A growing social norm is buying organic fruits and vegetables, and eating a vegan diet.  My choices at the grocery store are influenced by my vegan roommate, who encourages my other roommates and I to do consider the lifestyle change. While I do still eat meat, I have been paying attention to buying organically raised fruits, vegetables, and even meats. I am glad it has become a norm in society to consider where our food is coming from, and to be mindful of the chemicals used in their life cycles. The general idea of environmental protection goes hand in hand with the trend of reducing hormones and chemicals in food production. It is in style to be healthy and “green”, and consumers want food options that they can feel good about eating.

A hot topic in food production is the use of growth hormones and chemicals in animals and produce. Therefore, the organic and vegan revolution has gained a lot of support from activists, in opposition to these processes. Another social issue that is highly debated is the creation and sale of GMO’s. As the model exemplifies, the genetic change in crops has made a variety of impacts on the environment including the inability to contain their spreading, and the legal ramifications of their patents. This is why the growing social norm of purchasing organic and vegan items has been so successful. I think this norm is for the good of society, and will hopefully have long term effects on the lifestyle and health of the population. It should be normal to want to eat chicken not pumped full of hormones, and eat grains natural to the Earth!

1a.     The way I eat is heavily influenced by my family, my boyfriend and the gym I go to. I always used to go for convenience, until my family told me what hidden ingredients were in convenient foods. I then tried refraining from convenience and attempted to eat according to ingredients. I started to look on the back of boxes and see what ingredients I knew and didn’t know. If I did not know the ingredients or they were some ridiculously sounding word, I would not purchase the product. After this, I met my boyfriend who started making me dinner and taking me to the gym. He tries making healthy, balanced meals for good health.  Most people at the gym talk about their diets and how they eat as well, which is now a similar way to how I eat.

1b.     There are so many social norms applied to eating whether it be for enjoyment, health or necessity. The way I eat falls into the health category. I eat similarly to the people who try to maintain a healthy life and take care of themselves. I think the reason people do this is not only for physical or mental strength, but also for the prevention of disease. Eating well and exercising increases your body’s capacity to fight off disease which will hopefully result in a longer life. This social norm is massively connected to choosing the right foods. You want to eat a balanced meal and you don’t want any artificial ingredients or chemicals to alter the structure of your body. In carefully picking food choices according to this social norm, you will hopefully have all of the positive effects.

2a.     My food choice can coincide with the societal issue of obesity, which is an overconsumption of food. There are many possible causes for obesity but one that I will focus on is consuming too much and burning not enough. In order to maintain a healthy weight, you have to burn as many calories as you eat or more. Another societal issue I can focus on is genetically modified organisms. This is where companies are choosing what characteristics they like about plants and animals and breeding them accordingly. Our bodies are not made to ingest genetically modified foods. There’s a reason Europe is hostile toward the whole concept, it’s not natural. This is the reason I pay attention to ingredients and always choose fresh fruits and vegetables. I like to know what I’m putting in my body. I’m not going to say what the social norm should be, everybody is entitled to eat however they want, it’s their body. However, I think people should look out for their bodies and try to maintain a healthy living. This will hopefully prevent future suffering.

1. Recently we have been seeing the social norm or movement to eat local “Organic” food. I am not an expert on what makes something technically organic, but considering that I am an avid Outdoorsman and locavore, my definition of organic is only food collected from the wild or locally grass fed. I ran into this social norm at the supermarket, where the price of a steak with a “Local Organic” sticker was more expensive than one down the isle labeled not organic. I ended up choosing the organic steak because the social norm suggested that it was the healthier option due to the lack of use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to feed the cattle resulting in a healthier animal and a healthier product. The animals were most likely free to roam grass fed animals. That treatment before slaughter is also more humane prior to processing.

2.My food choice of being a local organic consumer is not only for my health. The lack of buying locally organic food is beneficial to the reduction of two societal issues including water contamination as well as the increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. The use of fertilizers in order to promote plant growth has caused the water to retain these chemicals and caused the levels of algae to skyrocket and the oxygen in the water to plummet to lifeless spots. The lack of oxygen has caused the life in these bodies of water to have detrimental effects on the living organisms living in such bodies of water. The use of gas and other natural resources used as resources in order to transport food results in the release of green house gasses from emissions of these ways of transportation. This is virtually eliminated when we consume local organic food.

1. We have dairy Saanen goats on our farm (the Saanen has the mildest “goaty” flavor of the dairy breeds). I love the cheese we make from their milk, and even knowing that it is actually better for you than cow’s milk, I still cannot drink it alone. As a culture, the United States has made cow’s milk a standard social norm against other forms of milk that are well received in other countries. If prepared properly, most people cannot even taste a difference between the two. Simply recognizing what type of milk it is can turn people away, showing that it is a mental preference (predetermined by the social norm) and not a direct implication of taste or chemical make-up. Cow’s milk has been promoted heavily in agricultural business as well as markets through the large production of Holstein cattle that benefits both the farmer for more quantity and the sale prices retaining low prices for consumers. “Got Milk?” (California Milk Processor Board) is one of the promotional tactics to promote cow’s milk consumption.
2. Goat milk could help combat diabetes and those suffering with lactose intolerance, which are health issues that effect our social culture. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk due to having smaller fat globules. Although having similar caloric attributes, the easier digestive qualities allows most lactose intolerant people to drink it as well as eases the impact the sugars carry to the blood stream for diabetics. If the societal norm would allow for various milk products to be viewed as equals (at least) to cow’s milk, then, even if prices retained their value, the social acceptance of alternative milks would allow their health benefits to make a greater impact on our population as a whole. Many who could actually use milk (if it wasn’t cow’s) do not pursue the possibility because the alternatives are taboo in our culture.

Everyday people are forced to make food choices based upon what it is they want to get out of it ; however, these decisions can be influenced by other factors like social norms. One time social norms effected my food choice was when I stopped at a restaurant with my friends before my basketball game. While my food decision was to not eat any food since I knew how it hindered my performance and had already made sure I had the proper nutrients earlier in the day, walking in the restaurant to keep them company I was immediately pressed with the pressure of social norms. Being in a social eating environment I felt weird not eating and my food choice shifted towards the enjoyment output of foods with both the taste of the food  and the laughs/happiness brought about by sharing a meal with others as I ordered a big juicy burger with fries. Unfortunately ignoring my instincts due to social stresses, I had a super bad stomach ache and lost the game.

This food choice brought on by the social norm of eating while you are out with others connects to the idea of nutrition. While obesity is still know to be a complex topic due to all of its different factors, I think some of the social norms around eating can be directly connected to it. My story deals with the idea of overeating, while I had all the nutrients necessary for my goals I chose to consume more. In areas like mine where there is a huge surplus of places and types of foods to eat its easy to get lost in the idea that when you are out with others you need to eat with them. Even worse while we overindulge just because 1 out of 7 billion people in the world are undernourished. While I do feel this is a very negative social norm I think it may be to excepted of an idea to just change the norm, instead I think we should we rely on individual action of people in that situation to be a sustainable and responsible consumer.

