Food is more than what we put into our bodies. Diet comprises an important aspect of culture. Each culture shapes its cuisine around the foods available in a particular geographic region. However, aspects such as socioeconomic status also play a vital role in shaping the dishes of a particular culture, with varying effects on the health of the population.
Typical American Diet
As of 2008, Americans consumed an average 3,770 calories each day, compared with the worldwide average of 2,833 calories, according to "Ecosalon." The annual sodium intake for Americans averaged 4,500 mg per day; the average trans fat intake averaged 5.8 grams per day, and the annual sugar intake averaged 142 pounds. Fast food comprised 55 percent of the entire diet for the average American, much of it in the form of hamburgers, hot dogs or other red meat-based offerings. The health implications of the typical American diet are stark: 33 percent of all Americans are overweight or obese, compared with a 12 percent rate of overweight and obese adults and children worldwide.
"Soul Food"
The roots of "soul food" date back to the arrival of African Americans to the Western Hemisphere in the 1600s, according to Diet.com. Soul food cuisine includes influences from the African continent and the West Indies, adapted to utilize foods available in North America. Foods popular among African Americans include yams, rice, okra, chicken, seafood and black-eyed peas. For many African Americans, holidays and other celebrations are a time to enjoy an abundance of good food and the company of family and friends. The high calorie and fat content of many "soul food" dishes, along with a high rate of poverty among many African Americans, translates to a higher overall rate of obesity among African Americans than for white Americans.
Mediterranean and Asian Diets
Unlike the typical American diet, the cuisine of the Mediterranean region and among many Asian cultures focuses on vegetables, seafood and plant-based oils, with meat playing a much smaller role in each dish. Before the middle of the 20th century, the rates of chronic illnesses among people in the Mediterranean region were among the lowest worldwide, with life expectancies that defied the lack of medical facilities, according to Oldways. Similar low rates of chronic diseases also occur among individuals adhering to a typical Asian diet.
Cultural Implications of Eating Disorders
Many people consider eating disorders to be a 20th century phenomenon, limited to upper-class white women. However, self-starvation has existed for centuries, while anorexia nervosa has been recognized as a medical disorder since the late 19th century, according to Healthy Place. In addition, several studies have demonstrated that the rate at which eating disorders occur among African American and Latinos in the United States is much higher than previously estimated. However, eating disorders are much less common in non-Western cultures and among societies where the role of women is socially and legally restricted.
References
- Oldways; Traditional Diets and Oldways' Four Pyramids; 2010
- "Ecosalon"; The Standard American Diet in Pictures and Numbers; Sarah Irani; January 2008
- Oldways; The Oldways Mediterranean Diet Pyramid; 2010
- Oldways; The Oldways Asian Diet Pyramid; 2010
- Diet.com; African-American Diet; 2011
- Healthy Place; Eating Disorders: Culture and Eating Disorders; Merry N. Miller., and A. Pumariega; December 2008
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