NPR: Western influences disrupt Mediterranean diet
Posted by Lance Gravlee on September 13th, 2007 |
In class yesterday, you worked through the ways that medical anthropologists from different theoretical perspectives might approach the study of obesity. Some of you took on the role of ecological or evolutionary anthropologists; others became critical medical anthropologists; still others applied an interpretive perspective.
A recent story on NPR provides a perfect follow-up to our discussion. The story deals with the causes and consequences of dietary change on the Greek island of Crete over the last 60 years. There’s a lot to chew on (so to speak). What strikes you most about the story? How do the major theoretical perspectives we discussed apply to this case?
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I found this article really interesting, especially given my travels to Europe just over a year ago. I had the opportunity to visit fresh markets within Spain and Italy, tasting some of the most delicious and non-pesticized foods. Some of the things I ate I wouldn’t even typically eat her in the US but just had to try there because it was so fresh and delicious looking.
It is striking to me that as their lifestyles are becoming more chaotic with busy schedules and more people working outside of their home, their eating patterns have become similiar to our own here in the US. Anything that is quick & easy for those of us on the run. It is alarming to me that people seem to not understand, or want to accept that the foods they eat will have lifelong results. It seems like the foods previously eaten in Crete were more higher fiber, fresh fruit and vegetable oriented, versus high meat, high fat. Studies I have read have linked high protein diets to higher rates of cancer, and of course heart disease. Because our bodies are not designed to eat large portions of meat, such as eating 12 oz steak versus the normal serving of 3 oz, our bodies are not conusming a proper diet.
Although I don’t like to pinpoint the problems on one particular food industry, or food chain, its intersting to see that as fast food chains increase, areas which obesity and chronic diseases also increase.
This is very interesting…yet not suprising. Its definitely not the first time I have read about our bad habits here in the U.S. spreading elsewhere in the world. It’s really sad. As a new McDonald’s is built every .00123 seconds we see cultures all over the world replacing their traditional, healthier diets with the processed grease and fat many (MANY) Americans love so much. Cultural imperialism?
Meanwhile these corporate monsters get rich at the expense of the health of millions of people. Sure, these people choose to eat this stuff…but why wouldn’t they? Its cheaper AND convenient. I spent some of the summer studying in Nicaragua. A woman there told me often people will sell the fruits and vegetables they have grown and buy cookies and kool-aid and feed THAT to their kids instead–because its cheaper and makes them feel more a part of modern/ first world society….
So what’s the solution?
From a critical perspective, this is a perfect example of the micro-level in macro-context. The effects of globalization and wide-spread capital markets post-WW II, i.e., supermarkets and fast-food chains, pervading the culture of a relatively small island and resulting in considerable cultural change. Women (and men, it seems) are now working outside the home and no longer have time for subsistence farming, one of the features of their previously healthy, mostly vegetarian lifestyle. Working in factories instead of farming provides them with the means to afford television and cigarettes, things they didn’t have previously. As they became less healthy, Western biomedicine has moved in to “save” them from their “irresponsible personal behavior” by means of expensive cardiology services. All of this in a population in which heart disease was virtually unheard of!
This change in health has come about relatively rapidly within a few generations, but the ecological perspective of the relationship of person/environment applies here as well. As the environment has changed, that is, sedentary lifestyle and decline in locally grown foods, personal behavior has changed substantially in terms of dietary habits and available food choices. These changes have influenced the health of individual persons, particularly those who have embraced the modern lifestyle. Interestingly enough, others among the cultural group have managed to avoid the negative health effects by continuing to farm and eat the traditional diet.
The chef and professor who are trying to tell the story of why the Creteans enjoyed good health are coming from an interpretive perspective. They have sought out traditional people on the island and are trying to learn about their lifeways and preserve some of the skills associated with their healthy lifestyle. As they point out, this is/was a way of life that “can’t be packaged in a box” and transported.
After spending a decade doing subsistence farming on a hippie commune in the mid-70s to 80s, reading this makes me wish I was still there! What we give up for modernity is not worth the price, it seems…
This article presents the health consequences of capitalism through disruption of diet in Mediterranean. This phenomenon can be explained through critical Medical Anthropologists theoretical perspectives. This article is important in a sense it shows how globalization and capitalism has transnationalized health deficiencies from one region to another region of the world. From last weeks reading this is what exactly the critical anthropologists has been trying to explain as critique to the ecological and evolutionary Medical anthropological model that assume evolutionary and ecological adaptation are the perfect fit to explain health and disease in humans.
This dietary changes are not only restricted to Greece, now all countries in the world are victims of global socio-economic and political landscapes.
Yesterday I was reading an article about the increase in hypertension among Eritrean populations, from Journal of Human hypertension, and I was shocked to learn that hypertension in Eritrea increases by 50% every six years. Though the authors interpret their data from biomedical perspectives, however, the fact is connected to globalization coupled with the political and economic crisis in the country.
The Mediterranean Diet is something that requires the investment of time. In a rapidly changing world, people no longer have the time to make their own food. Why spend time in food production when you can simply buy something that is already made? It appears that people are sacrificing their health for the sake of convenience. It does seem, as Kristen mentioned, that the cultural imperialism of the West can foot some of the blame for that. However, it wasn’t simply the building of a few fast-food chains and supermarkets that brought this change. Things within a culture are interconnected, and to change one thing brings change to others. The Westernization of something like work patterns could have had far-reaching implications for all other parts of life on Crete. Because the problem is multi-faceted, the solution isn’t going to be a quick fix, either.
