Highbrow Magazine - obesity https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/obesity en Are ‘Food Deserts’ a Myth or Simply Misidentified? https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/5054-are-food-deserts-myth-or-simply-misidentified <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 06/08/2015 - 13:46</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1fooddesert.jpg?itok=HEA9K3Tm"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1fooddesert.jpg?itok=HEA9K3Tm" width="480" height="319" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>There is an idea that, while it’s been around for at least a couple of decades, has recently become entrenched in the discourse of the food craze sweeping the nation. Even with rising obesity rates, it may seem like a strange concept that many Americans still do not have easy access to healthy foods, or food in general. This singularity has been coined in the term “food desert.”  </p> <p> </p> <p>The name “food desert” was reportedly <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1123946/">first</a> used in Scotland in the early 1990s, when the Scottish government was conducting a survey and published its findings while working on a policy called “Nutrition Task Force.” Academics and policy makers, prompting a dialogue of the problem at hand, have since used the term more widely. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as a low-income community in which the nearest supermarket is at least one mile away from a populated zone. This infers that zones deemed “food deserts” would have  limited access to healthy foods without the burden of inherent hardships, such as ownership of car or access to public transportation to reach the nearest supermarket.</p> <p> </p> <p>Perhaps not surprisingly, the areas that show more occurrences of food deserts are rural, where long distances are the norm and are generally sparsely populated. However, a number of glitches arise because the definition of a “food desert” may not necessarily cover all its bases. In rural areas, for example, car ownership is a common facet of its lifestyle; so even if supermarkets are farther away, people usually have access to reliable transportation. There is also the classification of a food item as “healthy,” and what that means to the populace in general. As it is, it seems that even when given access to supermarkets, there are other important factors that take part in the purchasing patterns of the population. Cultural background and level of education play much bigger roles, especially in historically underserved neighborhoods in urban areas.</p> <p> </p> <p>In 2011, the U. S. Department of Agriculture revealed a location based interactive <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert">map</a> to identify and track the insurgence of food deserts across the United States. It estimated that approximately 23.5 million Americans live in a food desert. The map further identified a few sectors in New York City as food deserts, including not only sparsely populated zones (such as near the NYC airports), but also densely crowded neighborhoods like the Morrisania section of the Bronx.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2fooddesert.jpg" style="height:321px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Presently, the USDA map does not identify a single section of New York City as a food desert within the initial parameters for the classification, though it does show a few isolated spots if the search query is changed to show areas where the closest supermarket is at least a half-mile away (approximately 10 street blocks). This is due in part because of a citywide tax <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2009/fresh.shtml">incentive</a> program to build supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods of New York.  Federal aid is also promised in the form of tax incentives, perhaps more prominently from First Lady Michelle Obama’s keystone “Healthy Food Financing” initiative.</p> <p> </p> <p>Also back in 2011, a <a href="http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1106078">study</a> was published stating that there is no connection between proximity of access and healthy eating habits, using at least 15 years of data. A similar study in 2012 reached more or less the <a href="http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(11)00849-X/abstract?cc=y=">same</a> conclusion, having focused in middle-school aged children in California.</p> <p> </p> <p>Nevertheless, among the growing evidence that vicinity and eating habits may not have that much of a correlation, a supermarket opened in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx in late 2011, under the city’s “Food Retail Expansion to Support Health” (FRESH) program. The neighborhood then became the focus of another study conducted by the NYU Langone Medical Center, which would compare the food shopping and eating habits of the Morrisania population with another neighborhood one mile away, with systematically identical demographics.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://healthyeatingresearch.org/research/assessment-of-a-government-subsidized-supermarket-in-a-high-need-area-on-household-food-availability-and-childrens-dietary-intakes/">Published</a> in February of this year, the study arrived at the same deduction as its predecessors: the eating habits of the Morrisania neighborhood had not changed despite the presence of a new supermarket offering healthy substitutes and standard prices, at least in short-term practice. The study also mirrored the conclusion that there are much more powerful variables that determine any given choice of diet, such as education, ethnic background, and cost of food.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3fooddesert.jpg" style="height:376px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Interestingly enough, the USDA <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ap-administrative-publication/ap-036.aspx#.UuF26ZGtu8U">found</a> in 2009 that poorer neighborhoods have, in fact, more supermarkets on average than richer neighborhoods (with a few notable exceptions such as the Morrisania, of course). How, then, can a food desert be properly defined?</p> <p> </p> <p>In order to understand this, it seems it is necessary first to come to terms with the fact that necessity will always trump convenience, and second that the circumstances of an individual or a family are valid and strong motives that shape the decision making process. The studies mentioned above looked at broader societal influences that play a role in individual eating habits, such as workplaces, food marketing, and government policies, more so than just the cost and availability of food. Far more predictable than the shopping habits of a community given the proximity of a supermarket, were of those with high-school level education and college-level education. Researchers found that low-income, low-education individuals living in richer neighborhoods, with even more access to healthy options, opted still to buy the same kind of food as their counterparts in poor neighborhoods. </p> <p> </p> <p>It is also crucial to note that underserved areas are historically Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. This is because culture itself seems to be of vital importance when defining eating habits. Soul food, for example, with its undeniable centrality to Black culture, can be traced back to the slave trade from Africa to the United States. Deeply rooted in slavery and sharecropping, during which time slaves often had the cheapest possible way of nourishment such as weeds and discarded food items like ox tails, pig feet and ears, and offal, the preparation of soul food regularly employs salty and greasy ingredients, born more from the necessity of preserving food and downright lack of options.</p> <p> </p> <p>Likewise, Hispanics have an eclectic mix of cultures in their cooking. Partly taken from the indigenous agricultural practices of grains and herbs and the tropical crops of the regions, Hispanic cuisine is laced prominently with Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese influences. Furthermore, as with soul food, there is also the impact of slavery in Latin America; perhaps just as rampant but less documented, it is estimated that twice as many slaves arrived on the coasts of Mexico and Brazil than the United States starting as early as the 16<sup>th</sup> century.