a single idea. It's much more than that. I give these labels two stars.