Not being born in the US definitely had its challenges, especially as a new comer to the country starting first grade. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to learn enough English to get by without much difficulty. The transition was still very difficult especially for a young child in a foreign land, and we know how cruel little kids can be. I remember growing up, it was always taught to my sister and I that we don’t eat meat from outside the house as we don’t exactly know where the meat is coming from. Silly rule, but it was a traditional custom. This made lunch time very difficult as I was limited to what I can eat. As I got more comfortable with my classmates, I would see them eat Sloppy Joes every Wednesday. Boy did they look delicious. Under peer pressure and temptation I gave in. Now to this day, it is very common for my entire family to eat meat anywhere we go.

As my family and I started to consume more and more meat, we became you regular every day American meat eaters. It became a normal part of all meals. Even though I’ve seen people eat meat before coming to the states, it didn’t compare to how we consume meat here. I guess I never really gave it much thought to how much work goes into raising livestock. In figure 6.6 it shows that humans use plant crops and livestock for food. However, one big difference is that plant crops don’t need livestock, instead the livestock needs plant crops in order grow and eventually feed us. There are several issues with a livestock diet. More plant crop input is needed in order to raise the animals. Then we also have ethical issues as how the animals are being treated. Everyone is aware of how most livestock is kept and raised, yet we continue to consume it anyways.

I feel social norms are a huge factor in whether a person tries a certain food or not.  If you see a bunch of other people eating a certain food and really enjoying it, it is natural to want to try this over a random, less well known dish.  For me, this meal was sushi.  My family was never really into sushi, so I had never tried it up until a few months ago.  All of my friends had been raving about how good it was and were so surprised that I had never tried it before so, of course, I gave it a shot.  When I finally got my plate, I was really excited to see what all the hype had been about.  After a few bites, I came to the realization that I really wasn’t a huge fan of this food.  I now realize that I had bought into the hype of sushi that had been going around, even though almost every person in my family didn’t like it.   This shows how social norms and expectations can influence you to try something you may not have tried before.

While giving into to social pressures may seem harmless at times (like in the example above), sometimes it can lead to negative consequences.  In todays society obesity is a huge problem that seems to be growing more and more every year.  Part of the problem is that millions of healthy Americans are eating at places like McDonalds or Burger King.  While this may be a well deserved treat if left to a few times a month, it becomes a problem when it is happening multiple times a week.  When people that already have trouble controlling their eating habits see all these people eating this terrible food and turning out fine, it puts an idea in their head that the food is really not that bad.  Societies outlook on nutrition can be very persuasive in whether someone eats a certain way, whether for better or for worse.

Growing up, my sisters and I were rarely given fast food. Even though I always had a busy schedule between school, cheer, dance, and work before I could drive my mom would pick me up from school and bring me to one of these places with dinner packed in containers. I always thought this was normal and this is what every parent did when their children had a busy schedule like I did. The only time I ever remember getting fast food was when we traveled to Florida every year. We would drive so this was quick and easy for us today. Even today, I am not a fan of fast food and avoid it if I could. All of my friends think I’m weird because I if I was given the choice to eat fast food I wouldn’t. Most of the food that comes form fast food restaurants are processed not fresh. This can relate to the Livestock’s Long Shadow. There is no nutritional significance in fast food, unlike the food you grow or eat fresh. Fresh food has the best nutritional value for you.

Eating fast food is so normal in America. Everyone around us eats it everyday. When you are eating food like this is can lead to obesity. We see so many obese people around us everyday. There are so many parents who are lazy and do not want to cook so they feed their children fast food. I see this all the time working in a preschool. We talk about what they had for dinner after school and it never fails that least five of them McDonalds or Burger King. If you start your child young on eating fast food, they will continue that unhealthy habit for the rest of their lives. All fast food is, is fatty and greasy foods. You should not put that in your body. You need food with nutritional value in it. Like the module states, “Nutrition here refers broadly to all of our bodies’ physiological needs that we must get through food, including water, energy, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Without proper nutrition, we will be frail, sick, or even dead. Nutrition is, thus, a crucial end use of food, though it is not the only end use. Nutrition also has important environmental and social components.” The social norm for this case is that people think fast food is acceptable to eat when really it should not be eaten at all.

1. Living in a dorm room and not having a kitchen at your fingertips, is quite challenging. Also, taking classes, having a job, being involved in clubs and organizations, and hanging out with friends, it gets hard when you want to sit down and have a nice, healthy meal. Even though my dorm has a kitchen on the ground floor, it’s time consuming to grab all the ingredients and take time to prepare a nutritious meal. Having access to meal points on campus, it’s extremely convenient to grab something to go or something that’s pre-made because it’s a lot easier and saves a lot of time out of your day. When I am home for breaks and holidays I find myself eating a lot healthier because my food is prepared homemade with healthy ingredients and I have access to a kitchen that allows me to make the right choices.
2. Being a student at Penn State and living in the dorm room of South Halls, I am always in Redifier Commons picking up food to eat. South Halls has an array of food choices that are easy for college student to pick up on the go and eat. This norm connects to the societal issues of nutrition and food waste. When students choose convenient and easy food options, they are normally choosing unhealthy and processed food. This poor diet of excess and unhealthy food results in obesity, which, is all across America today. Also, being able to pick your food, some students are more likely to order more food than they actually can eat. This in turn, leads to an enormous amount of food waste daily at Penn State. Also having buffet styled food options, a lot of food is prepared ahead of time and if it is not used throughout the day it becomes a waste.

When I was younger, my mom never had soda in our house. She knew it was bad for us and never bought it. As I got older, I never really acquired a taste for it and still do not like it. I don’t like to drink anything carbonated and whenever I would go out to restaurants or birthday parties, I would just get water or juice. This social norm, of children drinking soda never became a norm for me. My sister also does not like soda and some of my friends that cannot live without it don’t understand how I don’t like any of the kinds that are available. I did not start realizing just how bad soda is for people until I was going into high school, when I heard people talking about how if they would stop drinking soda they would loose weight so fast. I learned that it has so many carbs and sugars in it and am so thankful that I never learned to like it.

From a young age, sugary, fatty foods are being thrown at children and they grow to believe that these foods are okay. Not understanding the basic foundation of nutrition early on can be incredibly detrimental to the health of children throughout the rest of their lives. The Healthy Eating Pyramid is a great way to show children which foods are most important as well as show them which foods, such as soda, do not even make it on the food pyramid because they should not be eating them at all. The statistic that today out of the 7 billion people, 1 billion of them are starving and 500 million are obese. Obesity is a rising epidemic and people need to be more educated on not only healthy eating habits, but healthy lifestyle choices. The social norms of children eating terrible foods “just because they are children” is wrong and needs to change. Parents cannot continue to feed their children sugars and fats in place of vegetables and meats that they need to be healthy individuals.

As a student who comes from China, there is too much to say about the food choice and the decisions we face on our diet. Since a really little age, kids were taught how significant the food production in China is, that we used 7% of the land to feed 21% of population on earth. Even though these figures aren’t really comparable, but it emphasizes the agricultural revolution we had in the last century innovated by Dr. Longping Yuan. One of the most important social norms in China on food is about saving the food and never wasting any bit. We started understanding the importance of not wasting food since a kid. Older generations were grown up with little resources available, like oil and meat. In 1960s and 1970s China was struggling with poverty so nowadays elders are accustomed and fond of eating lots of vegetables. As a person grown up in a fairly affluent environment, I could never understand my older generations’ food choice. I couldn’t live without meat in every meal.