</p> <p> </p> <p>This conglomeration of cultures gave rise to the conventional use of red meats, starch, and salted ingredients found throughout Hispanic cuisine. It has been noted, for example, that authentic Asian cuisine, which includes a high intake of unsalted rice, is healthy and fulfilling. While an equitable amount of rice is consumed in Latin American cuisine, it is almost always salted—effectively slowing down the release of at least some of the starch from the grain (this is one of the reasons rice in Asian cuisine is sticky, while it is usually loose and dry in Latin American foods).   </p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/4fooddesert.jpg" style="height:361px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>This predisposition to ethnic cuisines may simply be an attempt to stay connected to an individual’s roots. In a nation of immigrants and foreigners, the desire to maintain at least a semblance to someone’s homeland can hardly be faulted. It may also be, however, that the ingredients to make these foods are cheaper to buy and quicker to prepare. A glazed wild salmon with a side of steamed organic broccoli sounds like an ideal dish for dinner. But even if salmon, wild or otherwise, may no longer be reserved for special occasions and holidays given its rise in consumption popularity (a lox bagel is a staple New York City food after all), the truth of the matter is that it remains out of reach for many, especially in underserved neighborhoods. An estimated 43 million Americans live on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as “food stamps”). SNAP <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-weinstein/food-stamp-cuts_b_4218559.html">provides</a> an estimated $1.40 per meal, per person. The proximity of the supermarket, then, seems irrelevant if a mother of three cannot afford a bunch of kale and will instead opt for cheaper, frozen, and over-processed alternatives.</p> <p> </p> <p>There has been a significant push to tweak the way in which underserved communities consume food. Wilber Jones’s “The Healthy Soul Food <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Healthy-Soul-Food-Cookbook/dp/0806520280">Cookbook</a>” is a great first step toward a healthier lifestyle without giving up the unique traits of a culture. But it is imperative to understand that healthy eating habits (and all the ramifications that would cause, like lowering obesity rates) need to be formed by tackling more pervasive issues than proximity to a food cart. Proper handling and distribution of government funds, educating the masses, and a clear and sympathetic grasp of cultures and circumstances may, in the long term, do more good than just labeling a community a “food desert.”  </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Angelo Franco is</em> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief features writer.</em></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/food-deserts" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">food deserts</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/food-shortage" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">food shortage</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/malnutrition" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">malnutrition</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/supermarkets" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">supermarkets</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/nutrition" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">nutrition</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Angelo Franco</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Google Images; Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 08 Jun 2015 17:46:04 +0000 tara 6072 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/5054-are-food-deserts-myth-or-simply-misidentified#comments Women’s Life Expectancy Is Shrinking Due to Smoking, Obesity https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1794-women-s-life-expectancy-shrinking-due-smoking-obesity <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 11/15/2012 - 12:41</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumwomenlifeexpectancy%20%28NAM%29.jpg?itok=oBml29D8"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumwomenlifeexpectancy%20%28NAM%29.jpg?itok=oBml29D8" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/11/womens-longevity-declining-in-parts-of-us.php">New America Media</a> and <a href="http://c-hit.org/2012/11/12/womens-longevity-falling-in-some-parts-of-u-s-stress-may-be-factor/">Connecticut Health I-Team</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p> HARTFORD, Conn.--One of the most disturbing trends in American public health is that women's life expectancy is shrinking in many parts of the U.S.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Women's longevity took an unprecedented nosedive during the past decade, researchers recently discovered, with their life expectancy tumbling or stagnating in one of every five counties in the country.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In Connecticut, for example, New London County saw a drop in longevity, while Fairfield and Hartford counties saw significant jumps.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The last time life expectancy fell for a large number of American women was 1918, due to Spanish influenza.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Growing Work, Family Stress</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> While many scientists believe that smoking and obesity are driving the downward spiral, a growing chorus of experts contends that chronic stress may be a key culprit, too — especially the stress of juggling work and family.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "It's a hypothesis at this point, but a reasonable and plausible one," said James S. House, a professor at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Women may have gained work opportunities over the last four decades, he said, but society has done relatively little to help them support their increased responsibilities.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "Clearly, obesity and smoking are things that contribute to chronic disease and reduced life span," said Carolyn Mazure, director of Women's Health Research at Yale, which funds interdisciplinary research on gender differences in health. "There is really no question in my mind that stress plays a role in that algorithm, especially for women."</p> <p>  </p> <p> Life expectancy studies show that women's projected longevity declined or stagnated in 662 counties in the United States — more than 20 percent of the 3,198 counties in the nation — between 1999 and 2009. The largest declines are in parts of the South, Appalachia and the southern portion of the Midwest.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Even in counties where women are living longer, their extra years are often marred by chronic diseases or disabilities, said Chloe Bird, a senior sociologist at the Rand Corp.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The projections for women are in stark contrast to changes in American men's life expectancy, which had downturns in only 167, or 5 percent, of the nation's counties, according to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In Connecticut, women's life expectancy is 82.6 years for girls born in 2009, compared to 81.3 years in the U.S. as a whole. Overall, the life expectancy for Connecticut women increased 1.5 years between 1999 and 2009 — slightly less than the U.S. average of 1.7 years.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But within the state, there are differences. Longevity for women in Fairfield County is the highest in Connecticut — 83.7 years, which is a longer life expectancy than the national average, and more than two years longer than that of Windham County (81 years).</p> <p>  </p> <p> In terms of change over the last decade, Fairfield and Hartford counties saw the largest jumps in female longevity, with increases of 2.2 years since 1999. At the other end of the spectrum, women in New London lost 0.1 year over the last decade, while women in New Haven, Litchfield and Windham saw gains lower than the U.S. average.