We had to read a few articles for my food and culture class, and I have realized that I have very strong opinions about them.
We have read three different stories that absolutely brought to light the stereotypes associated with food in our culture. Though the first story talks about women in the past, it shows the link between anorexia and emotion. Though anorexia nervosa has existed for years, the term wasn’t necessarily coined or widely used until more recent years. This story shows that women throughout time have been obsessed with their bodies. The second story sort of counteracts the first, showing that men obsess with their bodies as well, and this phenomenon has become culturally accepted in recent years. I have one thought for all four stories: It’s our fault. I know that is a very harsh thing to say, but every single person together makes up our culture. One person is not responsible for culture. Not one single person can stand up in front of a crowd and say, “This is what we are going to believe now and feel about it.” No. It takes time. It takes influences, and we all eventually become a part of it. First off, we need to stop feeding into media stereotypes of what bodies should look like. The whole world is not like us. Other cultures learn to love their bodies. My professor in Chile said that Brazil was his favorite country, because you would see EVERYONE at the beach. Old women and overweight women alike would dawn their bikinis and hit the sand. This thought would send chills down peoples’ backs, but it shows such a different view of the body, one of love. Our society tells us that we are never good enough, and we buy into that. OBVIOUSLY, because ccertain types of magazines are flying off the shelves and people are spending billions of dollars every year on quick fixes for their body flaws. Why is that? OUR CULTURE. We subscribe to these views and make profit for the people promoting them. What does that say about us? We are all raised with gender stereotypes, and they show through in all of these articles. I think it is a very interesting topic, and I cannot wait to get to class tomorrow and learn more. Especially being in the college setting, this has an even deeper impact. Guys and girls alike come into college freaking out about the freshmen 15. Freshman year is tough, because you go through a lot of changes in lifestyle. However, if you just learn to maintain balance, you will have a great experience without having to worry about your body.
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