OUR HUNGRY PLANET

What we eat and why we eat it

RESOURCES

Time

Energy

Money

Facilities

Dual Income Families

Busy lifestyle of children – no more “family dinners”

Use of convenience food

Eating out more often

Poor or no attention to nutrition

More reliance on snack foods

More stress

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

Behavior

Mood

Attitudes toward eating

Associated effects (status, roles, occasion)

Food is one of our primal instincts (Maslow, Freud)

Food gives comfort and emotional contact

Food means “I love you”, “Get well soon”, “We are sorry about your loss (grief)”

Food relieves tension and boredom

Food promotes friendship

Food is for sharing

Food is associated with shared experiences and memories

PHYSIOLOGICAL/BIOLOGICAL NEEDS

Energy and Nutrient requirements

Health needs

Life cycle adaptations

Medicinal Foods

Diet Fads

Hunger is a basic function, body craves food to satisfy the appetite Regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain When blood sugar is low, body craves sweet things Body systems are fueled by CALORIES and are influenced by the METABOLIC RATE or METABOLISM Nutritional needs change over the lifespan – ex: calcium requirements for babies, toddlers, adolescents, women over 50, etc. Chinese medicine and Atharvedic medicines of India rely on foods, herbs and spices The US is obsessed with “diets” and current “health foods”. Ex. Coconut Oil

SOCIAL

Parent’s food choices

Holidays and Celebrations

Social status – economic vs. cultural capital

Regional variations

Food used at most gatherings to foster togetherness and group identity – who brings the snack for preschool, girl scouts. Food used as fund raisers ex: booster clubs

Food is important in business relationships – company dinners, “boss for dinner”, “power lunch”

Food as communication

RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Food and religionChristianityHinduismBuddhismJudaismMoslem

Societies differ in what they define as edible and inedible

Social grouping defines what food youmay eat and where you eat it

Religious habits – ex: Jewish holidays, hindu and buddhism = vegetarianism, fasting

Traditions – Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, Passover, Eid

Ethnic group – areas of the world associated with different types of foods – PA German, Chinese, Hispanic, Indian

Integration – as culture becomes assimilated foods pass into general population

FOOD AVAILABILITY

Climate

Geography

Agriculture – advanced/subsistent

Global domination and exploration

Economic – First vs. Third World

Transportation

Food Preservation

Geography – soil, agricultural techniques, climate People used to eat what was locally grown – what has changed this? Transportation – Food costs closely track energy costs. Bringing food to market from all over the world is becoming increasingly expensive. Economics – Developed (richer) nations contain 30% of the world’s population and produce 60% of the world’s food supply. USA has one of the highest STANDARDS OF LIVING, but also some of the most nutrition related health care issues, such as DIABETES, OBESITY, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

ADVERTISING

“Big Food” advertising $$$$

Children’s Television

Consumer confusion vs. advocacy

Product Placement

TV messages (overt and obvious) encourage people to eat more snack/empty calorie/expensive foods

Advertisers use unreliable, biased and misleading information

Food manufacturers encourage young people to eat convenience foods, fast foods and high calorie fizzy drinks

THE SENSES

Taste – sweet, salt, bitter, sour, spicy, “umami”

Smell

Texture

Appearance

Sound

Raw vs. cooked

FUTURE FOOD TRENDS

International travel continues to introduce new food ideas and trends, often risking a safe food supply The future of agribusiness Sustainability – using locally grown food, in season from small growers. Ensuring a safe food supply Returning to old traditions Return third world farming traditions so that countries can provide enough to feed themselves

RESOURCESBernstein, W.J. A Spendid Exchange: How trade shaped the world. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008.

McGee, H. On Food and Cooking, Scribner, NY, 1984

Menzel, P. & D’Aluisio F. Hungry Planet: What the world eats Material World Books and Ten Speed Press, Napa CA. 2005