When PBS asked viewers to describe America in three words, the most popular terms were fat, free and rich. Free? Yes we are (for the most part, anyway). Rich? That's debatable... but compared to most countries, yes we are. Fat? Most definitely.
Americans clearly have an obsession with food. We like our food fast, and we like it big. Think about the average fast food menu: most of the items begin with the word "double." At Perkins we can order "Mammoth Muffins," and at Olive Garden there is almost always a special having to do with "never-ending" salad or pasta. We even have king-size candy bars, because regular candy bars are apparently just not enough.
Why are we so obsessed with food? Clearly, we get enough of it. It's so important to us that it be accessible that we have even invented ways to make almost anything portable- hence the food-on-a-stick tradition so prevalent at state fairs. We buy in bulk so we never run out of what we want to eat, and stores give us free samples to encourage us to buy more than what's on our grocery list. We have entire T.V. channels devoted to food, and reality television shows dedicated to cooking the best or eating the most.
I will admit, I'm an offender too. I love my Double-Stuf Oreos and $5 footlongs as much as the next American (although I do eat the sub in two parts). Part of our obsession comes from the way we've been raised- we do, for the most part, live in a culture of excess. But why do we tend to buy everything in packages of three, when we only end up throwing two out because they expired or got freezer-burned? You'd think we'd learn to only take what we need, but instead we have a mindset that is always saying, "Take more! Take more!"
I'm not sure why we are so food-obsessed. It may be that we tend to abuse it because our access to it is so easy- I'm sure starving people in third-world countries don't stuff their food down like Americans do. I'm also sure they are far less likely to complain if their steak isn't cooked to order, or if their pancakes are a little burned.
I've heard that the problem with starvation in the world isn't caused by lack of food, but by improper distribution. Perhaps if we were less concerned with how long it will be until our pizza arrives, and focused more on helping supply the basic nutritional needs of needy people around the world, we would be less obsessed with our food, and more appreciative of it.
It is sad to think, even though we have this abundance of food, many Americans are still considered undernourished. (I don't know if that really is a word, but I couldn't think of the one I wanted to use.) Most of what we eat is totally processed. Fast food? There is a reason it is so fast. The "food" on our grocery store shelves is hardly food at all, but processed junk that we shouldn't eat. I will say, I sometimes feel guilty when I buy that bag of doritos, because I don't need them. The extravegant packaging is so unneccessary, and the calories are not worth it. But hey, they taste good and I can buy them so why not?...
ReplyDeleteWe have become so accustomed to waste that it really doesn't bother when we do. We eat what we want, throw the rest out, and 20 minutes later open something else. I'm not huge on leftovers, but I'm trying to be less wasteful in the way I consume food so that I'm not throwing away food or money. I'm also trying to get in the habit of making real food instead of just snacking on processed food so that I'm getting nourished while I eat. That is one of our biggest problems - eating food with no content. It makes us eat more in the long run, but it's filling our bodies with crap instead of what it needs, causing America's weight problem.
ReplyDelete