How People Decide What to Eat - Dissertation Example

Critical Assessment Humans are faced with numerous food related choices every day. During dinnertime, there are numerous alternatives someone or a family can choose from (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). They can, if they wish, prepare a domestic meal from completely raw ingredients. The family can make a meal suing a mixture of convenience foods and raw ingredients or it can prepare meals with just convenience foods (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Also, they can opt to skip the entire preparation aspect of the entire meal itself and go buy take-out from a grocery store or an opted local restaurant and it eat it at home or also they can opt to have the whole meal outside their home and eat at their selected restaurant (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Selecting from these diverse alternatives is something that humans will do not just during dinnertimes, but during lunch and breakfast, as well (Germov & Lauren 2004). The food environment has a number of options that are it accepted for individuals to eat a minimum of one meal out every day. There is also the topic of how institutions such as schools, universities, restaurants, hospitals and military institutions, decide what to serve to the people concerned (Germov & Lauren, 2004). A majority of such institutions, not all, serve staple foods but how was it decided that staple food would be served to these people (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). How is food policy at different levels from local to state to federal determined and implemented? How has technology affected the production of food, distribution and food choices? Food is a fairly new empirically distinct area in sociology and this paper seeks to explain the questions that have been put forth above concerning the sociology of food. How People Decide What to Eat People’s food decisions are a fragile cocktail of health, social, as well as hedonic factors, which parcel up in a complex knot that is normally hard to unravel (Germov & Lauren, 2004). In general, the food people eat has to accomplish the following needs: The taste needs to be palatable, its manner of preparation has to fit in the person’s way of life, it has to fit with the social forces leading the person’s life and it maybe needs to be healthy (Germov & Lauren, 2004). The food people eat is normally about communicating some form of social signal or if they have people with diverse dietary preferences than others, it can be a sign of social conformity. People are, at times, persuaded by what to eat due to the amount of food on the plate. At times, people eat a lot of food due to the actual size of their plates and spoons. Someone can eat more meals by using bigger utensils without even knowing. Also, people eat what they can reach. In a study conducted by (Germov & Lauren, 2004), people consumed 30% less candy when inside a desk verses on top of a desk, as well as 60% less when just 2 meters away. The study, therefore, claimed that if people want others to eat better, then they should make healthy choices accessible, visible and readily available. Humans are also more drawn to deceptive food labels as compared to less deceptive food labels. This explains why many people are inclined to junk meals. If fast foods or processed are less costly compared to healthful vegetables and fruits, people may be prone to choose the much cheaper option. Germov & Lauren (2004) found out that when school cafeterias reduce the cost of fresh fruit just by half, it boosts the sale of fruit by four times the normal amount (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Where people live, school or work, can have a huge effect on their food choice. Persons who reside closer to health-food and grocery stores opt to consume more healthfully foodstuffs. In comparison, a lot of poor neighborhoods are typified as “food deserts,” with modest or absolutely no access to reasonably priced and nutritious food. Convenience food stores that offer vastly processed foods, sweets and sodas might be more common in such neighborhoods. In addition, a person who attends school or work in a neighborhood where food options are restricted to fast food restaurants also impacts their decisions. In a study by a UCLA study team discussed by Germov & Lauren (2004) found out that adolescents attending schools in neighborhoods lacking healthy food choices were likely to opt for fast food and soda. Finally, people develop a lot of their food preferences during childhood rooted in what their family of origin opted to eat (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). If someone’s family meals depended greatly on dishes from their Italian heritage, for instance, then they might hold a fondness for pasta all through their life. Likewise, if certain foods, such as vegetables and fruits, were not readily available in their home, they people might persist to be not used and not likely to opt for them during adulthood (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Also, people’s parents might have persuaded them by making use of treats as rewards rather than healthier foods, supporting the suggestion that low-nutrient, high-calorie foods are better than nutrient-dense choices. Where We Can Find Accurate and Science-Based Information about Nutrition People are more and more concerned in food and nutrition information, plus the channels for getting information are growing at a hasty pace (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). This situation offers fresh opportunities for individuals such registered dietitians (RDs) to reach different audiences with convincing nutrition messages. Nevertheless, it is also more difficult to be heard in a more and more competitive communications world where information is, at times, inaccurate but considered true by the general public. RDs are actively taking steps to put themselves as dependable sources of science-based food, as well as nutrition information, plus communicate through a number of traditional and new media channels (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). RDs are exclusively qualified to assess and interpret nutrition study in the perspective of the body of science, and suitably decode the findings into optimistic and sensible diet and food advice for the general public. Resources are provided to help RDs assess nutrition research, remain abreast of the most recent food and nutrition information, and successfully communicate scientific information in numerous formats (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Television, magazines, as