Why we eat what we eat
Why we eat what we eat refers to why and how people eat, which foods they eat, and with whom they eat, as well as the way people store, use, and discard food. Individual, social, cultural, religious, economic, and political factors all influence the way people eat there food.
Economic
Money, values, and the consumer all affect what a person purchases. The price of a food is not an indicator of its nutritional value. Cost is a combination of a food's availability, status, and demand. There are differences in social classes with regard to food. Low-income groups in particular, have a greater tendency to consume unbalanced diets and have low intakes of fruit and vegetables. This leads to both under-nutrition and over-nutrition within the members of a community, depending on the gender and/or age group.
Factors influencing food choice are not only based upon individual preferences, but are by economics. Low-income groups face specific challenges when trying dietary change and solutions need to be specifically targeted. High-income groups have the opportunity to try any types of food. This influences the way we eat.
Political
Food politics are the political aspects of the production, control, regulation, inspection, distribution and consumption of food. Politics can be really affected by the ethical, cultural and medical disputes concerning proper farming, agricultural and retailing methods. Political factors also influence food availability and trends. Food laws and trade agreements affect what is available within and across countries, and also affect food prices. Food labelling laws determine what consumers know about the food they purchase.
Technological
Technology has indeed had an impact on how and what we ...
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...are eaten in some cultures, though they are unacceptable food sources in other cultures. There are also rules concerning with whom it is appropriate to eat.
Health
What we eat often depends on our health and what we eat also effects your health . When you are sick, it is normal for your appetite to decrease and to eat less. Sometimes, an unusually small or large appetite that persists can indicate a health condition that should be treated. The food we eat gives our bodies the information and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our body processes suffer and our health declines.
If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. What we eat is central to our health.
When children move away from home and do not go to school but live on their own, they do not always eat very healthy. No one makes food for them, and they do not want to take a lot of time to prepare food for just themselves. Also, they do not want to make a large amount of food for just one person and have too much food left over. This is true for anyone who lives on their own. People who live alone only need to make enough for one person, and they always need to make it themselves unless they go out to eat.
Research proves that low-income families will shop wherever the food prices are lower, and generally cannot afford to pay for healthful foods. In comparison to the residents of higher income communities, low-income households normally have diets that are higher in meat and processed foods and often have low intakes of fruits and vegetables. Research suggests that people with low socioeconomic status spend up to 37% more on food. This is because of smaller weekly food budgets in addition to poorly stocked stores. Those with lower income are more likely to spend money on inexpensive fats and sugars versus fresh fruits and vegetables that are more costly on a per calorie basis. Healthy foods like whole grain products are more expensive than high calorie junk foods.
Michael Pollan discusses two categories of food: one is real food (the kind our great-grandmother would recognize), while the other is “edible food-like substances”. The category that needs defending according to Pollan is the real food. This category of food is minimally processed, fresh (will eventually rot), and includes mostly things that are taken straight from the source (the ground, tree, etc.). When one walks into a store, they should look for and pick the foods that are more “quiet”such as fresh produce than the ones that have more labels that say they are more healthy, or better for you.
In our fast pace society, we base everything on time and money. This need to save money and time has transformed the way we see food and purchase food. Food is an essential part of all cultures. It plays a role in every person’s life. The population has the power to choose what we eat and how the food industry is shaped. There are many important questions that we need to ask ourselves in order to keep the food industry in check. These questions are: How do we know our food is safe? What should we eat? How should food be distributed? What is good food? These are simple yet difficult questions.
Nutrition. Eating is a very simple and basic thing in our daily life, but today, we are facing a complex
Eating nutritious food may seem simple enough, but to those that hardly get by financially, affording healthy foods can be a major hindrance. This is proven by Dr. Jim Levine, a researcher with a concentration of the link between poverty and obesity. He is quoted stating, “In many poverty-dense regions, people are… unable to access affordable healthy food, even when funds avail.” (Sifferlin 1) For example, further studies show that the average cost of salad is $1.50 more than the average cost of a hamburger. Getting vitamins and minerals from the food we eat is substantial to survive in everyday life. Annually, it costs five hundred and fifty dollars more to eat healthier. Five hundred and fifty dollars may not seem like much, but to those that have low income, it is a crucial amount. While achieving a healthy diet proves to be necessary to maintain a healthy weight, it is almost inaccessible for those with low income. Low-income individuals confront the barrier of the cost of healthier choices in their everyday
Like the human body, the ideas that will be discussed in this research paper revolve around food. Food is essential for the human body to function, grow, and survive. In addition to these physiological effects, food has developed culturural purposes, such as, for enjoyment, creation, and profit. The food industry in the United States has taken advantage of food’s purposes of enjoyment, creation, and profit. This advantageous behavior is done so in a way, that has altered the make-up of food; which consequently has altered food’s effect on the human body, no longer giving the human body optimal function, growth, and survival. Overall, the food industry and the alterations of food have not only negatively affected the animals and food used in production, but also the minds and physiology of consumers.
