As a lifelong foodist and longtime food professional, I have always taken a keen interest in what I put in my body and share at the table with others. Lately that table has become a matter of dining diplomacy as more people are concerned less about what to eat and more about what not to eat.
I am thrilled that communities and the media are focusing more on diet, health and sustainability. I read the Health Section of The New York Times with as much focus as the Food Section, seeking out morsels of news about the latest scientific research on foods, diets, exercise and boosting metabolism.
But I’m less thrilled by what I see as growing confusion about what to eat and what not to eat. While much of it is science based, I feel we are all taking it too far and need to reel ourselves in. At any given dinner table or event we’ll have a combination of people who are: gluten free, dairy free, meat free, sodium free, soy free, sugar free, allergic to nuts, shellfish or chocolate.
I’ve also learned a few new terms that I wish did not exist:
Orthorexia Nervosa is a term for people who are overly obsessive about eating healthy food. Can you imagine? There’s an eating disorder for people too focused on eating healthier. In the worst case someone with orthorexia nervosa can become so obsessive-compulsive and fearful about eating anything that’s not healthy that she becomes unhealthy, socially isolated and potentially self-destructive. I can only assume that orthorexia nervosa is societal and more frequent in advanced countries not the Third World.
Which brings me to term two: Food Insecurity. When I first heard this term, I thought it meant being afraid to eat in public. What it really means is limited, or lack of, nutritious food. Food insecurity spans the world. It hits a rural county or an urban neighborhood in the United States as much as it does a village in Africa. Childhood hunger is often a side effect of food insecurity but so is childhood obesity. A young boy who will develop Type 2 diabetes from a poor diet rich in sugar and junk food and lacking in fresh, wholesome food has one type of food insecurity; so does a little girl whose belly is distended from lack of nutritious food. Both lack nutrients to help them grown and stay healthy. It’s a sad statement in such an advanced society as ours that either of these conditions exist.
Which leads to the third term: Food Hysteria. We’re seeing so many conflicting reports about what to eat/not to eat that it’s causing confusion. One minute popping fish oil capsules is good for you. Then you read new research says claims can’t be supported. These kinds of reports are usually released after I load up on the item in question at my health food store. Do I take back the bottle of fish oil capsules?
Another example are eggs. For years we were told to watch our intake of eggs to reduce dietary cholesterol which could contribute to elevated blood cholesterol leading to a number of health risks such as clogged arteries and heart disease Now the US Dietary Guidelines Committee says dietary cholesterol in eggs has little or no effect on blood cholesterol.
Nuts are good for you nutritionally and a great source of fiber. Too many nuts are not due to their high fat content. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Even plain old water can be over-consumed to a point where your electrolytes can be thrown off balance. Moderation needs to be maintained in what’s good for you and what’s not.
Don’t go too nuts worrying over your diet
I won’t get into other foods that set people gnashing their teeth in food hysteria: Carb-Vader, Scary Sugar, Tubby Butter, FrankenFoods and GMOnsters. You get the point.
Understandably we all worry about eating foods tainted with pesticides, chemicals, artificial ingredients and scary names we cannot pronounce. But we also have to be rationale. It’s hard enough to get kids to eat healthy; make sure you set an example when you set your table.Enjoy more meals together at home and with simply good food and conversation.
Food Hysteria demonizes the pleasure we should all derive from eating good food. Real food is to be enjoyed and shared. If you want to be scared, worry more about food scarcity as we disregard our planet. Otherwise, enjoy your meal.