well as the Internet, are among the top information sources, whereas medical professionals, such as dietitians and doctors, are less likely to be talked to. However, the only correct way to gather science-based information on food and nutrition is through registered dietitians, dietitians and nutritionists. In fact, these are the best individuals gather information on nutritional advice from even though it is not as straightforward/simple as it may appear (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). There are significant distinctions in training among these individuals who hang out their grits providing nutritional assistance because it pays to recognize the background of the individual from whom you search for nutritional counsel (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). RDs undertake a four-year degree course from an accredited campus. RDs are trained in all aspects of nutrition, from basic nutrition to biochemistry nutrition to medical nutrition therapy, a therapeutic loom of treating nutrition-related issues by the use of a tailored diet. The curriculum also has courses in physiology, anatomy, statistics, chemistry, as well as research methodology (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). There are significant distinctions in training among the individuals who associate their shingles providing nutritional assistance, and it pays to discern the background of the individual from whom people seek nutritional help. Other than the courses required for a degree, a scholar should compete for a slot in a credited dietetic internship and cover at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice in any public health setting, as well as foodservice management. Then there is the nationalized examination, which should be passed. After that is when one becomes an RD (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Besides, roughly 50% of RDs hold a masters degree. All that education grants the RD an edge in the context of differentiating nutrition fact from diet fantasy. Also, science-based information about nutrition could be gotten from many published articles on the internet. Registered dietitians, dietitians and nutritionists, all try to advertise their works through posting their researches online so that people could get nutritional recommendations from them (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). How Schools, Universities, Restaurants, Hospitals, Military and Other Public Institutions Decide What to Serve Providing food today is all about meeting some of the customer needs and expectations (e.g., taste, safety, price and service), and offering physical sustenance (e.g., nourishment and satiation) (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Nevertheless, in the institutional world, there are three other significant roles, which might inform the objectives and goals of the 4 meal service, which might be regarded under the headings of 3 “M”s: Manners, Morale, or Medicine (Germov & Lauren, 2004). In the morale-centered institutional meal services, there is a specific highlighting on preparing the meal service to avoid boredom, offer familiar and maybe reassuring foods to individuals in otherwise depressed circumstances, or to show that the institution cares for the welfare of its people (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Food offered to military personnel serving in war zones is an exemplar of this type of service, who have set up some workplace canteens, particularly in isolated regions (e.g., remote mining camps or offshore oil platforms) where there are hardly any or no alternatives sources of food except those offered in the workplace. Prisons also exhibit some of the elements of morale-based service (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Meals are considered as a very significant social juncture in prison as a break out from the monotony of daily routine, as well as the ability to prepare some culturally-specific and home-made food is greatly valued (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). In a manners-centered meal service one of the clear roles of the meal time is to guarantee suitable behavior is taught plus good behavior supported, while unsuitable behavior is rectified (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). School and childcare settings offer examples of this, where the significance of providing children with chances to test many foods, to learn and show appropriate social relations with other children, and also learn some food preparation, as well as service skills, can be a fraction of the open goals of the meal occasion (Germov & Lauren, 2004). In correctional centers, inmates are frequently employed in the service and preparation of meals and, as in schools, there can be a number of socialisation and rehabilitation activities rooted in meal time relations. The lack of control, on the other hand, with regards to meals by prisoners can be seen as an element of the process of that supports their lack of identity and power in the institution (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). One of the grievances that women correctional centers particularly have made sometimes is that they can lose vital domestic management skills and assurance if they are not concerned in the service of meals. Nevertheless, issues of security and cost control frequently severely restrain food preparation, the menu, as well as meal delivery options, in prisons (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Finally, Medicine-centered meals can be witnessed in nursing homes, hospitals and, to some degree, in home-delivered meal services like Meals on Wheels. From the Hippocrates (4th century) to Florence Nightingale (19th century), the offering of food suitable for sick people has been recognised as a vital element of their care. In hospital, the food offered to patients is not only another hotel function (such as laundry and cleaning)n but it is part of treatment, and offering meals, which are of high quality and that meet the peoples’ specific nutritional requirements is a vital goal (Germov & Lauren, 2004). However, if food is considered as medicine, frequently necessary dietary modifications (e.g., low salt, pureed or liquid food or low protein meals) can make meals mainly unappealing (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). It is identified that in these situations, the medical requirements should outweigh the usual culinary expectations. How Food Policy at Different Levels from Local to State to Federal Is Determined and Implemented Local food strategies and policies play a key role in forming healthy, fair and sustainable food