The social issues on food in China is rather more about a historical issue than it is now. The “Great Leap Forward” movement resulted in a severe famine that lasted several years in 1960s. Numerous death reported across the nation. This famine left an unforgettable impression on Chinese older generations as they survived it. My grandparents always avoid talking about as it was serious and dire. This famine, as a social issue, hugely shaped people’s diets. Wasting food in the last century would be condemned. However, situation has completely changed within few decades. China becomes more affluent in terms of economy as well as the food production. The more urgent food-related social issue is childhood obesity. According to research, around one out of every ten kids experiences certain degrees of obesity. Parents knew how ugly the famine was so they try to satisfy all of their kids’ wants. In all, the most crucial social norm on food should be reducing the waste from production, transportation, and consumption.

In college, it is hard to get a good meal in between classes and work. I live 30 minutes from campus, so my day is shorter by about an hour because of just driving. A part of the social norm of college is to eat unhealthy food because it is cheaper and more accessible than healthy food. Since freshman year I have found myself gaining weight because of how I feel like I am forced to eat. The quickest food options for me these days include pizza from Berks Creamery, fast food from places like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. Food prices are so high these days that buying food to bring to campus is just as expensive as eating quickly on campus. Furthermore, I see other people my age doing the same thing all the time. My friends get pizza on campus more than once a week because of how fast and cheap it can be. I would eat sandwiches or salads occasionally, but they tend to be more than double the cost of two slices of pizza. The social norm aspect comes from the pressure to save money by spending it on unhealthy food instead of healthy food because that is what college students do.

In the United States there is a problem with the health and weight of the population. Food prices are expensive for nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. Prices are low for food like processed hamburgers and chicken. These cheaper food options are meant to help people who are poor afford to eat food, but instead it offers a cheap option of unhealthy food that tastes good. This problem directly affects my situation with the college student social norm of eating unhealthy food that is easily accessible. Salads and healthier food options like sandwiches with vegetables are far more expensive because of the ingredients. Beef and Chicken are cheap on the market because of the mass production from factory farms. This overabundance of meat has helped lead to a cheaper cost, and this has led to obesity in the United States. Another aspect to this is the growth hormones added to genetically modified livestock. This creates fatter meats as well which adds to the obesity problem as well. There is a slight difference between my social norm situation and the societal issue of obesity though because on average college populations, such as Penn State’s, are slimmer and more active. While many college students do eat unhealthy food because of how inexpensive it is, they also exercise more and do more physical activities. This shows in this case that there are differences between social norms and the current societal issues.

Health wellness and eating the correct foods and diet is a choice. Sugar and in particular high fructose sugars are in every kind of sweet snack food and soda beverages in America. Corporations have attempted to cheaply implement these most unhealthful products into snack foods and beverages and consider this the norm. That is if we accept it. Its best to reject most sugary types of items or limit them to a minimum. The consumer now has far more choices when choosing and consuming these types of foods. Earthy health food markets offer better and ethical products containing organic pure cane sugar as it should be in the first place and at about the same money. The more we shop there what used to be alternative marketplaces the more push and leverage we have for progressive and healthier food stuffs in the marketplace. An educated consumer is the best consumer.

Whether its sugary snack foods or drinks again thankfully in this day and age we have more choices than ever. That does not mean however that what the majority or norm are producing and consuming is ethical or healthy. It isn’t. Adding to the issues again we have food choices and with the later above all GMO unethical production and consumption. GMO foods are nutritionally deficient and not a natural product as in the case of pure untouched organic. Organic is in my opinion the best available on the market. Organic is truly what something is in its untouched state. GMO food stuffs and products are about profit not about nutrition and ethics. This is something traditional food outlets don’t want you to know. The norm should be an obvious choice and yet because of higher prices for Organic; and something that most time is often less by way of being natural actually cost us more at the Health food stores.

SOCIAL NORM
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HEALTHY ORGANIC GMO POOR QUALITY

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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Lucas Skiba

3/2/16

GEOG 030

Module #6

Breakfast Food Choices and Social Norms

I have to say it is a social norm for americans to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast. I probably eat bacon and eggs three times a week but most people, including my dad eat bacon almost every morning. This is a food choice because there are plenty of other healthier choices for breakfast other than bacon which is processed meat. Other good healthier food choices are fruit, toast, oatmeal, cereal, etc. During the weekdays when I’m on my way to work I usually eat a banana or an apple for breakfast it is quick and easy way to get energy. It’s a lot easier than cooking greasy bacon, and making a mess. It may taste good but for one, bacon is not as nutritional as fruit or toast. Secondly bacon and eggs have a bigger environmental impact than say a banana or an apple. This module really made me see social norms and the food choices I am making, and the consequences and reactions they have on the environment.

Choosing bacon as a food choice for breakfast and a social norm, I said that it was not nutritionally and environmentally safe as other food choices. Mainly because bacon is a red meat that comes from pigs. This meat is processed and not healthy. The kinds of protein you want to stick to is fish, poultry, beans and nuts. Which beef, pork, and chicken are the leading livestock in factory farms. By purchasing bacon you are supporting the factory farms that pollute the environment and spread animal diseases. These farms aren’t just polluting the air with feces and manure it is also polluting the water as well. These huge factory farms that are located in rural areas near neighborhoods and towns have high populations of animals that produce so much feces in them that it runs into our water supply. So I think our social norm and food choice for breakfast should be fruit. Keep it cost effective and nutritious without supporting major factory farms that produce process meat that ruin the environment.

As I have spent several earlier years of my life in South Korea, I have experienced different food cultures and norms compared to those have been raised in America. In certain instances, the foods that Koreans eat is socially unacceptable in the American society and vice versa. In both cultures, octopus is a socially accepted food and many people enjoy eating them or more accurately it is not out of the social norm. However, one particular Korean dish serves a living octopus. This is a special case in which there no inputs in the livestock, because the octopus is served fresh from the ocean. I have never ate a live octopus in my times in America. When I have visited Korean for the past two summers, eating live octopus has become one of my favorite dishes because most people eat it without any hesitations.

Although eating live octopus is a social norm in Korea, it poses a significant health issue. Eating live octopus does not pose any health issues as people who have eaten them hasn’t suffered any serious health problems. However, it is extremely danger to eat live octopus. As most people are aware of the stickiness of octopuses tentacles, they tend to eat them nonetheless. When a person intakes the entire octopus as one bite, it has a decent chance for the octopus to lay in the esophagus, that allows us to breathe with our mouths. If this occurs, the person is chocked out of air and faces death. I think that any food that is consumed should not be alive. Although they are many foods that impose serious  health issues in a long term, but live foods such as octopuses should not be a social norm as it causes immediate death.

1.) Nutrition is a highly debated topic. The United States government has a suggested food pyramid, but recently I learned in one of my KINES classes that this food pyramid is not necessarily accurate. Proteins are very important in our diet, especially for those who are active. Generally, I am a very active person. I go to the gym about 2-3 times a week, and I play basketball at least once a week for 1-2 hours a day. I thought that eating a few eggs a day along with some nuts and other sources of protein was sufficient for my diet and to ensure that I am well nourished. However, recently I have begun eating a lot more meat to add protein to my diet. I am perfectly fine eating natural sources of protein, though I do love meat, but I was told this wasn’t sufficient. The social norm that exists for this case is that the only “efficient” way to get protein in your diet is through the use of protein powder and excessive consumption of meats.