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumwomansmoking%20%28Tonino%20Donato%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 401px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Rigid Schedules and No Childcare</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> At Harvard University, Lisa Berkman, director of the Center for Population and Development Studies, said challenging social conditions in the U.S. have created a "perfect storm" that can damage women's health.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Not only did women flood into the job market over the past few decades, she notes, but the number of single parents skyrocketed. Despite these major changes, the U.S. has created few policies to help women handle childcare. As a result, there are "extreme stresses even on the relatively advantaged," Berkman said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Job stress can be particularly damaging for employees who hold jobs with rigid hours and high demands, such as clerical, administrative or production work, researchers have found.</p> <p>  </p> <p> When Berkman studied women stressed by work and family conflict, she found they had more medical issues than other working women. She looked at women who worked in elder care facilities, comparing those who had rigid and flexible job schedules.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Women with rigid schedules were twice as likely as women with more flexibility to have at least two risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight or smoking, Berkman found.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Another study, by Harvard Professor Michelle Albert, concluded that women with all sorts of demanding jobs were 38 percent more likely to have strokes, heart attacks or cardiovascular problems, compared to women with less demanding work.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "Chronic stress may promote earlier onset of chronic diseases," said Elissa Epel, an associate psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who helped discover that such stress wears down telomeres, the protective tips of chromosomes, which have been linked with longevity.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "Chronic stress speeds up the aging clock," Epel stated.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumwomangym%20%28ParkerKnight%29.jpg" style="width: 399px; height: 600px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Food, Exercise, Smoking, Family Care</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Some studies suggest that women are more likely than men to soothe themselves by eating, the Rand Corporation's Bird said. They may also be more likely to reduce exercising so they can fulfill their work and family obligations, she said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Work and family demands also can increase the amount of stress hormones surging through women's bodies, Bird said. Women do not experience the same decline in stress hormones as men during lunch breaks or after work, since they often use those hours to deal with family issues.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Stress can affect health in two distinct ways. There may be physiological changes, due to excess stress hormones, like cortisol. But it also may cause women to change their behaviors, cutting out such healthy activities as exercise, or indulging in smoking or overeating.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Mazure, of the Yale School of Medicine's center on Women's Health Research, was among a cadre of researchers who began studying the impact of stress on women's health in the 1990s. Even as studies have shown that stress is closely tied to depression, cardiac disease and other chronic illnesses in women, "we know a fraction of what there is to know" about gender differences, she said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Among the ongoing studies at the Yale center is one examining gender differences in the neurobiological pathways involved in smoking — an attempt to explain why nicotine replacement therapies used for quitting have not been as effective for women as for men.</p> <p>  </p> <p> IHME analyzed the new mortality data by age, sex, and county, from 1989 to 2009. Across U.S. counties, life expectancy in 2009 ranged from 66.1 to 81.6 years for men, and 73.5 to 86.0 years for women. From 1989 to 2009, life expectancy for men improved by 4.6 years on average, but only by 2.7 years for women.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The 2009 longevity numbers also show a growing gap between women living the longest lives and those living the shortest. In Collier, Fla., women live 85.8 years on average. In McDowell, W. Va., they live to be 74.1. That's an 11.7-year gap. In 1989, the gap was 8.7 years.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>U.S.</strong><strong> Fares Worse Internationally</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> International data show that American women are faring worse than their counterparts in other countries. While 50-year-old women in the U.S. had the 11th-longest life expectancy among industrialized nations in 1980, their international ranking plummeted to 21st by 2006. Data from 2010 show American women's life expectancy at 80.8 years, compared to the world's highest life expectancy for women in Japan, 85.7 years, and 84.4 years for women in France.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Overall, American women were extending their longevity at a much slower pace than women in other countries, even though the U.S. was spending much more than other nations on medical care.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The National Research Council became so concerned about these international health trends that it convened a 15-member panel to examine seven possible risk factors, including smoking, obesity, social inequality and the U.S. health care system.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Last year, it concluded that smoking played a major role, accounting for 78 percent of the life expectancy gap between American women and those from industrialized countries in 2003. American women began smoking later than men, which experts say may explain why women now have more smoking-related illnesses. Obesity also played an important role, the panel concluded.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Shortly after the report was completed, Berkman, who served on the panel, said she realized the committee had made a glaring omission.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "It hit me like a sledgehammer," she said. The panel had not evaluated the impact of work stress, let alone work-family stress, on life expectancy. Now, Berkman is leading a new study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, which explores the effects of stress on women's health and possible interventions.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Berkman doesn't think it's a coincidence that American women began suffering from more health problems after they entered the workforce in greater numbers. As American women began working more after World War II, their fertility remained the same, as did the paucity of work-family accommodations.</p> <p>  </p> <p> That's a contrast to some European countries, where women received more government support to deal with their dual roles or decided to have fewer children. In France, where women have the second-highest life expectancy in the world, childcare options are plentiful, and women with three or more children are eligible for up to 24 weeks of paid maternity leave. In Italy, where female life expectancy also remains high, the fertility rate has dropped in recent decades.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Both Berkman and House acknowledge that smoking and obesity clearly hurt female life expectancy. But they say they may be consequences of women's stress — not the primary driver of what's harming women. House's current research suggests that smoking may explain only about 10 to 25 percent of women's health decline.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "Women are taking care of lots of other people, and they are not taking care of themselves," he said.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Rochelle Sharpe wrote this article under a MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowship, a collaboration of New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America. Lisa Chedekel of the Connecticut Health I-Team contributed to this story.