I am all for preserving cultural traditions and lifeways, but there are some ethical issues that should be considered. For example, who is to say that the people themselves (as a whole) want to keep living the way they formerly did? Perhaps they feel left out in a modernizing world, and so they have shifted away from food production. Technology is alluring. Additionally, whose responsibility is it to make sure that people are living in a healthy fashion? Surely, there is a problem with what has been happening, but no change can take place until a consensus has been reached about the nature of the problem and what should be done to repair the damage done. Diet probably is not be the only factor in the rise of obesity and heart-attacks.
I think this is an excellent example of a topic where one approach to medical anthropology is not sufficient to capture it’s depth. When considering the Mediteranean diet and it’s effect on disease it is important to examine the cultural, political and economic situations, the subjective meanings and interpretations, and individual level factors. However, it is not always feasible to consider all of these factors in one study, which is why triangulation and literature reviews to compare multiple studies are imperative.
This article was not only interesting but also a good example of how capitalization and globalization has taken a toll on this small island of Crete. Men and women who used to work in farms and grow their own food are no longer leading such lifestyles. They are now getting jobs in factories and lead a chaotic life style that doesn’t leave them with enough time to grow and cook their own food like they used to. Now they shop at supermarkets and eat out at places like McDonalds. The foods they are currently eating are high in preservatives, and in fat content. Their bodies are not used to eating such food and can’t process them properly resulting in diseases such as heart disease. Now the west is on the move again this time in the name of medicine for the emerging diseases in Crete. There is no end to this problem. And the sad part is, this type of change can be seen all over the world. When I went to India recently I couldn’t believe the number of Mcdonalds, pizza huts and KFC’s that have popped up all over the place. The western influence could also be seen in cultural changes, such as dressing, attitudes and so on. It is absolutely ridiculous.
Many of you have noted that the perspective of critical medical anthropology is relevant to understanding how global capitalism influences dietary change in Crete (and elsewhere). But as a few of you point out, there’s more to the story than just capitalism and globalization. For example, Kim’s reference to the discordance hypothesis (ancestral genes and novel environments) points to the relevance of ecological/evolutionary perspectives, and Kristina’s question about the ethical dimensions of lamenting culture change draws attention to the value of an interpretive approach. As Julie says, any one approach in isolation will neglect some important aspect of the problem.
It is clear that we, as in (most) Americans, understand the problems that are and have been occurring from our generally high fat, high protein, low nutrient, low fiber diets. We can even diagnose why other countries are suffering from the same problems with an array of perspectives, as I have read here, but where is/are the solution(s). It would be best if the answer(s) where devised in the same place the problem originated. First, it appears that our demands must shift before the supply will be altered. Boycott KFC!? Yes, I would love to encourage each and every one of you to not support these organizations which have been capitalizing on the degradation of our health until they improve, but on what soap box shall I stand? I cannot deny someone of their personal choice, nor can I hold the fast food industry, supermarkets, and major food distributors as solely responsible. They, of course, arrived at their current stature by us supporting them. So what we are left to do but educate, yet how do you inform a child or teenager that the bacon cheese burger they’re eating will eventually cause them health problems if they continue to consume them regularly, and the message actually penetrate their psyche to the point to of changed behavior? Nutritional education, it seems, can only take us so far. Since I find it difficult to accept that most kids are adamantly concerned about what their health is going to be like in forty years. Beyond education, and making new (healthy) demands of these food industries I feel we must offer new alternatives and ideas to this industry. For example, organic produce wasn’t available in large supermarkets before we demanded it- but also it wasn’t available on a large scale because not many were producing it. In the end, we may have to act as entrepreneurs to create the prosperity we ultimately desire.
It was interesting reading this article and how various students referred back to the overall idea of capitalism as being the main source for the modernized changes in Crete. I agreed entirely with the class in regards to the ideas referred to Critical Medical Anthropologists, interpretive approaches, ecological approaches etc. However, Craig brought up an interesting point about targeting Westernized food industries /educational system behind the consumption of fatty foods. Craig stated that we must educate individuals on what they are eating and vice versa. What could be included with Craig’s statement is the idea behind educating the parents. Although the food industries and Western influences plays a part in what the people of Crete eats, we must not fail to mention that poor nutritional education within the households would also contribute to unhealthy eating habits/lifestyles.
It seems to me that Health Educators should take on an initiative to educate parents on their eating habits. People aren’t innately born with knowing the importance of eating healthy. With more children being born in various countries I would think the main target group would focus on current adults. Children learn from their society/role models and they learn from what they see at home. If parents/adults within Crete or any other country continue eating unhealthy this will create an unending cycle of obesity and poor health. Their children would follow in their footsteps and so forth. I agree it is difficult to transform some of the adopted styles that have integrated in Crete, but the key thing to teach these parents/adults is eating in moderation. Parents/adults could learn how to incorporate some of the old Mediterranean style of eating with Westernized foods. By combining both of these different styles of food individuals won’t feel they are constricted to only one style. This would make it easier for these individuals to instruct their children on possible choices relative to eating. The overall idea is for these people to start back eating healthy, but realistically this adopted habit will continue to unravel in Crete until there’s a compromise between Mediterranean foods/Westernized foods. Until then parents/children will continue to follow the path to health impediments.