2.) Though I am unaware of the process through which protein powder is created, I am aware of the egregious issues brought about by excessive meat consumption. These issues were highlighted in the latter part of this module, and the issues range from the influences excessive meat demands can have on the environment to the influences it can have on human society as well. Though not the only source of greenhouse gases, handling livestock increases methane production in the atmosphere, as well as nitrous oxide, both of which are major players in the climate change game. To add to this, not only does excessive livestock handling pollute the air, but it can pollute ground water that is essential for the livelihood of communities near these facilities. It is important to note that many essential proteins can be gained through consuming plants! My view on the social norm should be that meat is not a necessity, but a luxury. This would mitigate a lot of the impacts that the meat industry has on our planet.

As a college student, social norms impact my diet significantly. I often eat fast food, for more than one reason. Like many other college students, I do not have a lot of money saved up to eat well. Due to this I eat the cheapest foods, and walking around campus, a place like McDonalds provides the most food for 5 dollars. The monetary problem has been prominent for centuries, and it limits what people can eat. A salad at a convenient store is about $5, when at McDonalds you can buy two cheeseburgers, fries, and a drink. That kind of availability is what largely keeps people choosing junk food over healthier alternatives. Therefore it has become a social norm that people with less money are eating more fast food than anything else. This is also causing people to eat less natural based foods and more industrial synthesized foods. This in turn has also lead to an obesity problem previously mentioned in nutrition.

Obesity is one of the largest problems in America’s young society. As mentioned in the module, obesity is largely contributed to by industrialized agriculture. The consistency of fast food, especially McDonalds, has played a huge role in this societal problem. The accessibility of fast food has been a sturdy obstacle in overcoming obesity. Fast food keeps its food so cheap due to the cheap ingredients used in their food. It can afford to give away two cheeseburgers for two dollars, unlike a restaurant with real beef. I don’t think we can change the price of fast food, nor do I want to. Instead I would change the cost of healthier food. If that salad I mentioned before cost only two dollars, I would pick that over a cheeseburger most days of the week. Mostly because of the cost of healthier foods, obesity can still be a problem for younger people.

I have never had much of a palate for watermelon. Growing up every Sunday in the summer was spent at my uncle’s house because he had a pool. Fortunately too, he grew his own watermelon. All of us kids would grab the pieces of watermelon with the most seeds so that we could see who could spit their seeds the furthest. I’m competitive by nature, so I would eat the watermelon just in order to beat my family members in a game as dumb as spitting seeds. In this situation the food choice was healthy and homegrown. If there weren’t any watermelon of my uncles we would go to a local home owned market with all locally grown produce. The food choice came from our parents wanting us to eat healthier but also, the competition that can with consuming the watermelon.

The social norm I mentioned above deals directly with nutrition. A major societal issue that I feel connects to this social norm is the lack eating healthy or choosing to eat healthy snacks. Junk foods and sugar filled snacks are more readily available now more than ever before. Everywhere you look you see kids grabbing candy instead of fruit and pop instead of water. In the previous paragraph I stated how we would choose watermelon as competition. Now, kids will have a competition of who can consume the most sugary sweets. Part of the problem is parents providing an abundant amount of sweets and allowing children to make their own decisions. I think more healthy snacks should be provided regardless of whether or not you are at a party.

When I was in 6^th grade my family and I moved to Kronberg, Germany. Visiting a place and living there are two different things. When you live in a place you must adhere to the culture, respect the traditions and of course be willing to except new social norms such as the food choice. When I lived there, we always ate meat. Whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, some type of meat was involved. We ate lots bratwursts, schnitzel, pork and beef. We had a joke in my family that whenever we move back to the states we would all become vegetarians. I noticed that in the United States a lot of meals are served with the side of vegetables or fruits but in Germany the meals were served with even more meat. The vegetables grown in Germany are usually used in stews or soups rather a side. These social norms of Germany influenced how and what we ate as a family with every meal, especially when we went out to eat.

This social norm can be connected to the societal issue one being health issues such as cancer and the other to obesity/nutrition. By eating too much meat a person can become overweight very easily. While we as humans need protein in our body eating meat with every course, three times a day, seven days a weak is not healthy by any means. A study proved that 60 percent of the men and 43 percent of the women in Germany are overweight due to meat consumption. This meat consumption can also lead to the risk of getting cancer. If a person eats too much red meat it has been proven to increase the risk for colon cancer. While Living in Germany my family and I did not encounter cancer, however we did experience the weight gain. Over the course of living for one year I gained 15lbs. Based on this analysis I believe that the social norm should include eating meat like the Healthy Eating Pyramid suggests, however with a side of vegetables or fruit for a variety of nutrition.

Before moving on my own in State College, it was the social norm at my house to eat healthy and to exercise regularly. However, now that I living on my own, and in college the social norm has changed drastically.  The social norm now is about saving money, and saving time. When starting college everyone heard about the freshman 30, which is a result of the change in social norms. The social norm is to ordering out more, and going out to drinking alcohol.  The social norm is centered around the lifestyle you live. Currently, I know my lifestyle is not the healthiest, but I do try to be conscientious about my choices in food and choice the most nutritional choice.  I know my future self will not want me to continue with this lifestyle. This lifestyle for a prolonged period will lead to health issues.

Just like college students, the American lifestyle has changed to being faster paced. In today’s society is it faster to go out and get food from a restaurant, even if it is not fast food. However, restaurant meals are costly, very high in calories and you can do not know what is actually used their preparation. It is a social norm to overlook nutrition to be able to have more time.    In the module, it talked about how important nutrition is to the body, and that without proper nutrition it could lead to death. In a fast paced lifestyle nutrition is suffering, people are not getting the correct about of water, energy, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.  This is leading to many health problems, the leading health problem is obesity.

My descent into the college lifestyle and social norm has altogether challenged my food choices. When I lived at home with my parents they were very into nutrition and dieting to go along with their weight lifting and exercising so I ate the same foods they did, fruit, vegetables and all that healthy food. When at home I ate  multiple meals a day that were all nutritionally balanced and I very rarely ate out or stopped at a fast food restaurant to eat. I also very rarely ate beef. Now that I live on my own and am on a budget I have been eating fast food and beef regularly because I don’t have time to make a decent meal and getting the healthy food you need is kind of expensive on a college budget. Because of my work and school schedule I only eat two meals a day. It’s also hard to be away from home and constantly going out to eat with friends. I can definitely tell a difference in myself since living at home and then living on my own.
I eat a lot of beef now that I am on my own which is not helping anybody! When I lived at home I would eat mainly fish or chicken every night and now I am eating a lot of bread and beef. By eating so much beef I am contributing to the need for live stocks which have a large land usage, which causes deforestation, and  am adding to the pollution created by the cattle and everything included in agriculture. Then there is the fact that I am contributing to an industry that can lead to obesity. It is usual for college students to be on a budget and have this kind of fast lifestyle but by eating so much beef and consuming fats we are creating unhealthy eating habits as well as an unhealthy environment.

A social norm that significantly influenced my food choice is when I started college. In my house, my family tends to eat more on the healthy side. Ever since my grandmother had a heart attack her doctor told her she can’t eat certain foods that she would eat on a daily basis and absolutely no salt. My family decided that we should help my grandmother follow her diet and eat the same meals as her. It’s definitely a change, but it’s a better choice for our health and especially my grandmothers since she has diabetes. I tend not to follow this diet while I’m at school. I sometimes go out for lunch with my friends or I’ll grab something quick at Sheetz or McDonald’s right across the highway on my break between classes. My college cafe does not offer much choices of healthy food. The only thing I would consider healthy in the cafe is the small salad bar. These bad food choices I make at college doesn’t help the healthy food choices my family makes at home. The social norm here would be that there’s not enough time to go somewhere and have a healthy meal. Grabbing food at fast food places is more convenient for people who are in a hurry.