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/11/womens-longevity-declining-in-parts-of-us.php">New America Media</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: New America Media; Tonino Donato, Parker Knight (Flickr, Creative Commons).</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/womens-health" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">women&#039;s health</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/womens-life-expectancy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">women&#039;s life expectancy</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/life-expectancy-declining" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">life expectancy declining</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/smoking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">smoking</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/poor-health" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">poor health</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/health-care" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">health care</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Rochelle Sharpe</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:41:50 +0000 tara 1926 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1794-women-s-life-expectancy-shrinking-due-smoking-obesity#comments The Culinary Secrets of Svelte Parisians https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1739-culinary-secrets-svelte-parisians <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 14:34</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2mediumpariseiffel%20%28moyan%20brenn%20flickr%29.jpg?itok=Qod_bibn"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2mediumpariseiffel%20%28moyan%20brenn%20flickr%29.jpg?itok=Qod_bibn" width="480" height="331" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> French women don’t get fat. It’s a phrase forever immortalized thanks to Mireille Guiliano’s popular 2004 “non-diet” book, but as a stereotype I have to admit it’s surprisingly accurate. This is not to say that all Parisians look like size zero fashion models, but rather that in the months since moving here, the only severely overweight people I’ve seen are all tourists. Given that the reputation of the national cuisine is built upon buttery pastries and creamy sauces, the idea of perpetually svelte citizens presents a curious dichotomy. But a closer look at French culture reveals a combination of principles and common sense that optimize both physical health and overall well-being, critical elements that the diet-related disease-ridden and fat-shaming society of America could learn from.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Comparing the inventories of grocery stores in the two countries suggests that there is a fundamental difference in what is considered to be food. American manufacturers appear to enjoy one-upping each other by coming out with lower calorie, zero fat versions of their products, to the point where the ingredients lists read more like chemistry experiments than anything that might actually be edible. Go to France, and everything you see on the shelves is real. Better yet, head to your neighborhood’s open-air market and buy everything directly from the farmers, butchers, bakers and cheese-makers.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But the contrast extends further than the ingredients. Yes, French cuisine is centered on what is fresh and seasonal, but meals themselves are taken much differently. While in America it’s all about convenience (I myself have eaten many meals in the driver’s seat of my car while en route to my next destination), in France meals – and particularly dinner - are often ritualized multi-course affairs that can take up to several hours. The portions are smaller and presentation is paramount, forcing you to really savor the experience. And while some of my French friends diet (nothing extreme like South Beach or Paleo, but rather they simply wish to eat more nutritiously), overall there seems to be a greater sense of body acceptance.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumfrenchpastries%20%28Xiaozhuli%20-%20flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 450px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> It goes without saying that the media environment of America is one of fear, negativity and body disparagement. Rather than regarding eating as a pleasurable experience, as it is in France, we are made to feel guilty for indulging in a good meal. As a woman in her early 20s with many friends of a similar demographic profile, it’s only a matter of time after a shared meal ends that someone will lean back and say, “Oh my god, I can’t <em>believe </em>how much I just ate.” (Or the implicit version, “I’m going to work out <em>so </em>hard tomorrow”). Never mind the fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with satiating one’s hunger, but inevitably everyone else will murmur in agreement as though we have all shared in some great conspiratorial wrongdoing.</p> <p>  </p> <p> As females Western society expects us to adhere to certain arbitrary expectations, like thinness as the standard of beauty. Thinness, by extension, is associated with a lack – the perceived calorie deficit between what is consumed through food and burned off through activity. And although science dictates that weight loss is actually much more complex, it is exactly this simplified logic that drives fad diets and eating disorders. We convince ourselves that certain foods are “bad,” and do our best to cut them out of our diets completely.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But restriction is never sustainable over the long term; it’s a basic psychological principle. The more you deny yourself something – the <em>pain chocolat </em>sitting in the window of the pâtisserie you pass by each morning, for example – the more appealing it becomes. But by allowing yourself to have one once in a while, you break the temptation to binge and reduce future cravings.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumfrenchrestaurant%20%28malias%20-%20flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 600px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> On the topic of dieting and restriction, it seems worthy of note that vegetarianism is much less common in France than in the United States. And while this probably doesn’t apply to the majority of vegetarians, I know from personal experience that restrictive plant-based diets can be a form of disordered eating made palatable to friends and family thanks to advocacy groups like PETA and popular anti-industrial agriculture propaganda like Jonathan Safron Foer’s <em>Eating Animals </em>and Eric Schlosser’s <em>Fast Food Nation</em>. </p> <p>  </p> <p> Maybe as Americans we’re just hard-wired to believe that with enough willpower we can change anything – even override the genetics that are largely responsible for determining our size and shape. We’d like to think that there is some secret formula, a regimen that holds the secret to losing weight, which explains the reasoning behind many of the negative reviews for Guiliano’s book. Rather than hard and fast diet rules, the author’s philosophy is more about overall portion control and balancing a rich breakfast with a light lunch.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Life is too short to spend our waking hours counting calories, so by easing up and learning to savor and appreciate the food we consume maybe, just maybe, we can start to live a little.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Misa Shikuma is a contributing writer and photographer at </em>Highbrow Magazine<em>. She lives in Paris.</em></p> <p> <strong><em>Photos: Moyan Brenn, Xiaozhuli, Malias (Flickr, Creative Commons).