Jun 09 2008
If we are what we eat, then what does our food tell us about ourselves?
My theme for the week is Food.
Yes, food, food, glorious food.
Food is a big part of my life… not only because I’m hungry all the time due to the very early start every workday, but also I’ve always known how to eat well and appreciate food since I was a kid. Yes, you would get a “tsk tsk” in my house if you didn’t finish your bowl of rice. My father would always tell us how he had to fight to earn his rice bowl when he was young. Of course, I’m grateful I didn’t have to go through the same experiences he did, but I’ve had my fair share of food battles as well. Let’s put it this way; I learned early on that “you need to watch what you eat.”
Having said that, there was a provoking email I received recently, which is really what I want to talk about. As you can see, there are some amazing pictures. The Washington Post describes the work as, “A coffee table book that will certainly make coffee interesting.”
The images really speak for themselves. What do their clothes, food and diet say about their lives? What can you infer about their cultures from the pictures?
It’s pretty unbelievable and at the same time, sort of cool, don’t you think? I’m actually glad that somebody has decided to do this and take a look at the world from this particular point of view. I appreciate it because it has led me to rethink some things…
Food For Thought…
Take a good look at the family size & diet of each country, and the availability & cost of what is eaten in one week.
Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07
United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (Sure hope most American families eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less junk food than this family.)
Food expenditure for one week $341.98
Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55
Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03
Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
All of us probably take away different bits of information and conclusions by looking and studying these pictures. Personally, I was blown away at the amount of food consumed by some families. But beyond that initial astonishment, I found myself wondering what the social, nutritional and environmental implications were – blame it on my journalistic instincts.
The Rich vs. The Poor (Take Chad and Germany for example- A family of six living in eastern Chad’s food costs $1.23 per week, while a German family of four’s food budget amounts to $500.)
Slow food vs. Fast food (Do you notice how Bhutanese food is almost all fresh while food consumed in countries such as the US and Germany are mostly packaged and processed?)
Cultural Homogenization. (It is fascinating how excluding places where poverty is the most extreme, Coca-Cola makes a frequent appearance. A Good or Bad idea? — you decide.)
Oh, and don’t forget who’s healthier too!
Obviously, each family’s diet is determined by factors such as poverty and globalization. The series of photos provide an insightful look at what families from all around the world consume in a week. The contrasts between the well-off and the families of the Third World are enough to put some of us to shame at how we waste food or overly indulge in food. It’s a bit sad knowing that some studies have shown there are now more overweight people on Earth than those who don’t have enough to eat.
I can’t help but wonder what my week’s worth of food would look like and what surprises it might reveal to me.
So, where do you stack up?
