Transitioning Food Culture in America

            In the United States, we have our very own food culture.  We may not have the healthiest food culture, but we still have healthy options to change that food culture into something that others would admire.  When we hear the words “McDonald’s” and “Burger King,” we not only associate them with the American food culture, but we also associate those corporations with the words “unhealthy” and “obesity.”  As Americans, we have to provide a clear definition of what food culture really is, and see how we can make that definition of American food culture from having a negative connotation to a positive one. 

            First off, we have to examine the definition of food culture.  John Ikerd, of the University of Missouri, wrote a scholarly article examining what food culture actually is.  In the article, Ikerd briefly examines food culture, with the statement “what we choose to eat is a reflection of our basic values and beliefs.”  You can’t forget to remember a similar quote that we’ve always learned in elementary school, “you are what you eat.”  In another article, PBS talks about the meaning of food as what we consume and how we acquire it.  Seeing that multiple sources come together to create a proper definition of food culture, we see that the American food culture is what we consume most, and how we consume so much of a conceptual food.  Now that we know what food culture is, let’s examine what the American food culture is.

Dr. Cheryl Fryar and Dr. R. Bethene Ervin of the Center for Disease Control report that there’s a correlation between the amount fast food calorie in-take to the amount of overweight people.  From 2007-2010, adults of 20 and over who are overweight have consumed 11.2% of all their calories throughout the three-year period from fast food restaurants.  The CDC’s study continues with adults of 20 and over, who are obese have consumed 13.1% of their calories from fast food restaurants throughout this short period.  Yes, we see an obvious correlation between fast food consumption and obesity; however, we can change this culture.

            Our Americans don’t realize that the term “fast food” does not mean “unhealthy.”  There are many options available at fast food establishments that provide the average American healthy options.  The study presented by the CDC is flawed for the notion that it simply hinders what we have at fast food restaurants.  Sure, a Big Mac with fries is unhealthy, but the average American is not forced to buy the greasy meal.  On the McDonald’s website, you can see that McDonald’s has a selection of seven salads; whereas, the burger selection consists of a hamburger, cheeseburger, McDouble, Quarter Pounder, Big Mac, and Angus beef.  That’s six options.  It may be difficult to endure the fact that Mickey D’s has a larger selection of salads than the general burger choices, but it is what it is.  The food culture in America consists of choosing what is enlarged on the menu in a presented manner, rather than everything on the menu itself.  And seeing that the majority of Americans choose the burger over the healthy salad, we have to transition the food culture of our United States to a healthier state of mind.  We also have to read everything that’s on the menu, so we can become more aware of our health and well-being.  Being aware is what’s going to transition our American food culture from an unhealthy one, to a healthy food culture.

            Critics of the fast food industry claim that Americans have limited options with choosing food.  Gary Hirshberg, founder of Stonyfield Farms, stated the following: “The average consumer does not feel very powerful.”  He stated this on the documentary Food Inc. that came out in 2010.  The average consumer should question Hirshberg and the producers Food Inc. because we see that from knowing that a fast food corporation, like McDonald’s, has seven selections of salad, than one must negate Hirshberg’s quote and realize that there are plentiful of options. 

McDonald's side salad is at a minimal 20 calories.

            As the consumer, you have to compare what’s on the menu in order to make a health-conscious decision.  Price should be a concern, as well.  Not only does Food Inc. attack the amount of options corporations give to consumers, but Food Inc. also attacks the food industry by claiming that unhealthy food is now cheaper.  This notion is completely false, as we see on the McDonald’s menu once again that a side salad is not only on the Dollar Menu, but it’s only 20 calories, compared to the hamburger that’s 250 calories.  Yes, Food Inc. is correct about the fact that there are more cheap unhealthy foods than healthy foods; however, Food Inc. is hindering the fact that there are still healthy options that are cheap for as little as a dollar.  The consumer is also not keeping track of how much beef he or she is eating.  USDA reports with the latest statistic in 2012 that Americans in total have consumed 25.8 billion pounds of beef.  Seeing how colossal this number is, we have to lower that number in order to transition our American food culture into a healthier one.  Critics may question whether or not the agriculture industry will be ruined if we lower our consumption of beef; however, this is also completely false because the agriculture industry still revolves around crops.  Thus, we’ll see a win-win situation, for both the consumer and the farmer.

            When you watch Food Inc., you have to be open-minded; moreover, you cannot always blame the corporations for why your healthy options are so limited.  Instead of blaming the fast food industry for why the Journal of American Medicine reports that 34.9% of Americans over the age of 20 are obese, you have to blame yourself for not making the health-conscious choices that your colleagues have always advocated for.  Seeing that there’s a gargantuan amount of unhealthy food consumed in fast food restaurants like McDonald’s when there are still healthy options on the menu, the reader has to take responsibility.  Consider the statistics and facts presented in this article, and become one of the many, like me, that want to change what the world views as American food culture today.