Nick Vernon, Campus Carrier Online/Graphics Editor
Food is more than just a resource that humans need to survive. It’s more than just carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Food is a lifestyle — a culture all of its own. It has the ability to bring families and communities together to experience their nation’s particular culture.
However, this idea of food has been completely erased in the United States, and food has been reduced to the cause of problems such as obesity and anorexia. Over 24 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. This is clearly a major problem, largely stemming from our media’s portrayal of the “perfect body.” This unhealthy, unnatural figure, which the media portrays as normal and what we should all strive to obtain, eats away at our minds until we convince ourselves to not eat at all.
It is equally harmful to overindulge in eating. The United States is the most obese country in the world, according to a 2014 study published in The Lancet, a medical journal based in the United Kingdom. Shows like “Man vs. Food” and “My 600-lb Life” do not help to solve this problem. In fact, television shows such as these make the problem worse because they embrace the “Americans are obese” stigma. It would be foolish to deny the fact that other countries laugh at America’s obesity problem.
America has a problem with food. We have become obsessed with dieting, binging and exercise, all of which have failed to solve the obesity problem that faces the United States. Compared to other countries, America is severely lacking a food culture that we can be proud of. The function of food is not limited to solely being the cause of problems. Food can and should be an enjoyable way to celebrate our culture and connect with those around us. Eat what you want to eat in small portions, but don’t overextend yourself.
As a southerner, I was raised in a family of amazing cooks who appreciate great food with a burning passion. Although many Southern foods are fattening, they are also comforting. For me, nothing says “home” like Southern comfort food. The South possesses a food culture that I am proud of and enjoy immensely. Taking pride in what you eat, doing so in moderation and ensuring you maintain a healthy balance is what positive food culture is all about. As college students, it is often very difficult to eat healthy. In the battle to fight off the “freshman 15,” students often forget that eating healthy does not equal eating food that tastes bad. Ultimately, if you do not enjoy the healthy food you are eating, you will eventually stop eating it. This will likely lead to a return to a poor diet.
Rather than going down this route, attempt to find your own food culture. Figure out what healthy foods you like, and learn how to make them or where to buy them.