Culture of Food

About two years ago, at 250 lbs, I decided I was going to change my life and start losing weight.  It was difficult enough to think about changing the way I ate, or let alone incorporating physical activity, but to worry about things like GMO’s or organic vs. non-organic seemed overwhelming.  I just tried to focus on eating “healthier” which maybe meant I didn’t eat ice cream EVERY night.  As I got used to the changes I was making however, I became more concerned about health and fitness and started paying closer attention to things like nutrition labels. 

It would seem impossible for anyone who is struggling to immediately jump from one extreme to another.  Eating at McDonald’s is addicting, and cheap, so why should anyone give it up for food that is more expensive, takes longer, and may not be as satisfying (a burger and fries is a lot more satisfying that a salad)?  For some people, fast and pre-packaged food is all they can afford and coupled with potential negative side effects (withdrawals) of not eating it, why WOULD anyone give it up?  Too many people have been caught in this vicious cycle, and we can educate people about the harms of their food or give them better alternatives, but I do not believe it is enough, as many kids develop a taste and preference for these things at such a young age.  Looking back at nutrition labels of food I used to eat on an almost-daily basis makes me ashamed.

I think the social media fad of instagramming food may be helping (and I use that term loosely) because people are probably not going to instagram burgers and fries as they would a colorful and photogenic salad, which may make them slightly more likely to choose a healthy option when dining out or crave something healthy when they see a friend who posted a picture of something healthy.

I feel lucky that I have been able to lose almost 80lbs since watching Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, despite all of the temptations and downfalls of the American culture of food.