The Importance Of Food

In societies around the world, food represents far more than satisfying an unavoidable physical need. It connotes each society’s personality and values. Food is an expression of each nation’s culture. Brillat-Savarin, one of the most influential gastronomes of all time said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Food represents more than a nation’s cuisine, it exemplifies a country’s identity and nature. A lot can be said about American culture by examining the hamburger, the dish that globally, best represents its culture. It is the fast-food industry’s prodigy dish, because of its low-priced ingredients, quick and uncomplicated cooking, and an overall appetizing taste. It is a meal that echoes American society’s preference for fast and easy outcomes. Ironically, this mentality ruled by the need for instant gratification is what shapes the weight-loss industry as well. These two industries take advantage of America’s predilection for fast and easy results, bombarding society with contradictory messages about health. This inclination for quick rewards has deeply penetrated in the nation’s culture and economy. It is a cultural rule of thumb that guides a variety of decisions in the country. “Nearly every consumer

It plays a substantial role in the fast-food and the weight-loss industries’ profits, playing with society’s food stigmas and sending contradictory messages about health.
“Research has consistently shown that rather than simply reflecting cultural values, the mass media is a powerful contributor to social norms and expectations. By normalizing body dissatisfaction and weight preoccupation, glorifying thinness, perpetuating unrealistic and unattainable standards of beauty, and encouraging a rigid diet mentality, food advertisements contribute to social norms that place girls and women at risk for the development of eating disorders” (Wilson