By reviewing my Eating Habit Table, I concluded three factors that affects my food choices and eating habits. First of all, nutrition is the primary factor since I am more likely to prepare food by myself instead of eating outside of home because I know what is in the food and in what amount that I consumed. Secondly, time is also a major factor that guide my eating habit. For example, I would like to choose the food that is easy to prepare. During the weekdays, there is often not enough time to prepare meal, so I tend to consume fast food from café or eat less food. Last but not least, convenience drives me to consume what I already had or what is close to me. When my fridge is empty, I would go downstairs and order pizza from a
Food insecure families are not supplied with nutritional, healthy, clean, or safe foods. They are given junk food. The money they do have, or the money that is given to them, is put towards buying foods that are high in fat and sugar so it can be stored for a month or longer. Fruits and vegetables are rarely an option, and if they are, they are not in good condition. Food insecurity can lead to poor health. A leading example of illness caused by food insecurity is hunger, which can lead to obesity. Individuals who are skipping meals or eating less rarely have access to food. Once food does become available, it is not unlikely that they will begin to overeat. Weight gain can be caused by the extreme ups and downs of food intake. Food insecurity can also cause obesity without the serious case of hunger. One of the reasons that food insecurity can cause obesity is because quality and healthy food is more expensive and more susceptible to waste. Foods that have added sugar and fat are particularly less expensive and last for a long time. Those who are food insecure generally cannot buy food often, so they have to get non-perishables. In addition, fast food is easy accessible to those without a car, and it is cheap. As well as inexpensive and non-perishable food, stress and poor mental health from having a low-income can cause obesity due to hormonal and metabolic changes from stress and detrimental eating and exercise habits. (“Why Low-Income”,
Nutrition is a basic necessity of life. Without a proper and well-balanced diet, it is difficult for any being, regardless of species, to survive. Unlike that of primates such as the great apes, the human diet is more full of calories and nutrients. Humans have a great understanding of what types of food are necessary to maintain good health. It is difficult to tell when the eating habits of Homo sapiens split apart from the eating habits of these other primates. Yet, one fact is certain. As human evolution continues to progress, the human diet also continues to evolve.
According to Diaz (2011) income and food cost affect the overall diet of the U.S adult population. Primarily, studies show that issues such as the socioeconomic status and food prices greatly influence people’s diet, determining their food choices. People from higher social classes value importance of nutrition because they have a variety of diet options. For instance, Drewnowski and Darmon (2011) suggest that obesity in the U.S is a socioeconomic issue, which is directly related to limited economic and social resources. This essay explains how income and food cost affect our diet choices. People from higher social classes consume healthier foods compared to people from lower social classes because the overall food choices are influenced by the price of products and the person's socioeconomic position. So, tell me does income and food cost really affect our diet?
Although people are responsible for making their own decisions about what to eat and what surroundings they choose to influence them. But, the food industry have their own ways of dragging the people towards their products. It is important to know the ways the food
The price needs not only to be affordable, but to be worth the time and effort that goes into preparing a meal. This is why fast food prices remain so low, and accessible to all social classes. Different groups have been impacted by the formation and rapid growth of the fast food industry- altering our ever-changing relationship to the things we eat. The industry places a disproportionate burden on poor and immigrant families, who are more likely to be working for minimum wage at fast food restaurants and cannot afford healthier prepared meals. This results is a disproportionate effect on the health of low-income people. Specific social groups that are affected include immigrants, women, and low-skilled workers (Talwar, 2002, 88). Poor families are also less likely to have the time to cook meals, as they will need to work longer hours, or even multiple jobs. For these reasons, fast food becomes a main dietary component rather than a treat or supplement when in a hurry. The convenience and low cost may appear to benefit the working class, but the health effects make it clear this isn’t so. “Becoming modern, it turns out, is not simply adding on new items of behavior, and when societies change, they rarely instruct those that are changing about the things they may be losing” (Wilk, 2006,
Furthermore, when going to a restaurant to have dinner, they serve you an over sized food portions. Not only in food places, but also: in gas stations, movies theaters, supermarkets, and even at your own home. That oversize meal can feed two or more people at once, but since no one does shares their meal, this means too many calories going in you. Over time, this will put your health at risk, which will cause you to become overweight and lead to obesity (“What Causes”). Along with affecting your daily health, well being, energy and fitness levels, being overweight can lead to more serious factors in your life. You can be at risk for
Generally, most healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy food. “Poor people are easy to identify because so many are obese. (Peck)” said by Anna Soubry, the Tory public health minister. The food prices have a significant impact on people who want to balance good nutrition. According to Geographic Differences in the Relative Price of Healthy Foods, the price of whole grains is 23 percent higher than that of refined grains in San Francisco, while 60 present higher in Pennsylvania and New York (Todd, Leibtag and Penberthy). Also, the price of fresh green vegetables is 20 to 80 percent higher than that of starchy vegetables in all markets across the United States (Todd, Leibtag and Penberthy). Due to the higher price of healthy food, a lot of people choose to eat unhealthy food, such as McDonald’s, especially for people who don’t want to...