systems (Germov & Lauren, 2004). They consist of any programs, decisions or projects, which are supported by a government agency, organization or business and influence how food is processed, produced, distributed, eaten and disposed of. By centering on food system as a whole or on particular aspects such as food security or urban agriculture, food strategies and policies work to tackle local food hurdles (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Frequently, strategies are those, which incorporate separate policies into one harmonized approach (Germov & Lauren, 2004). If incorporated well, food strategies and policies provide a means of linking the various social, health, environmental and financial aspects of food. At the state level, we have Food Policy Councils (FPC) that is made up of stakeholders from a number of fields of a state food system (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Councils are naturally certified through government action such as a Public Act, an Executive Order, or Joint Resolution, but some councils have shaped through grassroots attempt and function devoid of an official government document (Germov & Lauren, 2004). FPCs are pioneering collaborations between government officials and citizens that offer a voice to the interests and concerns of many people who have long been overlooked by agricultural institutions (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Food Policy Councils play the duty of a "neutral" unbiased forum to summon numerous stakeholders in a food industry. For this basis, a lot of FPCs develop into "food system specialists" and also a priceless resource for creating and executing risk management events planned to cater for the requirements of conventionally overlooked producers and farmers. FPCs create extra leverage and extension to move forward public policy suggestions (Germov & Lauren, 2004). At the federal level, a systems approach to food permits consideration of the numerous intricately connected factors concerned in getting food from the farm to the consumer, and their impacts on health (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Food systems include mechanisms, inputs, as well as structures for food processing, production, acquisition, distribution, preparation metabolism and consumption. Also integrated in the U.S.’s food system approach are participants in the system, comprising of farmers, industries, fishers, governments, workers, communities, institutional purchasers, and clients (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Food systems are extremely entangled with numerous social issues. This overlapping food system serves at the regional, national, local and, at times, global level; herein. How Technology Has Impacted Food Production, Distribution, and Food Choices Technology has radically enhanced and reformed every aspect of our lives. It has barely left any part of our life untouched. It has transformed the way people function, entertain ourselves and also the things we consume (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). The food industry has gradually enhanced through using more enhanced technologies, which can deliver fresher, healthier, as well as more varied food (Germov & Lauren, 2004). At this time, the market provides a huge variety of foods that people can select from, at a much better quality, as well as lower prices compared to in the past. Through introducing new technologies, organizations can grant better products and services in more and larger quantities and; hence, satisfy a much wider choice of clients (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Advanced technologies are applied in all phases of food production. The initial step is to assist evaluate and enhance the worth of the raw ingredients utilized. Next, they are utilized in the preparation phase, where they help in shipping and securing the materials. The last phase of processing food will use methods such as separation and conservation, likely adding fresh ingredients to form the final product. Also, the packaging and distribution process is now cheaper and more sophisticated due to the creation of new materials, which can be utilized in wrapping or sealing items (Germov & Lauren, 2004). Unique machines are utilized to develop the packaging and mechanize this process to exploit efficiency and decrease costs (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Food safety and quality have both enhanced since new technologies make it much easier to follow global regulations and standards concerning the contents of food products. Organizations endeavor to get more raw materials or locate better techniques of drying vegetables (Beardsworth & Keil, 2006). Also, they strive to advance the way they process food through relying on safer chemical substances. Technology benefits people, as well as the food industry, through eradicating restrictions in quantity, quality and easing costs. References Beardsworth, A., & Keil, T. (2006). Sociology on the menu: An invitation to the study of food and society (5th ed.). London: Routledge. This book is an accessible overture to the sociology of food. Stressing the cultural and social dimensions of the human food system, from production to consumption, it allows us to deem new ways of considering the apparently mundane, day to day act of eating. This book provides an all-inclusive overview of the literature, chiefly supportive in this interdisciplinary field. It centers on significant texts and studies to assist students recognize major concerns and themes for future study. It urges the reader to re-appraise the assumed and familiar experiences of preparing, selecting and sharing food and to view their own habits and preferences, choices and aversions in their wider cultural context. Germov, J., & Williams, L. (2004). A sociology of food & nutrition: The social appetite. New York: Oxford University. This book introduces the reader to the discipline of food sociology through lengthily assessing the social background of food and nutrition. Prominent Australian and globals authors in the field offer a modern analysis of the social factors, which lie beneath food choice, studying the socio-cultural, economic, political and philosophical factors, which affect food production, consumption and distribution. It also has some strong learning features and sociological reflection exercises. Each chapter includes an overview, summary of main points, key terms, discussion questions, as well as further reading list. The sociological reflection can be applied as class-based or self-directed activities, which help readers to relate their learning to worldly things. Read More