</em></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/french-food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">french food</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/french-women-dont-get-fat" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">French Women Don&#039;t Get Fat</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/overweight-americans" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">overweight americans</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/french-diet" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">french diet</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/american-diet" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">american diet</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/overeating" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">overeating</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/weight-loss" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">weight loss</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Misa Shikuma</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Moyan Brenn, Flickr</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:34:31 +0000 tara 1815 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1739-culinary-secrets-svelte-parisians#comments PepsiCo.’s Donation to Media Organization Raises Questions About Ethics https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1484-pepsico-s-donation-media-organization-raises-questions-about-ethics <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 08/22/2012 - 17:39</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumPepsi.jpg?itok=yxC97Dki"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumPepsi.jpg?itok=yxC97Dki" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/08/what-is-pepsico-buying-with-donations-to-communities-of-color.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Op-Ed</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> When I heard recently that the National Association of Hispanic Journalists had accepted $100,000 from PepsiCo, with half of the money going toward scholarships and internships for journalism students, I was taken back to 1988 and a smoke-filled hotel conference room in Washington D.C.</p> <p>  </p> <p> I had just been elected to NAHJ's board of directors, and we were debating whether or not to accept a sizeable contribution from tobacco giant Philip Morris.</p> <p>  </p> <p> "I don't have any problems with Philip Morris," I remember a fellow board member saying after she took a deep drag from her cigarette, clearly ignoring the irony.</p> <p>  </p> <p> I said something about it not being a good idea while puffing on a Benson &amp; Hedges Deluxe Ultra Light Menthol 100. Several of us were smoking while we discussed the subject.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Like tobacco use, rising consumption of sugary drinks has become a major public health concern. Studies show that soda, sports drinks and other high-calorie beverages are major contributors to obesity and related illnesses including diabetes and heart disease (research shows diet drinks aren't all that good for you either).</p> <p>  </p> <p> And like the tobacco industry, soft drink companies target young people and communities of color -- groups that suffer the highest rates of obesity-related diseases.</p> <p>  </p> <p> I don't know whether anyone on the NAHJ board or staff pointed out the parallels between the generous Philip Morris and PepsiCo gifts. Or whether there was even any debate about accepting the money. These are tough times, especially for the journalism industry.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Yet, just like taking money from tobacco, accepting funding from the soda industry can put organizations like NAHJ on a slippery slope, with the potential to risk their values, integrity and public trust.</p> <p>  </p> <p> There are other parallels between tobacco and soda, as highlighted in a June 19 <a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001241#aff2">report</a> by Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Public Health Advocacy Institute, "Soda and Tobacco Industry Corporate Social Responsibility Campaigns: How Do They Compare?"</p> <p>  </p> <p> "Because sugary beverages are implicated in the national as well as global obesity crisis, soda manufacturers have recently employed elaborate, expensive, multinational corporate social responsibility campaigns [that] echo the tobacco industry's use of such campaigns as a way to focus responsibility on consumers rather than on the corporations," the study noted.</p> <p>  </p> <p> These campaigns also seek to bolster the popularity of soda companies and their products and prevent regulation (meanwhile employing <a href="http://corporationsandhealth.org/2012/08/08/more-on-new-york-city-soda-limits-proposal/">tobacco industry tactics</a> in aggressively fighting policy proposals such as soda taxes and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's controversial measure to limit sugary drink portion sizes).</p> <p>  </p> <p> In a press release, PepsiCo announced that the NAHJ contribution was part of La Promesa [The Promise] of PepsiCo, a corporate social responsibility campaign "that focuses specifically on Latino empowerment and the issues that matter most to Hispanics including Latino education, employment opportunities, promoting active lifestyles, and investing in science to develop healthier products."</p> <p>  </p> <p> As part of its "Promesa," PepsiCo also made significant contributions to other national Latino organizations including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and historic civil rights groups League of United Latin American Citizens and National Council of La Raza.</p> <p>  </p> <p> One only has to watch the latest TV commercial by the American Beverage Association, which represents PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, to see that they are doing everything they can to convince the public -- and their shareholders -- of their corporate social responsibility.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Titled <a href="http://www.ameribev.org/news--media/videos--multimedia/22/">"We're Delivering,"</a> the ad touts the beverage industry's role in addressing the nation's obesity crisis (without really saying so): "For our families, our neighbors and our communities, America's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices, developing smaller portion sizes, and more low and no-calorie beverages. Adding clearer calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing. And in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower calorie options."</p> <p>  </p> <p> The problem is that despite the fact that beverage companies in the U.S. spent nearly a half-billion dollars in 2006 to market directly to children, and each year, youth are exposed to hundreds of TV and digital ads, the beverage industry aggressively rejects claims that its products and marketing practices play any role in the obesity epidemic.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The beverage industry says it's about consumers making poor choices and not increasing their level of physical activity, yet ignores the context in which those decisions are made. It is disingenuous and deceptive to deny the contribution sugary drinks make to the obesity epidemic. It fails to recognize the collaboration it will take between industry, government and consumers to solve the obesity crisis.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Meanwhile, the question remains: Should influential organizations representing the media, elected officials and civil rights advocates receive financial support from soda if it means not holding the industry accountable for its part in the obesity problem as well as the solution?</p> <p>  </p> <p> I know that if I were back on the board of NAHJ, an organization I am proudly a lifetime member of, I would at least put it up for discussion -- admittedly between sips of Diet Coke.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Fernando Quintero provides media advocacy training and strategic consultation for Berkeley Media Studies Group. He is a former print journalist and has also served as a communications strategist for the University of California, Berkeley and several nonprofit groups.