I make conscious choices about what I eat practically everyday. I am the type of eater that is very strict about what I put in my mouth (dirty jokes aside, it is true). I eat food that is considered very healthy, and I am strict about staying to my ethical beliefs. Recently, I went out to lunch with some buddies to a local Chinese restaurant. Knowing what I know about the Chinese cuisine, and added MSG, sodium, and fat, I decided that I would just go for the company and not eat. My friends were astounded at my choice. I simply told them that I was not hungry, but as soon as I got home I went to my room and made lunch MY way.
I think that this situation can be analyzed from a number of different angles. The first being the ethics angle. My choices have lead me to be strict about what I put into my body. Truth be told, 2 years ago I developed a minor eating disorder, and I talked to my high school counselor about it. She suggested that food was one of the things in life that I could control, and then it dawned on me. Being the stressed out, try to do it all person that I was, I was turning to food for a way to have something that I could see and control. I was strict about what I ate, and sometimes did not eat enough. That is resolved now, but I think that the control aspect remains. Being able to control SOMETHING in this stressful, out of control world is something that gives people satisfaction, after all it certainly does for me. I think that this ties in with the politics of eating as well.
On an economics of eating, the blunt example is that I did not want to spend the money, which is true. I enjoy going out with friends, but why should I pay someone to make the food (in a way that I probably would not choose) for me when I can do it for myself at home? It gives me the greatest utility to be with other people, but to eat what I want when I want to. Friedman says that people make rational decisions, and rational to some people may be different than what is rational to other people, which is a sort of Keynsian viewpoint.
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I think it is great that you can stick to your guns so to speak when it comes to your eating habbits. I agree that on the most basic level, everyone does control the ultimate decision of what to eat, and control (or the illusion of control) is liberating. The decision to avoid overpriced, overprocessed foods seems so simple but to me, with my restaurant background, I truly appreciate being served. Its not just the food, but the whole experience. The cultural or social elementexcites me. I suppose if I could rid myself of that desire to be social I would have more money to buy local, sustainable product.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul,
ReplyDeleteThe personal is always brave--and this issue of control will go a long way. How much (I ask myself as I defiantly put real butter on the English Muffin) of my eating is little rituals of self care, little gifts, little theatrical acts of defiance? Not much of it is rational choices about nutrition.