Is the US Experiencing a Food Culture Transition - Research Paper Example

Is the US Experiencing a Food Culture Transition? Introduction Due to the increasing number of individuals suffering from obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases, nutritionists continue to point out the importance of dietary among families. The importance of a healthy diet has intensified among the American residents due to the experiences of a large number of individuals suffering obesity and overweight problems. Statistically, two of every three Americans are associated with overweight; this number translates to 67% of the American residents. On the other hand, it is estimated that 36% of Americans suffer obesity (Trust for Americas Health par. 1). Typically, overweight and obesity is caused by unbalanced diet, such as eating fast food that has a high level of fat, failure to eat fruits and vegetables, frequent drinking of alcohol, as well as eating a large amount of food among other factors. Research shows that early obesity increases the risk of experiencing cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as a high blood sugar. It is on this background that a large number of Americans continue to embrace the healthy diet. While Americans found the organic food difficult to access and expensive in the past, in the modern world, an increasing number of Americans are moving away from the American traditional food to the natural food (healthy food); this include the organically grown food, including fruits, vegetables and other unprocessed foods that contain low levels of fat. This paper focuses on discussing the most popular eating trends in the modern US culture; specifically, the paper will pay attention to the cultural food transition that is experienced in the modern American society and its significance among citizens. The American Food Culture, Healthy Eating Lifestyle and its Significance Though, there is still a dramatic rate of consuming fast and junk food in America, an increasing number people are understanding the positive effect of healthy meal. In its annual “food trends” report, Forbes magazine included items such as “gluten free” food, “healthier kids meals” and “veggies calorie”, which indicate the growing tendency towards natural and, thus, healthier eating (Gerhard par. 2) The healthy food increasing impact on peoples life, habits and way of thinking can be also noticed from the position of culture. Culture is usually defined as a system of beliefs, habits and ways of thinking, experience, and knowledge of a particular nation. One of the main elements of any culture is food. However, culture is not a sustainable phenomena but continually changing process. Today an increasing number books, TV programs, magazines are promoting sports and healthy food, pointing out their significant role for humans well-being and happiness (Gerhard par. 1). The Hartman Group report is one of the nutritional researches that shade light on the new American food culture. According to the Hartman Group’s report, healthy or “real” food is defined as food products “that connect directly to the historical food categories elsewhere in the world” and “that consumers can make at home” (par. 3). With respect to the article “The new American food culture”, John Ikerd points out the following aspects of food culture: “Eating makes a social statement – we eat with our family and our friends. Eating makes a political statement – what we eat affects what other people will and won’t have to eat. Eating makes a moral statement – what we eat affects how the earth is treated, and thus, reflects our personal ethics” (par. 1). Thus, he concludes that by choosing healthy food people are involved in the process of creating “new American culture” in general, which has already been adopted by more than fifty million. The report supports the fact that an engagement of Americans in eating healthy food facilitates the transition of food culture. Hartman Group provides a good background that one would use while exploring the cultural developments with respect to food in the American culture (Ikerd 3). In the last ten years, the amount of natural food made about 20% per year among the whole eating products consumption (Ikerd par. 4). By choosing organic foods the first followers of healthy way of eating made themselves called “counter-cultural” since at the outset there were no visible advantages of organic goods: they were neither cheaper, nor looking more attractive, nor easier to get relative to the traditional eating products. However, this was an expression of different eating ethic and finally achieved the status of “trend” (Ikerd par. 4). In 2012, Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN) has presented their report regarding the development of healthy food in the near future; in this regard, the main dietary eating tendencies were specified (41). Among these trends include: (1) taste as “pleasure aimed at attaining a sense of gratification and satisfaction via the culinary experience”; (2) attention to health; (3) Orientation to the past, directed on the remembering of traditions; (4) orientation to the future, which means “an emphasis on and enhancement of progress”; (5) new and alternative food producing technologies; and, (6) naturalness reflected in the eating moderately and simple food. Others include (7) globalization of flavors through “an exchange between dietary cultures”; (8) Local and regional food; (9) “Luxury” food, “in terms of higher quality and scarcity of certain foods”; and, (10) Sustainability, which “makes reference to a “knowledgeable” consumer who is involved in protecting the environment and product quality” (Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition par. 41). Further the paper overviews each tendency and majorly focus on the analysis of globalization and the value of international ethnic foods exchange for the cultural integration between different nations. The tendency based on the category of taste lies in the idea of eating “with sensors” which emphasizes the importance of quality eating: meal should be not only delicious to eat but also nice to watch in order for an individual to “achieve the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction through the culinary experience” (Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition par. 21). Attention to health tendency refers to the “improvement of individuals total well-being” by considerable combination of dietary habits and active lifestyle. Orientation to the past trend is based on the choice of food, which is “authentic, simple, fulfilling, linked to traditions, childhood and family, familiar, and genuine” (Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition par. 43). Orientation to the future trend lies in “concept of flavor, which prefers wholesome food and which sees meals as a time for comparison and socialization” (Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition par. 44). The tendency to create new and alternative technologies for producing and preserving food is aimed at making eating products safe and beneficial for ones health. Naturalness of food is defined as “a reduction to the minimum of handling in the various phases of the agricultural