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pepsico" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">PepsiCo</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/national-association-hispanic-journalists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">National Association of Hispanic Journalists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/soda" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">soda</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tobacco-industry" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tobacco industry</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/philip-morris" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Philip Morris</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/coca-cola" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Coca Cola</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/diet-coke" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">diet coke</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/minorities" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">minorities</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Fernando Quintero</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:39:56 +0000 tara 1438 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1484-pepsico-s-donation-media-organization-raises-questions-about-ethics#comments Popularity of American Fast Food Leads to Rise of Obesity in Asia https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1274-popularity-american-fast-food-leads-rise-obesity-asia <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 07/08/2012 - 17:00</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumfastfoodasia.jpg?itok=IdvCzYio"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumfastfoodasia.jpg?itok=IdvCzYio" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/07/obesity-in-asia-american-fast-food-is-fare-for-the-rich.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p> Each time I visit my homeland, Vietnam, I find that many of my relatives have gotten wealthier and progressively fatter, especially their overly pampered children. One cousin in Saigon [Ho Chi Minh City] in particular is raising an obese child. When asked why she was feeding him so much she simply shrugged and said, “Well, we barely had enough to eat during the Cold War. Now that I have money, I just let my son eat what he wants.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Unfortunately what that entails for her boy is access to an array of American-owned chains like KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl Jr.’s, and most recently, Burger King. His favorite meal? “Pizza and Coke,” the boy answered with glee.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Besides the tasty draw of fatty foods and sweet sodas, there’s another reason why such establishments are making inroads in countries that are otherwise known for their excellent culinary traditions. Unlike in the U.S., where fast food is perceived as time saving and cheap and often the preferred meal of the working poor, in Asia places like Burger King and Pizza Hut are the fare of choice for those with dispensable incomes. For a regular factory worker in Vietnam who makes a few dollars a day, eating at KFC is completely out of the question. For those who can afford to eat at one of Pizza Hut’s air-conditioned restaurants in a chic sparkling shopping mall in Hanoi or Saigon, however, eating is only part of the experience. The other part is equally, if not more, important: Consuming American fast food is the proof of one’s economic status in the world.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The writer Ha Jin captured this modern tendency in a hilarious short story called “After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town.” It’s about a family of nouveau riche who book their wedding at a brand new fast food chain called “Cowboy Chicken” -- never mind that the Chinese know 150 better ways to cook the bird -- to celebrate their new wealth in capitalistic China. If the story is hilarious, it is also a sad statement as to how quickly a thousand years of culinary expertise is thrown out for the new – which in this case, is deep- fried chicken and steamed corncobs served up in a paper box.</p> <p>  </p> <p> And if common sense and taste are often the first casualties in a world where western fast food and brand name sodas proliferate at an alarming rate, the ultimate casualty is health itself. According to the World Health Organization, one billion people are malnourished in the world and another billion – many in developing countries—are overweight. At least 300 million of them are clinically obese, and the economic costs of related illnesses are staggering.</p> <p>  </p> <p> While the overall obesity rate in China is somewhere around 5 percent, that number jumps dramatically to around 20 percent in the big cities. Despite the relative small ratio of obese people when compared to that of the U.S., given the size of China’s population (1.35 billion), that 5 percent accounts for about 70 million overweight Chinese.</p> <p>  </p> <p> It would seem that not only are the Chinese catching up with the American economy, but with the American size as well. According to the Chinese Health Ministry, Chinese city boys age 6 are 2.5 inches taller and 6.6 pounds heavier on average than their counterparts 3 decades ago. "China has entered the era of obesity,” Ji Chengye, a leading child health researcher told USA Today. “The speed of growth is shocking." Almost 100 million Chinese now suffer from diabetes.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2mediumfastfoodasia.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 450px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> In this regard, Vietnam too is catching up with China. While 28 percent of rural children suffer from malnutrition, according to the National Institute of Nutrition, 20 percent from urban areas suffer from the opposite: obesity. “The number of overweight and obese kids is increasing at a fast pace in Ho Chi Minh City [formerly known as Saigon] where the highest ratio of children with the problem is recorded,” Do Diep, deputy direct of the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center, told Tien Phong newspaper two years ago.</p> <p>  </p> <p> For many Vietnamese, the irony is all too obvious. Previous generations known as boat people fled out to sea on rickety boats to escape starvation and extreme austerity under communism during the cold war. But they are quickly being replaced by a new generation, one that needs to go to the gym or a fat farm to drop excess weight -- or if they can afford it, “flee” abroad to shop for the latest brand name items like Hermes belts and Louis Vuitton Bags.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Years of struggle against imperialism resulted in an odd defeat: Anything western is automatically deemed superior, no questions asked. It is a situation that one intellectual in Vietnam coined as, “Selling the entire forest to buy a stack of paper.” A case in point: When asked what he wanted from the USA, a cousin in Hanoi didn't hesitate: “Starbucks coffee.” Yes, he’s quite aware that Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world, second only to Brazil; and yes, on practically every block in the city there’s a coffee shop. “But no one has tasted Starbucks coffee in Vietnam,” the cousin explained. “Everyone wants to know what it tastes like.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> These days one reads quite a few articles about the decline of the American empire and the rise of Asia, and in the same breath, how the Chinese are gaining the upper hand in the global economy. But one wonders if that’s true. Because even if declining, America still manages to sell its "superior" lifestyles to the rest of the world in ingenious ways, from food to movies, from musci to fashion -- and in the area of food, as least, our obesity problems as well.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Andrew Lam is author of </em>East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres <em>and </em>Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora<em>. His next book, </em>Birds of Paradise Lost<em>, a collection of short stories, will be published next year.