The societal issue that I could connect to my paragraph above is obesity and lack of nutrition. There are many factors that play into the causes of obesity. For example, a person who is considered obese may be that way because of genetics. Another example could be that a person may not exercise and not watch their food choices.  As stated in module 6, we obtain more nutrition from food while minimizing the use of natural resources and environmental impacts. Sustainable food consumption is a choice that should be followed which is good for our health and the environment. I think that we should change the social norm of unhealthy eating habits to making time to supply your body with healthy food choices and nutrition.

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A social norm that I have experienced regarding food – or in my case more specifically drink – is the typical beverages offered at kid’s parties. As a young child growing up I participated in a plethora of kids’ parties – from birthday parties to sports team celebrations – and one thing that I consistently had a problem with was beverage choices. Nobody ever had anything except Sprite and Coca-Cola, the issue being that I didn’t drink soda. Early on in my life it was connected to health reasons, as my parents of course wanted me to eat and drink healthy. Soda was something that was forbidden in my house until my sister and I had grown up a little bit and had more freedom to make our own choices about such a basic practice. After I had that decision I discovered that I never enjoyed the taste of soda and it was something I never drank. I began to bring my own Hawaiian Punch drink to kids parties so I would have something to drink and not be thought of as the weird kid that went against the social norm.

The societal issue this connects to is the relationship between food choice and nutrition. While I’m glad my parents helped keep me on the right track to stay healthy, it is clear that the social norm for children’s parties were pizza, soda, and cake. This social norm is detrimental to our youth and contributes to childhood obesity. I believe that this social norm has allowed the nations youth to believe that it is okay to indulge in unhealthy eating practices. It causes children to develop a positive association between having fun (at a party) and eating unhealthy foods. Taking a look at the healthy eating pyramid, you do not see Coca-Cola, pizza, cake, or any well known “party foods.” It is disturbing to not only have a large amount of obese children and adults, but the disproportionate amount of obese to famished – or borderline emaciated – people in the world.

1. Food social norms are all over the world; however, one specific food norm that stands out for me is whether or not to eat gluten. I started to follow this norm of gluten-free because my family and friends told me how great it made them feel.  I continued to eliminate gluten from my diet after my trail-month because I saw the benefits of having more energy and a better digestive system.  Also, I feel as if I am able to manage my nutrition better because I am watching exactly what I eat and put into my body.  If I did not go gluten-free, I feel as if eating at my parent’s or aunt’s house would be near to impossible since that what they buy.  Since some of the stuff tastes different than gluten-made products, I got used to the taste and am eating gluten-free like the rest of my family.

2. One societal issue would be whether or not to genetically modify organisms. As stated in module 6, GMOs are not labeled on products and cause a debate in the United States on whether or not they should be.  Since I made a food choice of eating gluten-free, I am more aware now of products and how companies can trick us by not labeling GMOs.  Personally, I think the social norm should be to stop eating foods that are genetically modified so that a law come into place that any genetically modified organism must be labeled in the grocery store.  It is important for people to know what they are putting in their bodies.  Since going gluten-free, I have done a lot of research on different foods and policies and I think it is important to label everything and not try and hide ingredients.  Also, obesity is a societal issue; by watching what I am eating, I am avoiding this issue.  The social norm should be to look at ingredients to try preventing obesity.
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One social norm that was very prevalent in my area was eating dinner at Chipotle. Growing up with both of my parents born in Italy, I was not exposed to many foods other than spaghetti, chicken parmesan, and other Italian dishes. I would eat spicy foods very rarely and was never a huge fan of them. At the beginning of high school, a new Chipotle was built within a half mile from my house. There was a huge buzz around the neighborhood and whenever I would always drive by, the line would be out the door. My friends and I decided to go one day after to school and now I eat there at least once a week. Social norms can greatly impact food choices because the long line represented that a lot of people enjoyed eating there and it gave me a reason to try it for the first time. Although it is not the healthiest food, it is very convenient and delicious.

Although Chipotle is very good, it has several societal issues. On average, a burrito contains more than 1,000 calories, including a full day’s worth of sodium, and 75% of recommended amount of saturated fat. This ties directly with the obesity issue. The consumption has gone up dramatically in recent years and many people can gain weight from it. It also relates to the sustainability issue because the ingredients that go into a burrito are limited. Chicken, steak, tomatoes, guacamole, etc. all come from animals and plants that have a limited population. If Chipotle and other restaurants continue to use these ingredients, eventually we will run out, which makes this production unsustainable. Given this connection to obesity and sustainability, my view on the social norm is that people must watch what they put into the burrito and not eat there as often. For me, I am active and go to the gym very frequently so the obesity issue is not a concern but the sustainability issue is a concern for all customers.

One time that I can recall where my food choice was influenced by social norms was tailgating for a football game this season. My friends and I went to one of their family’s tailgates and I was expecting the typical tailgate food of hot dogs and hamburgers. Instead there was an array of food that I have never seen or heard of before. I felt pressure to consume this food even though I normally do not try a lot of new and exotic food. I ended up eating the food because I was hungry and I did not want to upset or disappoint our hosts. Even though I did not enjoy the food, I went along and never complained so I would not be rude to my roommate’s family.

Apparently, my roommate and his family love trying all types of different food while I am the person that likes to stick with the same food because it tastes great and have no need for change. A societal norm that could be relevant to this situation is food waste. Some people just take the food that they do not want and just throw it away. Instead of just eating it anyways or telling your host that you politely decline is a better option compared to wasting food. In the module 6 readings, it said that there are one billion people who undernourished. They would love to have the food you are throwing away just because you do not enjoy the taste. But instead the food gets tossed in the trash and hunger continues to be a problem in our world continues to be a problem in our world.

All my life I have been an extremely picky eater. If a food seems unappetizing or has a strange texture, I will not eat it. Part of me doesn’t label this as a choice, because I wish I could eat more without the anxiety of trying something new. This was pretty much inherent in me, and I didn’t experience people being picky on purpose until I met some of my close friends. Four of my close friends are vegans. They resemble the pickiness that I have, only instead of aversion, they are picky based on their ethics. All of my friends are very caring towards animals and the environment. They are following the social norm that vegans are making this sacrifice for the sake of the animals and the Earth. It is arguable that we live in a society that favors meat eaters, so becoming a vegan is like defying that social norm. By defying the fact that it is more socially normal to eat meat, vegans develop that pickiness to avoid eating what is readily available.

While I am not vegan, my friends do inspire me to cut down on the amounts of meat that I eat. Not only is it beneficial to the environment and safer for the animals, but it is also a much healthier option. A serious societal issue, especially in America, is obesity. Going vegan is a choice that requires eating more greens and vegetables, therefore leading a healthier lifestyle. Eating meat, red meat especially, causes higher cholesterol. Becoming vegan eliminates that risk. Not only does this lifestyle choice limit obesity, but it is safer for the environment. Like the module described, factory farms are a key contributor to environmental problems. By not eating animal products, vegans are boycotting these factory farms. While the social norms of our society favor meat eaters, it would make more sense to do the opposite. Favoring vegans would mean favoring healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment.

