500 words for feedback | Paula

The subject of food is a personal interest that has been evolving. Living in London and contacting with a completely different food offer and culture made me think about the motivations behind choices and habits.

My research started with the book “A sociology of food and nutrition” by multidisciplinary authors from social sciences, health, nutrition, academics, to name just a few. This book explores how eating habits are a social construction and how food production, distribution and consumption are highly determined by a mesh of contexts such as political, economical, religious, geographical and historical. The process of globalisation is also explored in its contribution to a change in what and how we eat.

There were two subjects that most grabbed my attention in this book: on the one hand the analysis of the current food system and the disclosure of the networks of economical interests behind it; on the other hand the harmful impact of this industry in several fields, such as the environment, food-related illnesses, customer choice and the future of farming itself.

Simultaneous to readings, I also watched some talks and DVDs on this subject. One that reinforced my interest in eating habits was Jamie’s School Dinners - a Channel4 series where the Chef Jamie Oliver reveals what is served to kids in UK school canteens and proposes a “revolution”.
What interested me was not his approach to the subject, or the way he tried to implement the changes. It was instead the lack of knowledge that 11-year-old kids showed regarding fresh food, not only in identification but also in the consumption itself. Both at school and at home, they were invariably eating processed and packed food (high in fats, sugars and salt) instead of balanced cooked meals from raw products. Some even confessed being eating vegetables for the first time. It was shocking to see them crying and refusing to try dishes like roast chicken and pasta, instead of the usual fast-food. The parents were also reluctant in changing their children’s habits, and kept sending junk food in their lunch boxes.

In line with this, another book that caught my attention was “Eating behavior”, that focuses on the process through which we acquire eating habits. Presenting several child-development theories, the author explains how food acceptance and choices are learned in very early childhood and influence the preferences in adulthood. Exposure to novel food, memories & emotions associated to eating, incentives & rewards, observation & imitation, and the influence of “important others” are some of the key factors in food learning.

Throughout all the reviewed literature my two topics of interest – food system and eating habits – were connected with the alarming figures of obesity.

With all these in mind, I would like to explore how a transformation in the ground knowledge in childhood could improve the relationship between kids and food that remains throughout their growth. My interest is to focus in a learning process that influences positively their early experiences, memories and emotions with food and eventually develops better acceptance and habits.

Bibliography:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/jme/dvds/info/jamies-school-dinners-complete-series/100235.html
(Talk related to this subject: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jamie_oliver.html )

Germov, J. & Williams, L. eds. (2008). A sociology of food and nutrition: the social appetite. Australia: Oxford University Press.

Dovey, T. (2010). Eating behavior. London: Open University Press.