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/">New America Media</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: New America Media; Creative Commons, Flickr. </strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/fast-food-asia" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">fast food in asia</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/starbucks" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">starbucks</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mcdonalds" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Mcdonalds</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kentucky-fried-chicken" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">kentucky fried chicken</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/burger-king" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">burger king</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vietnam" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vietnam</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/saigon" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Saigon</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/china" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">China</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/japan" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Japan</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tokyo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Tokyo</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/overweight" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">overweight</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/weight-gain" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">weight gain</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pizza-hut" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">pizza hut</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/coke" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">coke</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Andrew Lam</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:00:51 +0000 tara 1222 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1274-popularity-american-fast-food-leads-rise-obesity-asia#comments Selling Soda in the Age of Obesity https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1249-selling-soda-age-obesity <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 06/19/2012 - 20:56</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumsoda.jpg?itok=0PSzTOhu"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumsoda.jpg?itok=0PSzTOhu" width="480" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/news/">New America Media</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p> WASHINGTON – In a nation facing unprecedented levels of obesity, efforts by health advocates to make soda Public Enemy Number-One are gaining traction. But marketers of the sugary drink still have to figure out how to sell it.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The way the drink is being marketed, even as cities across the country are looking to crack down on soda – from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign to ban the sale of large sodas in New York City to a proposal to establish a soda tax in Richmond, Calif. -- was the subject of a discussion last week at the first National Soda Summit.</p> <p>  </p> <p> While consumers know their soda purchases add up to a corporation’s market-share, they may be unfamiliar with stomach-share, a concept marketing guru Todd Putman termed “a mind-bending, altering, paradigm.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> From the perspective of beverage companies, Putman explained, inside the stomach, food or other drinks become direct competitors with a brand’s products. “Water, anything you want to put in your stomach, I want to push out. I really don’t want you to drink any of those things; I want you to drink this, [my product] -- and more often.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Putman, president of The Future Pull Group, is a career marketer and brand manager, including almost four years at Coca-Cola where he was responsible for carbonated beverages in North America. In animated fashion, complete with colorful video commercials on how healthy foods and snacks could be marketed to compete with the high sugar content, name-brand products Americans have come to love, Putman provided a window into the mind of a marketer.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Hosted by the Center for Science in The Public Interest, the event featured Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and public officials from other cities who described their efforts to address the burgeoning rates of obesity, diabetes and other harmful health-related conditions among the American populace. An array of presenters, from dentists and physicians to epidemiologists and nutritionists, cited consumers’ increasing daily intake of sugar-sweetened beverages – SSBs -- as a key driver of those rates.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Putman, who conceded he is not a health expert, concurred. “It is very clear to me, just looking at the data, there is a linkage between sugar-based soft drinks and obesity and some of the healthcare issues that are confronting us.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> The direct line between higher sugar consumption in the United States and the effective marketing of SSBs is a fairly simple one, if, as Putman stressed, one understands that the beverage industry “revolves and pivots around per capita consumption.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Thus, reversing the high rates of SSB consumption will prove difficult, given the enormous financial resources beverage companies continue to invest in what Putman described as their three key marketing objectives: affordability, availability, and accessibility. Each is different, he explained, with layers of sub-strategies designed to reinforce each other.</p> <p>  </p> <p> For instance, price, or the affordability of SSBs is readily apparent in the discounts offered for larger sized single servings and multi-pack volume purchases. “Soft drinks are cheaper than water in many cases, right? That’s just crazy,” Putman said. However, he contended, it’s a product’s availability that has a higher correlation with boosting the holy grail of higher per capita consumption and stomach-share.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Availability is reflected in the presence of SSBs in stores, fast-food outlets, stadiums and the myriad of venues that provide retail sales opportunities, including vending machines that now number well over three million in the United States, according to Putman.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Accessibility, though, in marketing parlance, is different. It’s the marketer’s goal to assure that the product is ever-present in the consumer’s mind. “I am pervasive. I spend billions of dollars making sure that I am touchable. I’m online, I’m off-line. I’m in theme parks, I’m at the Olympics, I’m at American Idol – I’m everywhere you want to be,” Putman said of the beverage industry’s strategy. “Accessibility is how can I reach into your head, grab your cortex and pull it back towards myself.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika, a professor of epidemiology and the associate dean for health promotion and disease prevention at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, noted that it is difficult to develop counter strategies to compete with marketing SSBs to African-American and Latino communities, which suffer from the highest rates of obesity and diabetes. She pointed out that the beverage industry’s money also supports community sponsorships and therefore “effectively silences black leaders who would like to talk about the problem,” for fear of losing that revenue stream.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Rudy Ruiz, president of Interlex Communications, whose agency has been engaged in public health advocacy, contended that social media can play a critical role in countering the beverage industry’s messaging onslaught. In fact, the conference opened with a video by 18-year-old Will Haynes, a winner in the ‘Soda Sucks’ campaign, a competition sponsored by New America Media to encourage youth to choose water as an alternative to soda. And, at the closing reception, attendees were treated to a live rendition by Sean Shavers of his award- winning rap, which included the lines: “Now, what they don’t tell you, on the back of that soda can, is that you can have diabetes as a young man. One pour, one sip – Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Seven Up, Sunkist – I don’t drink none of this.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> In his presentation, Putman acknowledged the potential of social media to play a role in nudging consumers toward more healthy alternatives than SSBs, but reminded his audience that the beverage industry anchors its marketing around emotional appeals, not rational choices. Toward that end, he said, it is imperative to understand that “the resources, the scale, the intelligence, the strategy, that those companies use is absolutely intense.