In Libya, where I come from, lamb is a favorite meat and it’s a main ingredient in many dishes such as Shorba (Libyan Soup) and Couscous. Lamb meat is used in preparing the sauce of the Libyan version of Couscous for its rich flavor. People from Libya enjoy eating lamb meat because it is juicy and tastes good. Enjoyment of foods that taste good is a component of the food-agriculture system and that seems to be of emphasis in the Libyan social norms. For example, Couscous with lamb meat is served at most Libyan weddings and in Eid-Al-Adha, a religious festival, Libyans grill meat with their families and enjoy eating it outdoors. As a result, sheep livestock play an important role in the animal agriculture in Libya where it’s a major income source for farmers.

Given that Libyans consume large amounts of lamb meat, this leads to a diet that is high in saturated fat. High amounts of saturated fat can cause several health issues such as increasing the risk of heart disease and increasing blood cholesterol levels. Lamb meat is also high in calories and thus frequent consumption can lead to weight gain and obesity. In Libya, I think that food enjoyment is weighted more than nutrition as an end use of food. In my opinion, the social norm towards eating food in Libya should shift to focus more on nutrition as an end use of food. This could be achieved primarily by eating less meats and eating more vegetables as the Healthy Eating Pyramid suggests. That doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t eat food that tastes good rather prioritize having diets that provide the most nutritional value from food.

1.) One thing that I notice when I make choices in buying food is that there are a lot of trends in the food industry. One example of a recent trend that I have seen is that people have made a much bigger issue of buying whole wheat bread vs. white bread. This is becoming a social norm for people that it is healthier, and everyone should focus on buying 100% whole wheat bread. These trends then become social norms. One trend that has affected me and I have seen become more of a social norm is vegetarianism. This trend has been around much longer and still continues to be a popular trend today. I have seen several of my friends try to adapt this diet. I have considered attempting it before, but never go through with it.

2.) Two of the social issues that have contributed to this vegetarianism movement are obesity, and the cruelty that occurs to animal livestock. Many people believe that cutting meat out of their diet is better for their Nutrition. As covered in the module, they believe this decision will help against obesity and lead to healthier nutrition. The better nutrition will then turn into living an all-around healthier lifestyle. The other reason I see people cutting meat out of their diet is because of the issues around the livestock industry. The videos like the ones mentioned in the module cause people to cut out meat from their diet to try and stop the mistreatment of livestock. This trend is still increasing and the awareness of livestock mistreatment is growing.

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1. A time when I can remember where food was chosen because of social norms would be in high school. The food from the cafeteria in high school was by far the best food available both health and appetizing wise. However, when you are a high school student, almost no one brings a lunch from home. The feeling of not wanting to be left out leaves you with only one choice of lunch. The school lunches are not only costly, but they are also not healthy. The lunches are fatty or fried foods with a side option of chips, cookies or any other treat you can afford on your meal plan. The social norm here is kids wanting to be like everyone else and buy a school lunch at the expense of a costly and unhealthy lunch.

2. The social norm here can be connected to the societal issue of nutrition and obesity as discussed in the module. Industrialized agriculture plays a key part in obesity by producing large amounts of grains which produce high-calorie foods which are then distributed in the schools. There have been efforts to reduce the high-calorie and sugary foods in the schools, but none matter without one important factor. Kids are allowed to buy any amount of lunch they desire. My solution to this issue is to not limit the amount of lunch a student can receive, but rather substitute the terrible snack choices like nachos and cookies with more fruits or vegetables. The more options of healthy alternatives you give to a child the more likely it is they steer away from the horror that is a high school lunch.

Social norms have influenced my food choices in several ways: Birthday cake, eggs for breakfast, milk or cream in coffee, coffee not tea, etc. One particular social norm in particular stands out in my opinion and that would be turkey on Thanksgiving. Since I could eat solid foods to last year’s holiday, I have had turkey for the holiday meal. It’s accepted that turkey was served on the first thanksgiving that was shared between early settlers and Native Americans, and ever since it has been a staple for all Thanksgiving meals in the United States, it’s also celebrated in other parts of the world just not as universally. All of my friends growing up, all of my family, and my neighbors all make turkeys for their families on that particular day.

According to the National Turkey Federation, approximately 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving in the United States. Given the massive demand for a single type of animal on one day of the year, it is unlikely that the current practices for most people could be supported without massive turkey farms that are supported with unsustainable and industrialized agriculture. The conditions in which these birds are raised are unhealthy and most likely require regular doses of antibiotics to keep them healthy, contributing to problems with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The conditions are also conducive to epidemics for example, last spring in the United States, 8 million turkeys died due to an outbreak of avian flu. I fully support eating turkey on Thanksgiving and, even though it would affect prices drastically, think that more sustainable methods of raising turkeys should be in place. Open pasture grazing, minimal feed, and minimal use of antibiotics.

When I was little I hated to attend birthday parties. I was the weird friend that didn’t like cake or ice cream, but cake and ice cream were part of the cultural meaning and social norm of a birthday party. These two foods always made me so sick when I ate them, but regardless of knowing that I would get sick I still ate them because I felt rude to turn them down. Now however, I know that I am lactose intolerant and allergic to egg yolks due to this I have to be cautious of my food choices. Now when I attend birthday parties I bring my own special cake that way I can partake in the celebration without having to get sick or feel rude for turning down the cake provided by the host.

Due to being lactose intolerant and allergic to egg yolks my food choices are different from many others. I often get asked if I’m vegetarian when my friends see me buying almond milk. However, I am not vegetarian. I still eat meat. I just do not consume dairy or eggs. I feel like the social norm should be to eat what ever makes someone happy and there should be no judgement based on their decision. If someone wants to be a vegetarian or vegan then they can, and if someone wants to eat meat let them eat meat. My diet is restricted due to medical reasons and because of that my food choices are different than other people’s but that shouldn’t be considered a bad thing, it should just be part of the social norm that I choose to eat what makes me happy and what makes me feel good.

I have a few things that I enjoy eating and rarely change my mind on what I like to eat. In middle school, I met my best friend. Her food preferences are larger than mine, she is willing to try many different types of food. When I went to my friends house for dinner one night, her mother made steaks on the grill. I did not know for sure if I liked steaks but my mother taught me that the polite thing to do was to eat the dinner regardless. I decided to eat the steak because my best friend talked about how much she loved them. I knew that if I had told the family that I did not like steak, they would have tried to make me something I did like, which I felt inconveniences the cook. Though the dad would’ve made fun of me for a while as he usually does. This pressure made me choose to eat something I did not like in order avoid being made fun of.

My best friend’s family eats steak and other forms of beef very often. Drawing on the module, Americans consume billions of tons of beef each year and this is causing environmental problems. Yet, knowing this information will not stop people from eating the foods that they love. Although I am not a vegetarian, I choose to not eat a lot of red meat because of how bad it is for the body. Now that I am aware the impact on the environment that cows have, that will also be another reason why I rarely eat beef. I feel as though people should respect the food choices of others rather than make them feel bad for not liking the food that they cook. Society as a whole should make it normal to accept the choices of others and recognize that cows are having a huge impact on greenhouse gases and obesity in America. If one person is making a conscious effort to help the environment and/or their body the response should be respect not bullying.

