I want to focus my blog in on how being healthy is viewed and acted upon differently in my home in Texas versus my new home here in France. What does a well-rounded meal look like in Texas compared to France and is there a large overlap? Has global industrialization led to sedentary lifestyles in both locations? By observing locals and interviewing people back home I hope to collect information to better answer those questions. My underlying theme is if there’s truly a large disparity between cultures that causes a different definition of health; America to be consumerist based and France relying on necessity. And now I’d like to invite you to take a moment and prepare yourself for many french sayings. Alors (Ok then):
The Moderation Way of Life
Being a full-time student as well as wanting to travel every possible occasion I’ve had to “mettre de’leau dans son vin”- put some water into my wine. I am given many opportunities where I can make a choice and sometimes that means doing something I don’t necessarily want to do for my better wellbeing. Pouring water into my wine so I can stay clear headed (I usually just drink water separately, but hey the metaphor is useful here). The French have endless amounts of idoms both food and non-food related that discuss the importance of moderation and not forgetting about future effects of current actions. In The Story of the Human Body it is discussed that “we take pleasure in potentially harmful things because they enhance our now more than what we judge to be their eventual costs or risks” (Lieberman 2013). Another idiom that goes hand in hand with the aforementioned is “traîner des casseroles”, which means bearing the weight of a past mistake (an ugly hangover following your wine without water). These sayings relate to the French approach to diet as well as walking on a day-to-day basis.
Industrialization’s Impact on Health
Large corporations that Americans gravitate towards often advertise an opposite ideology of extremities such as NIKE’s “Just Do It” or Wheaties long-held slogan “Breakfast of Champions”. This socialization on a large scale can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution that occurred on a global scale over a hundred years ago. The Industrialization boom was more of a wave through France due to it being largely idiosyncratic, it drove constructions of more railroads and increased revenue in regional economies and slowly eradicated many mom and pop businesses just as it had everywhere else; however, “small industry in France was more secure than in other places because the special value of French luxury goods on the world market ensured a continuation of some highly skilled artisanal laborers.” (Maynes 1995) In stark contrast, America underwent a much harsher transformation most likely due to its lack of history it was shifted almost completely into an industrial lifestyle with population in cities quickly outgrowing agricultural areas. Technological innovation drove a hierarchy of companies.
“Big Food”
“Big Food”- just a few companies owning a collection of others
The above chart was created by Phil Howard, an associate professor in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University. It illustrates how deceiving marketing can be, “Coca-Cola owns Honest Tea and Odwalla, and Pepsi owns Naked Juice. All “organic” and “natural” companies.” (Trauth 2013) This deception in the food industry extends into marketing convenience- my demographic especially (college students) face the annoyance of often putting on weight and experiencing a decline in immune system functionality when going to college due to relying almost completely on the food supplied by the companies above.
Alternate Views of Time/Food Cont.
There’s a phrase in french that goes- “manger sur le pouce”, it directly translates to eat quickly or to grab a quick bite to eat. This is something I’ve heard jokingly mentioned in conversations and upon asking what is so humorous about grabbing a quick bite to eat I was met with an explanation about how silly it was to do this in day-to-day life when you do have the time to eat slowly. Speaking with a French friend I made here he said something that really resonated with me, “We have something very precious here, we have time. Time to live.” Angers especially being a small town, moving at a slower pace is not seen as wasting time but fulfilling time with value. “Quality of food has become not just a question of lifestyles, but a hot political issue as well. The French have long complained of the creeping advance of “la mal-bouffe americaine” (“lousy American-style eats”)” (Bess 2003) Low blow, France… I have to agree with their sentiment, but let me say they have traditionally held high sugar foods that are not American influenced. Granted, they consume them in moderation that is very difficult when it comes to macarons and crepes.
macarons
chocolate & banana crepe
Exercising Attitudes and the Start of my Investigation
When it comes to activity levels I have not been convinced that the French way of life is completely superior, walking tends to be the sole means of exercising and although that is no doubt extremely beneficial and necessary to stay healthy, is it enough? I plan on conducting an observatory as well as scientific study that measures how working out doing activities such as- jogging, yoga, weight-lifting and strength training are viewed. Back home I had the internal drive to jog 2-3 times a week if not more as well as attend fitness classes, but here I have not encountered fitness studios or the real desire to pick up my former lifestyle. I do still occasionally go on a jog.
taking a quick pit-stop during one of my night jogs
I have been sedentary: tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive, in both Texas and France but I’ve experienced a very real difference due to my inactiveness in America was often a result of feeling overworked, consuming excess sugars, and stress. Here in France, I spend stretches of time seated (outside instead of inside) because I really just want to, it’s a choice I make and not a constant nagging need to sit.
relaxing by the Loire with a hot chocolate
It ultimately comes down to the values of a society, “culture is essentially what people learn, and so culture evolves. Yet a crucial difference between cultural and biological evolution is that culture doesn’t change solely through chance but also through intention” (Lieberman 2013) As an American, I have been cultured to be productive in furthering myself but the actions I take to do so often hurt me more in the long run (eating fast food causing me to be tired and less likely to get stuff done I anticipated on doing). Now I am developing my hypothesis to collect data on the impact of culture differences on health.
à tout à l’heure (see you soon)
Sources Cited:
Maynes, Mary Jo. Taking the Hard Road. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1995.
Bess, Michael. The Light-green Society: Ecology and Technological Modernity in France, 1960-2000. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2003. Print.
Trauth, Erin. “Guess Which Big Food Companies Own Your Favorite Organic Products?” One Green Planet. One Green Planet LLC 2015.
Lieberman, Daniel. The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
“Culture of French Food.” LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Dusoulier, Clotilde, and Mélina Josserand. Edible French: Tasty Expressions and Cultural Bites. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Smithsonian. “The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900).” National Museum of American History, n.d. Web.