production chain or as a not excessively invasive use of technology and with attention paid to the sustainability of the agricultural models”, where “human intervention is limited to the stages of sowing and harvesting, letting nature guarantee the progress of the growing process” (Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition par. 46). The principles of naturalness in eating determines the ways in which food should be produced and prepared, according to which the use of synthetic and genetically modified should be eliminated; in this case, the preparation of dishes is aimed to preserve the natural characteristics of products and decrease the addition of fats. The idea of using local and regional food for ones daily meal is becoming popular in the modern America. It is believed that along with economic reasons, eating food, which is naturally related to a certain zone, better influences health and well-being of people living in that place due to such factors such as climate and water. Another healthy food trend belongs to “luxury” products. The luxury of food relates to the “exclusivity of expensive foods”, which “is justified by their higher quality and the difficulty of finding them”, its authenticity and mostly organic nature. This tendency indicates the desire of people to consume high quality products despite of the high cost (Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition par. 49). The tendency of sustainability is closely related to the issues of consumers responsibility for the quality of nutrition and their intention to be “involved” in the process of food production. The modern healthy food trends are shifting towards natural, organic products, decrease of technical intrusion in the process of food manufacturing and traditional forms of cooking that preserve products original characteristics amongst others. In the next two chapters the paper will analyze the relation between globalization and healthy food consumption and pay attention to the individual eating consciousness with respect to generalization of mass social food culture. Globalization is a process of integration between nations of various items, ideas and phenomena with their further partial or complete assimilation. According to Raymond Grew “food is a particularly fruitful topic for exploring the meaning of globalization because it exposes the complexities of a process popularly described in simple terms” (Grew par. 2). Since this paper largely focuses on the healthy eating, there is a need to connect “ethnic foods” to the American healthy food trends. Probably, one of the most vivid examples of food globalization is the Japanese cuisine with its sushi. As Issenberg points out, “unlike other “ethnic foods,” in America, sushi was not an inexpensive and neighborhood-based food. Due to its celebrated aesthetics, Japanese food was always seen as fussy haute cuisine” (Carroll 454). In particular, sushi began to be treated as a dietary food in 1970s following the appearance of the idea about simple preparation and use of fresh ingredients as a meal. In this respect, sushi became “a thin ideal of beauty”, which “inspired a diet craze as sushi met every standard for being both healthful and light. Above all, sushi was seen as a diet food without social cost” (Carroll 454). Currently, sushi, sashimi, tempura and other Japanese low-fat meals continue to be a trend in the healthy eating history. Japanese diet is considered to be significantly popular in the world. A diet based on the Japanese food is, for example, followed by the US celebrity Madonna. Among the other foreign ethnic foods participating in the American healthy food trends, Asian Indian vegetarian cuisine is also quite popular. There are a number of Indian restaurants in USA offering authentic Indian meals, which are not adapted to the American tastes as it has happened with other foreign food, for example, Chinese cuisine. Asian Indian food mainly uses grains, vegetables and great amount of spices as the ingredients. Indian cuisine is mostly vegetarian and, thus, considered to be dietary. Moreover, it is believed that there is a close relation between the Indian vegetarian cuisine, physical practices of yoga and healthy advices of Ayurveda; in this respect, the person is likely to improve the total healthy condition not only via balanced eating, but also strengthening body and mind as well (Institute of Food Technologies par. 3). According to the Hartman’s report there is always close dependence between globalization, food and culture (par. 4). As regards the healthy food trends in America, Asian cuisine is considered to be one of the leading providers of dietary advices. Simple and natural-based, it helps to make a diet nutrient-enriched, balanced as well as tasty and unique. On the other hand, pursuing foreign eating habits, a person appreciates more about life and traditions of other peoples. As it is outlined in the Hartman’s report, the current “global” or “ethnic” food trends are becoming mainstream” (Hartman Group, Inc. par. 21). Among the modern healthy eating concepts and trends, the important role belongs to the person himself, his responsibility, knowledge and attitude towards balanced nutrition. As John Ikerd emphasized, “what we choose to eat is a reflection of our basic values and beliefs (Ikerd 4). By accepting healthy nutrition habits people benefit to the creation of “new American culture” (4). Cultural awareness of healthy eating can be analyzed through the consumers choice. For example, according to a survey by National Restaurant Association, “today’s restaurant guests want healthier menu options and more information at hand to help them make choices about eating. According to the surveys, 71% of adults are trying to eat healthier at restaurants than they did two years ago” (Undercurrent News par. 1). Conclusion In the todays American society, where obesity is declared a “national epidemic” and the rate of heart diseases and diabetes is rapidly increasing, adopting the healthy food habits and awareness becomes not only a desire but also a necessity (Harvard School of Public Health par. 1). Notably, the creation of the new American food culture is influenced by global practices as far as the food consumption is concerned. For instance, sushi, tempura and sashimi among others are Japanese cuisines with low-fat meals; the Chinese cuisines are also frequent in the current American culture. Provided the foreign and local meals are associated with a balance diet, especially with respect to the prevention of obesity and overweight, more Americans should adopt the new eating lifestyle. The adoption of foods that are associated with low levels of obesity (due to low levels of fat and calorie) would contribute to the decreasing number of individuals suffering cardiovascular diseases, including cholesterol, high blood and high blood sugar. Additionally, in order to ensure the adoption of a balance diet is practiced among all Americans, the provision of education with respect to the healthy food habits is imperative; such step is considered since it benefits the physical, mental and spiritual condition of an individual and the nationwide culture. 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