Throughout middle and high school I played field hockey. In middle school I never had a problem with keeping up with the rest of the girls on the team. However, in high school, I noticed things start to take a shift. I was getting out of shape and couldn’t keep up with everyone as well as I was able to when I was younger. I couldn’t figure out why I was falling behind though. I was training the same amount of time as everyone else. It turns out, the food I was eating was majorly affecting my condition, even with all of the working out I was doing. After conditioning in the summer, I would typically have a bowl of ice cream and have processed, convenient snacks throughout the day. I decided to change my norm to snacking on fresh fruits and vegetables and healthier snacks like cheese sticks and yogurt. Not only did I feel much healthier, but I was also back to being in good shape for field hockey.

Unfortunately, eating healthy is not easy for all people. Eating healthy foods can be very expensive. As module six stated, eating food that is produced locally is usually herbicide- and pesticide-free, which is very good for your diet and health in general. In addition to that benefit, locally grown food does not need to travel as far. The advantages that stem from that are far-reaching. For example, the food miles and energy used to transport the food are much smaller and that effects the green house gas emission for the better. All of these benefits do not come at a cheap price though. The locally grown food is much more expensive. Having a diet of mostly locally grown food is definitely not attainable by a lot of people. However, in my opinion, the social norm should be to at least make an effort to incorporate some locally grown food into our diets.

In my Church, we do not eat any meat on Fridays (especially during the time period before Easter). Thus when confronted with a meat dish on a Friday, I need to find another alternative to that dish and when at my church on a Friday we all eat vegetables, pasta, pizza, pierogies, etc. This social norm thus influences my choice to have meat on Fridays and in fact could be better for both the environment and my own health because it lessens the amount of meat I consume, as well as those within my church. Consequently even though we do this more as a form of sacrifice and reverence, it can also be seen as a sort of social norm which encourages a collective action to help the environment as well.

As stated in the previous paragraph, this social norm within my church thus promotes a collective action to help the environment and sustainability, if only by a small amount. Now this is mainly a religious choice, but can also be tied to societal issues such as hunger (famine) and nutrition. For one day each week, we sacrifice something we really enjoy and choose to give up what others might not have access to as we do in the US. Many people in other areas of the world cannot afford to meat because it is too expensive, while vegetables are often easier to grow even at home. This also allows me the opportunity to make sure that I intake more vegetables and fruits to ensure proper nutrition. Although I enjoy eating meat and most likely will never become a vegetarian (although I do respect people who can do that), it gives me to a chance to sacrifice and be cognizant of something more that my own desires.

A few weeks ago, my friend and I took a road trip up North to a state school in New York. Here, we would meet some of our best friends from home and spend the weekend. Keep in mind that our friends are from a much lower income family than my own. For the past few months, I have been working on my nutrition, eating healthier, taking in less calories and carbs and more protein. Generally, eating healthier foods, cooking them, or ordering healthy meals out to dinner can get much more expensive than if you would eat less healthy foods such as fast foods. My friends, use to spending a very minimal amount on food, suggested that we get McDonalds for dinner. This of course would violate the diet I was working to keep. I wanted to suggest we get something healthier, maybe even make something from supermarket foods. I felt too bad asking my friend to go somewhere else for food, being that he even offered to pay. It is a social norm not to inconvenience someone who is doing things for you, especially if you know they do not have the funding for more. I felt too bad and therefore settled for the McDonald’s dinner with a smile on my face. Social norms caused me to make a poor food choice.

Poor food choices can lead to very big societal issues. Based off of my food choice, I can connect a societal issue that our country faces everyday. This is the issue of obesity. Agriculture subsides were put in place in order to reduce the cost of food so that the average citizen can obtain the energy that they need to live everyday. Like every other good thing in life, this can also have major consequences. By reducing costs of foods, such as McDonalds fast foods, people tend to consume more food because they are getting such good deals. This leads to over consumption, and eventually obesity. The next societal issue that we face from these poor food choices is environmental damage. Farmers tend to over farm, especially if they are not benefiting from these subsidies. Over farming can lead to damage caused on the land. This is a big issue, especially for long-term consequences.

A social norm that I feel influences my food choices is that by being in school, I don’t have the time to make a meal for myself all of the time.  This goes the same for when I am at work.  I would say that at least 60% of the food I eat is prepared by someone else.  Whether it be a restaurant or the cafeteria at my job, my food is usually made for me.  There is a variety or what is available to me, but I know that most of it is not the best for my health (or my wallet).  In addition, a second social norm would be the “I am young” ideology, meaning that since I am so young I can basically eat anything and not worry about it.  For a while this seemed true, but I believe it is catching up to me, slowly but surely (and sadly).

As I said in my first paragraph, a significant amount of the food I consume is prepared for me.  In most of these cases, I am willing to bet that the food I am eating is genetically modified in some way.  For example, the beef on my burger from say Burger King, is probably from a cow that has been either bred to produce the most beef or is feed a special diet to make it produce more beef.  Even the lettuce on my burger is probably from a head of lettuce that has been modified to fight against pests that may want to eat it in the fields.  Genetically modified food may be controversial, but it does help to keep a sustainable food supply going for us.  The downside of eating out and genetically modified foods are the societal issues.  Eating out often can cause unwanted health issues, it is expensive, and it is widely believed that Genetically Modified foods can harm us as well.

A social norm that I have experienced is saving money, especially when you are a student. This means buying cheap food. A lot of cheap food is usually not the best for you and is usually found at fast food restaurants. Everybody says they lived off Cup of Noodles when they were in college and it is considered normal to follow an non nutritional diet. Since fast food restaurants are readily available and usually open 24/7 then it makes it easier for people to choose that option. Also when you are a student you usually do not have the time or energy to make a healthy meal from scratch everyday so the cheap fast food becomes very appealing and usually tastes good.

Cheap food is linked to mass produced homogenous crops. It is cheaper to produce industrialized crops that all have the same gene code, therefore, people eat at the cheap price they want. However, when there is little biodiversity there is a higher chance that a disease can wipe out most or all of the yield. A severe decrease in yield can cause a famine. It is interesting because the reason for monoculture industrialized crops is to decrease starvation and make food more accessible while at the same time risking to cause a famine. Also industrialized crops tend to be higher in sugar and fructose which means that cheaper food tends to be less healthy for you. So as long as people keep demanding cheap food we are going to keep growing homogenous crops that are not providing the nutrition we need.

This assignment really made me think about what I eat in my daily life.  I’ve never really looked at my eating habits before and didn’t think they were unusual.  When I broke it down, I realized that I eat meat with almost every meal.  It is usually eggs in the morning, lunchmeat in the afternoon, and some type of meat for dinner.  A lot of my dinners are predominately meat because in my mind it’s the focus.  A meal doesn’t feel complete without some type of meat.  I think this social norm came from my family.  I grew up in a family that ate some type of meat with almost every meal.  My friends and extended family were the same way. I think this type of eating is normal for many Americans.  We’re relatively affluent compared to the rest of the world and this affluence shows up in our diets.  Eating a lot of meat is definitely a social norm in this country.  We can see this norm in the way vegetarians are treated.

