Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Changing Food Habits

Margret Mead talks about many different aspects of food problems that are currently occuring in the article called "The Problem of Changing Food Habits". This article examines the change of the decisions throughout the country on diets from people changing their daily food habits each and every day. Mead discusses the importance of making sure one knows the consequences of changing your diets dramatically with basic research to become more knowledged.

Research being the key point to Mead's discussion throughout the article is completely necessary. This is because the fact that without any research on what you are drastically changing in your life could cause harm to yourself. Saying this, Mead discusses the change in food patterns among people during their life times. Particularly in time of war, people change their food habits whether it is eating more or eating less, possibly due to the stress of the war or the fact that they may not know the next time they will get to eat if they are in the war. In addition, Mead talks about how food habits in younger children are learned when they are younger and it is harder to change them when they get older. Also, children may get used to a certain food due to their background, how they were raised, or their culture they grew up in. All together, it is extremely important to do research pertaining to any food habits that one may change.

Mead stresses to readers the importance of researching your diets before changing any natural eating habits. If people do not know what the dangers are in changing your food habits, then something possibly could be life threatening towards them. Research will allow one to become more knowleged regarding basic or complexed food habits, helping make this life change possible and realistic.

1 comment:

  1. Anthropologist Margaret Mead discusses problems with changing food habits through both pure and applied sciences. The article "The Problem of Changing Food Habits" discusses topics ranging from studies on locally grown food to studies of historically changing diets, and animal experiments in individual taste and preference and their relation to nutrition. Mead discusses major issues such as people suffering due to food shortages during times of war or other pressure to buy due to advertising.

    Research was one of Mead's main points of importance for changing your food habits. This is because drastic changes to your diet can actually be bad for you which is why it is extremely important to research before you decide to change your normal eating habits. Other habits include children's eating habits. Mead talks about how food habits in younger children are learned when they are younger and it is harder to change them when they get older which as the adult should tell you that being a role model for your child is important because once children are on a certain eating lifestyle it would be difficult to change it.
    A study from the State University of Iowa was a test interviewing 2300 school children. This study was testing children between food which is disliked and food which is healthy; which types of food are presided over by the mother, the father, teachers and health authorities. Furthermore it wants to know "how food behavior is expected to change with increasing maturity and independence." The test found results showing that there is a problem of "regional food patterns, nutritive value of foods and the possibility of altering natural foods so that they make a more ideal contribution to a given food problem." This test was useful within this article proving that adults need to teach their children young to have a healthy lifestyle.

    As discussed, Mead stresses the importance of knowing what could happen by drastically changing your food habits and that research is the key to help make changing your food habits successful.

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