My scholastic passion is nutritional anthropology and I try to keep up with current food politics as well. This leads me to a lot of random (often dry) articles and yesterday I found this one on www.vox.com (link below) called "China's Rise is Making Your Burger More Expensive". Now I don't care about the cost of beef, but I do follow economic food trends because it radiates globally.
So, the essence of the article reads that with China's growing middle class and overall economy they are now able to import more beef (from US, AU, and others). It is seen as a luxury that the new middle class can afford and the consumption has gone up astronomically in the last 20 years.
What I am curious about is how this will change their countries health record. We actually have the opportunity to see the expected decline, especially in this class of new wealthier citizens. Obviously, there is still a strong heritage of rice and vegetable based meals, especially in the lower incomes which gives a base line to compare to. But how far will it deviate from this? To what extent is the population as a whole going to be effected, I wonder. Are there already affects being seen? It's a sad story to be killing ourselves by killing animals just to keep up with appearances of wealth. Death brings death. Sorry, I digress.
I would love to know if there are any fruit bats familiar with this scenario? Have you seen more beef being sold in the last few years than ever before? Chinese friends want to give an opinion on your experience or expectations? Will the China Study become ancient history like so many other nations that are dying from wealth and excess?
I would love to read your thoughts!
Full article with graphs:
http://www.vox.com/2014/4/14/5612792/chinas-rise-is-making-your-burger-more-expensive
Replies
It's interesting for certain ... I was talking to my mom today and a weirdly similar subject came up. She was saying that when she was young, her family ate from "the ground up," which she actually calls the Southern Poverty Diet. She was born at the beginning of WWII. They had and maintained a victory garden, had pecan, apple, peach and cherry trees, and ate lots of peas, rice and greens for dinner. They also put up any excess veg by canning. As she moved toward the now standard American diet, she put on the pounds and has experienced a number of health issues, including colon cancer and T2D. This makes it especially ironic when she worries about my health because I eat a vegan diet and, of course, I get the "where do you get your protein?"
I've been watching what's going on in China, with their diet starting to take on a Western (and, more specifically, American) sheen. Fast food restaurants, bigger is better, meat with every meal ... And then reading that Chinese military had outgrown their tanks ... gained 2 centimeters in height and 5 centimeters at the waist.
Trying to avoid being soapboxy, but why does America seem to export all our ills to the rest of the world? Why do we insist that the American "way of life" is best, even when met with evidence to the contrary? It will be interesting to watch what the next generation in China choose to do.
My old housemate had the same mentality. We were both raising sons and her little one always asked me "what are you making?" and "why are you eating all those things?" I finally realized his diet consisted of fast food, sugary cereals, ramen with frozen chicken nuggets, etc. One day when I was cutting up a gorgeous pear for my son as an after-school snack, I asked him if he wanted to try a bite. He didn't know what it was. I said "it's fruit!" and he said he preferred his own fruit, which to him meant "fruit" snacks ... those horrid little gummy things that are flavored to taste like something that is vaguely reminiscent of fruit. She fed him crap all the time, but always made him drink two glasses of milk and eat meat at every meal so he would grow up "big and strong".
It's a mentality we constantly push ... doctors, nutritionists, government, etc. Okay, stopping now before a fully mount my soapbox.
A bit off topic but I need to rant, National Public Radio yesterday had a little "news" story on how people have been avoiding fish for fear of mercury but they just need to eat mercury free fish and pregnant women and children need to eat more of it to get their nutrition. So frustrating!
I know what you mean, Ednshell! I too see it in magazines all the time, recommending women eat 1-2 portions of oily fish a week without a single mention of vegetarian options. It's so easy to get vegan (and mercury free sources) of DHA. Like, Nicolas H said- nuts and seeds are an excellent option. Much healthier for children, (pregnant) women, and men alike... unless mercury poisoning is your thing.
agree no one mentions cantaloupes for 03
i think this whole 03 hysteria is made up to sell fish fish oil eggs and powders/pills
no one mentions the dangerous stuff that comes with the 03 in these nasty animal products
its clear to me that its 100% single outcome marketing to get people in panic so they buy expensive dangerous "products " instead of produce
totally agree!
Thanks Nic, I sent them this message:
Telling pregnant women and children to eat more fish is a fallacy! The only mercury-free source of DHA is vegan algea-based DHA supplement. One can also eat flax or hemp or chia seeds to get ALA, converted later into EPA and then DHA by the body. Further more if one eats low fat as the latest in nutritional research advocates there is no reason you need any more omega 3s than what is in your fruits and vegetables. Your need only increases if eating high fat junk food as most Americans do.
"We do not know whether vegetable or fish omega-3 fatty acids are equally beneficial, although both seem to be beneficial. Unfortunately, most Americans do not get enough of either type. For good health, you should aim to get at least one rich source of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet every day. This could be through a serving of fatty fish (such as salmon), a tablespoon of canola or soybean oil in salad dressing or in cooking, or a handful of walnuts or ground flaxseed mixed into your morning oatmeal." http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/omega-3/
Our oceans are on the verge of total collapse, all fish, whether farmed or taken from the most pristine lake have high levels of mercury and PCBs in them. Please NPR stop promoting the consumption of fish, for the sake of our health, the planet and for the fish.
That makes absolutely no sense!!! UGH!!!!
I know, there is no mercury free fish and there is no need to eat fish. You could not tell if this was a paid advertisement or a news story and these days is there really any difference? UGH!
OMG 30x! Even growing up in America, I've always known that there is a hierarchy to food. Now I know that even the "expensive" flesh is still detrimental to health. Especially when consumed in the quantities that people think they need. Food, culture, and status are so interwoven.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next