The Charger, February 2017
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How We Eat: How certain factors influence our diet
by Tracy Laughlin
Everyone's plates look different, but why? The Charger dives into the diverse reasons for chosing to eat the way we do.
For this reason, any person who has access to a variety of food likes to create his or her own personal diet based on any number of factors: health, religion, morals, cost, preference and more. All of these elements can dictate what people put on their plates. Ranging from veganism to the South Beach diet, there are many templates for those who want to be more specific about what they eat. For example, the widely popular vegetarian diet, which prohibits the consumption of meat, is commonly seen throughout the world because many see it as a healthier, more sustainable, and more moral option than diets with meat included.
Depending on the practices of one's religion, consumption of meat or alcohol can be limited. Around the world, countries with a strong religious presence tend to exhibit regionally structured diets. A prominent example of this exists in both Buddhism and Hinduism, where followers of these religions believe in "ahimsa," or nonviolence; the practitioners respect pure foods and sacred animals, which discourages them from eating meat. Largely Buddhist and Hindu countries like Thailand and India host larger populations of vegetarians and a lower reliance on meat production distribution because both Buddhism and Hinduism discourage eating meat.
Many Jews opt for a Kosher diet, only comsuming certain meats and alcohol. In countries like the United States and Australia, the large Christian populations actively eat beef, chicken, and more because there are fewer restrictions, and those which exist mostly concern fasting. In general, people of all religions, including atheists, elect their diets based on their individual moral compass. Similarly to the idea of "ahimsa," some people, religious or not, will generally decide not to eat meat because it is not moral to kill an animal, let alone meaning to eat it afterwards.
Many chose to refine their eating habits to support their health and stay alive. Dietary restrictions like vegetarianism often lead to a healthier cholesterol and a lower risk of heart complications in the future.
Some men and women follow strict plans like juice cleanses, the South Beach Diet, raw food diets, and the Paleo Diet, which aim to cause at rapid weight loss.
For people with health issues like diabetes, careful attention and planning surrounding what they consume is vital to maintaining their health. For example, a person with diabetes cannot naturally produce insulin. Because diabetics must closely monitor their blood sugar throughout each day, they are not allowed the extra sugar in their day that someone else might without consequences. Foods heavy in starch and fats, like bread, pasta, meat, and potatoes are potentially dangerous to diabetics if not eaten in moderation. Furthermore, severe and even moderate allergies, such as those to seafood and peanut butter, largely limit the scope of what a person can eat because of the immediate risk of a life threatening reaction.
However, the overwhelming majority of our population bases the decision off of what they plainly want to eat.
Preference is a strong motivating factor for hungry consumers, and that’s how brands selling food and beverages can survive: if the people like what they’re eating, they’ll want more. Time Magazine reported that the most common type of meat consumed in the United States is beef, largely due to the popularity of hamburgers in our culture. Meaning, an average American would agree that beef tastes good, and therefore they will make the trip to the grocery store to purchase them.
Because of its desired transformative effects, alcohol is also in high demand. Almost any successful restaurant needs to have a liquor license, or else their customers may leave unhappy. Whether or not a food or drink is healthy for you, a vast amount of people opt for what they believe tastes best.
On the other end of the spectrum, many people cannot pick and chose so easily what they eat.
In 2010, reports show that 1.45 billion people worldwide could not afford to purchase and consume meat. Financial constraints like this lead to a narrow diet built on what the individual or family can afford. In this way, some families have almost no choice in their diet. In the United States, many families below the poverty line rely on aid like food stamps to feed themselves, and even these are not guaranteed. Fast food restaurants selling cheap, but terribly unhealthy food provide those in porverty another resource, but they do not provide the nutrients or taste that someone might be looking for.
The labels and motivatons for different diets are seemingly infinite in our world today. It might seem difficult for producers to keep up, but the food industry is always competitive, and it operates on large scales. Often times, this comes at the expense of health and the environment. While countless people would line up to buy a McDonald’s BigMac, the production of their meat is potentially dangerous to the consumer, the animals it comes from, and our natural resources. One pound of beef requires a 1,800 gallons of water to be made, which adds up to millions of gallons in a year spent on one category of food alone. Food production and consumption is responsible for two-thirds of the water footprint that our population has created. To keep up with how our world eats, the range of selection grows each year, and demands more and more from our resources. This can be a reason for some individuals to maintain a special diet, but many continue to live eating what they wish to eat, what their health dictates, or whatever they can afford.
Food is an extremely important aspect to every person’s survival and happiness.
Ranging from veganism to the South Beach diet, there are many templates for those who want to be more specific about what they eat.
Rice and vegetables make up a Buddhist vegetarian meal. Courtesy of Nick Pettit.
Celery-based juice, part of a juice cleanse. Photo courtesy of pelambung.
Purple grapes, a part of a healthy fruit/raw food diet. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
Sushi is commonly eaten around the world. Photo courtesy of Meditations.
Pizza, a popular American food. Photo courtesy of Riedelmeier.
Whether or not a food or drink is healthy for you, a vast amount of people opt for what they believe tastes best.
Sign advertising applications for food stamps.
Photo courtesy of Keegstra.
This sad reality controls the lives of many deeply impoverished people, whose only focus is to find their next meal.
Photo courtesy of águahotels.