My food choice is definitely bad for the environment.  Eating a lot of meat has a large impact on our resource usage and is a contributing factor to global warming.  The first issue posed by eating meat is sustainability.  It’s not sustainable for everyone on the planet to have the same diet as me.  As incomes rise, people will buy more meat and worsen the problem.  Eating meat is not sustainable because of the inputs it takes to raise livestock.  They need to be fed with food that could otherwise be for human consumption.  The caloric intake of an animal does not equal the calories we get when they’re consumed. This means that calories, which took resources to grow are wasted.  The second societal issue posed by a meat-centric diet is obesity.  We all know that Americans have an obesity problem and our diets are a major factor.  Meat has high levels of fat and we would be healthier by incorporating more plants into our diets.

1. Growing up in an Italian family, food is something that we bond over and take very seriously. For generations, my family has owned a chain of butchers markets and meat has always been on the menu for basically every meal. However, after being influenced by a vegan activist on Instagram named Dom Thompson I decided to give the no animal products thing a try. His account showed how badly some of the animals were treated and was about how animal products are linked to negative effects on the human body. He called his followers crazies and weirdos, explaining how that is how society sees vegans. When my grandparents found out, they were not happy about it because they didn’t want me straying from my roots. While I did enjoy the time period that was a vegan and did feel healthier, this was only a phase and didn’t last long. This is mainly because of the influence that my family has had on me growing up and because avoiding animal products made everyday life more difficult.

2. During this time period, I had a serious impact on societal issues. I have a big appetite and am constantly hungry. When people would offer me food and I declined, they would often ask why. When I told them that I was a vegan, they again asked why, and I was bringing up awareness about societal issues involved with consuming animal products. I would pull up Dom’s Instagram account and show them videos of the animals being tortured and read to them all of the negative effects meats and dairy have on your body, and I even got a few people on board with me who are still vegans today. What I did not know however was how the production of animal products places a heavy burden on the environment. The grain feed required for meat production contributes to deforestation. Feeding these animals uses a lot of water. Methane gas is used to produce meats. It is also just easier and healthier to obtain nutrients from a plant based diet.

3. Diagram

I have gone two years without having more than a tea and the very rare McFlurry (my weakness but only three in this time) from a fast food restaurant.  This is a significant decrease from my high school days when I would eat fast food a minimum of three times a month and my first two years of college where it was quick, easy, and cheaper than other options and would be up to half of my diet at times. This change came about for many reasons. The more I ate this food the worse my body felt. I was told by many friends the serious health problems I would cause if I did not reduce my intake and I realized that this food was not even close to the healthy food all my friends were eating.

Although I was not obese, I noticed weight gain as my fast food intake increased and a very large part of my diet was highly processed food. The change in diet was for my benefit as much as to resist what these restaurants are making our food market into. The food was very greasy and over all unhealthy due to the way it was made. This unhealthiness was leading to my weight gain because my calorie intake increased while my daily exercise not only did not increase but slightly decreased due to increase of studying.  The food I was eating was coming from highly industrialized farms. I make a point to go to local farmers markets for food, including ice cream, to support smaller farms in my area. The money I am not spending on fast food is not getting into the hands of large farmers. I know this is an almost unnoticeable change to these large companies but it is a more effective change to the small farms I work to support.

1. A few years ago my family took a two week trip to Italy. Most of the restaurants we visited offered various pasta options. The employees and people of the towns all recommended various pasta dishes which influenced my decision to choose pasta dishes. It seemed that everyone I met loved to talk about the various pastas available.All the pasta dishes I tried were delicious. As an american, I am used to incorporating pastas into my  diet a few times a week. However, I am also used to incorporation a variety of other foods into my diet as well. Pasta is considered a staple in Italian culture. Because of the social norm of eating pasta regularly , I felt somewhat pressured to eat more pasta than I normally would.I also found myself sampling different pasta dishes even when I was not hungry for the social benefits. Because I was on vacation, I felt that many people were encouraging me to eat more and try new things. It seemed acceptable to overeat in social situations.
2. My food choice to overindulge in pasta relates to the societal issue of obesity.Obesity is an issue in many wealthy parts of the world.People with access to large amounts of food tend to overindulge. Many people,including myself, tend to eat even when they are not hungry for the social aspect involved with food or sometimes simply out of boredom. This continued behavior leads to obesity which explains why i gained a significant amount of weight over my vacation.It is socially acceptable to overeat when you are doing so in a social situation such as at a party or on vacation. I believe the social norm should be to only eat what is necessary for your body to be satisfied.

Moving from one country to another does affect your lifestyle and therefore coming from India, my food choice changed drastically last year when I came here for college. Back home, we had lentils as a source of protein, much more organic food and many more vegetarian options to eat from. As described in the Healthy eating pyramid, it is better to consume animal-based foods less frequently than plant-based foods, that is what used to be my practice at home. I used to eat food prepared at home which consisted of fruits vegetables and protein through lentils, making my food choice full of proper nutrition and vegetarian on most of the days. Here at Penn State, I was influenced by the social norm of eating for low costs, at your convenience and having tasty meals. This made me give up the proper nutrition meal and instead I shifted to a diet which was more of animal-based products and unhealthy food which was easily available and was cheap. Therefore, the social norm of saving on money and seeing your convenience for food, made me gave up the healthy food choice and my main meals became mostly non-vegetarian including foods such as pizza, hamburgers, chicken tender paninis, and sometimes salads.

The societal issues connected with this convenient food choice is obesity, and sustainable food consumption. The video in the module shows how adversely a simple hamburger affects the environment. Beef based products which became a major component of my food choice, affects the sustainability of the environment not only through more water consumption for producing beef, but also in causing NO2 pollution (from cow dung and fertilizers) and affected my health as well. As this food choice contained high calorie foods due to the production of high calorie crops because of industrial agriculture, it contributed towards increasing the unhealthy level of the food choice. The food choice made me feel more lethargic, less active and because the food was so cheap and tasty, I craved more of it which resulted in me eating more than needed, making me gain weight. This is when I decided I need to check what I am eating and get back to a proper nutrition diet in order to avoid obesity. I believe, we should change the social norm of seeing short term benefits of saving money and convenience to looking at the long term benefits of eating healthy even though we might have to work a little extra for it.

At 5:30 a.m., I wake up, I work out, and I drink a whey protein shake with milk.  I cook an egg and a turkey burger around 8:00.  At 1:00, I grab a roast beef or tuna sandwich from a cafe.  At 6:00 p.m., I throw a chicken breast in the oven, and grab a yogurt while I wait.  My daily routine, and my roommate’s often looks very similar to this.  I have lived under the impression that as much protein I can intake as possible is healthy.  It wasn’t until I actually tracked what I ate that I realized the ridiculous amount of meat and dairy products I consume in a day.  The social norm I fall into is quite common on campus, especially with those who exercise often.  The impression that many students have is that the more protein in the form of meat and dairy, the better.  When it comes down to food choices, your body cannot properly use the protein unless you have a balance and consume a variety of vegetables.  When it is not used towards muscle growth and repair, it is stored as fat.

One societal issue that struck me was how much beef Americans eat, and the hidden effects of continuing this agricultural and consumer cycle of never-ending beef production.  With 8 times more land used towards feeding animals than humans, it is no wonder the greenhouse gas emissions of cows in America are higher than those of 22 million cars!  Yet, when most people think of emissions of gas like methane and nitrous oxide, they typically think of situations of burning fossil fuels through vehicles and factories- not livestock.  While health effects like heart disease and high blood pressure are more visible consequences of eating too much beef, the environmental consequences are massive.  Too many individuals concern themselves with the immediate benefits like a cheap meal, rather than understanding the larger, more important picture.