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> For example, one presenter noted that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has spent $100 million a year on its anti-obesity initiative. In contrast, in 2010 alone, Coca-Cola’s U.S. media spending totaled more than $400 million and the company is ramping up a social media campaign of its own.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/06/inside-the-mind-of-a-soda-marketer.php">New America Media</a></p> <p>  </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/soda" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">soda</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/coca-cola-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">coca-cola</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sugar-intake" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sugar intake</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mayor-michael-bloomberg" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Mayor Michael Bloomberg</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marketing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marketing</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/national-soda-summit" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">the National Soda Summit</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Khalil Abdullah</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Gaby Av, Flickr (CreativeCommons.org)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:56:33 +0000 tara 1162 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1249-selling-soda-age-obesity#comments Cracking Down on Soda https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/cracking-down-soda <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 13:37</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumsodacans.jpg?itok=-vL6NjNU"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumsodacans.jpg?itok=-vL6NjNU" width="480" height="307" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> <em>Editor's note: Earlier this month, the Richmond City Council voted in favor of placing an initiative on the November ballot for a citywide tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.  Responding to the proposed initiative, Richmond Pulse reporter Taisa Grant wrote the following piece based on a report released by the Contra Costa County health department, which breaks down the health impact of sugar-sweetened beverages and why the issue is of particular importance to the City of Richmond.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/news/">New America Media</a>: Sugar is like crack. Or at least, the threat it poses to the health and well-being of people in Richmond, California, is not far off from the threat posed by crack cocaine or other harmful narcotics, according to a recent report by the Contra Costa County health department, entitled “The Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on the Health of Richmond Residents.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Soda, says the report, is particularly addictive given how effective our bodies are at absorbing sugar, which can lead to obesity, which in turn causes us to be more susceptible to disease.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Of obesity, the report says the condition is “a critical health epidemic and leading risk factor for premature deaths and chronic illness due to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other conditions.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> A sugar-sweetened beverage is defined “as a non-alcoholic beverage, carbonated or non-carbonated, that contains added caloric sweeteners. Included in this definition are traditional sodas (e.g. coca-cola, sprite) sports drinks (e.g. Gatorade), energy drinks (e.g. Rockstar, Red Bull), and fruit-flavored (not 100% fruit juice) drinks (i.e. juice cocktails and nectars).”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Furthermore, these drinks contain a common form of sugar which is fructose. Fructose in small doses does not negatively affect the body at it's suggested amount of 25 grams a day. However, people who are at risk or who suffer from the degenerative diseases mentioned above, should only consume 10-15 grams of fructose, which is tough considering that fructose makes up at least half of the sugar found in drinks such as Coca Cola and is also found in most processed foods.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The City of Richmond has a diverse community that consists of mostly Latinos and African Americans, many of whom live below the federal poverty line and have achieved less than a high school diploma. Of the 103,701 people who make up the total population in Richmond, It is these two groups who are disproportionately affected by obesity and other diet and environment-related illnesses like diabetes, asthma and cancer.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Of all the children who live in Richmond and attend its public schools, 20 percent are overweight, and another 32 percent are obese. That's more than half of the city's children who are either overweight or clinically obese. According to the county report, only 2 percent of Richmond children are underweight and 46 percent are at a normal, healthy weight.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Among adults, the numbers get slightly worse: 34 percent are overweight, 24 percent are obese, 40 percent are a normal weight, and 2 percent underweight.</p> <p>  </p> <p> These numbers do not bode well for the people of Richmond. According to the report, “Maintaining a healthy weight throughout the lifetime helps to avoid obesity related illness and premature death.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Furthermore, marketing practices and easy access to sugar-sweetened beverages – youth are especially vulnerable -- may be a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic in Richmond.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “In 2006, the manufacturers of carbonated soft drinks spent $492 million marketing directly to youth… $474 million was directed at adolescents in the 12-17 age range,” according to the report. Of the $474 million, $28.6 million was used to target certain races, ethnicities and genders, including the sponsorship of a Black History Month essay contest for elementary, middle and high school students, as well as sponsorship of Latino events, festivals and ethnic-based sports teams. As for access to these drinks, the report cites 323 retail food outlets within the city of Richmond where such drinks are available.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The country report also shows Richmond has higher rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases compared to other cities in Contra Costa County. This situation not only causes loss of life, but creates higher dental care costs for the people in Contra Costa who can afford it the least.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Although Richmond faces many issues that plague the lives of its residents, malnutrition via the consumption of non-nutritional sugar sweetened drinks represents a health epidemic which needs to be addressed now. The proposal for a citywide tax on sugar-sweetened drinks is a start, but making a real change will require a community effort. Perhaps making better food choices, becoming more health-conscious and finding nutritious alternatives to junk food can translate into a longer and happier life for our youth, and a better future for all the residents of Richmond.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>Richmond Pulse is a project of New America Media, supported by The California Endowment.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2011/12/soda-is-like-crack.php">New America Media</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/soda" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">soda</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sugar" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sugar</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/contra-costa-health-department" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">contra costa health department</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obesity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obesity</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Taisa Grant</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:37:40 +0000 tara 374 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/cracking-down-soda#comments