As we have seen everyone thinks that they are healthy. But if we ask specific questions like - did you eat 5-9 fruits and vegetables in the past 24 hours - the answer is often no. Which means that according to the CDC they are not healthy eaters.
Not surprisingly what we consider to be healthy eating varies by generation.
Boomers define eating healthy as - smaller portion sizes, real ingredients, high fiber, low sugar and sodium content.
Gen X thinks "all natural" and organic claims are most important.
Millennials worry about GMOs and are interested in gluten-free options.
While Gen Z is most interested in "eating clean." (Sloan, 2019)
I don't even know what that means.
So what do you think? What does eating healthy mean to you and why? If you avoid GMOs, favor gluten-free or "eat clean" please explain what behavior that entails and why you believe it constitutes eating healthy.
Also please note how you arrived at that conclusion. Where did your data come from?
Sloan, A. (2019, July 1) Demographic Disrupters. ift.org. Retrieved May 8, 2020, from https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2019/july/features/food-purchasing-and-consumption-generalization-preferences
4 comments:
Eating healthy for me means smaller portions and frequent eating throughout the day. I don't always have time to follow this but when I do I try to eat a small homemade lunch and dinner and have snacks including fruits throughout the day. I don't avoid GMOs, favor gluten-free or "eat clean", I just try to have balanced meals such as protein, vegetables, and a few carbs such as rice.
As someone growing up with very little, I am not a picky eater, so I certainly have no idea how gluten-free or "eat clean" would help a healthy eater. But some friends of mine are vegetarians, so I did some data research on vegan/vegetarian diets. And surprisingly, only 6% assume vegan diets are unhealthy but only 31% people think vegetarian diets are very healthy. I believe vegetarianism is more beneficial since people can still obtain specific nutrition and protein from eggs and milk. However, it also really depends on how the eater feels; certain lifestyles might fit some people more than others.
My perspective/definition of "eating healthy" is small portions, great ingredients, and low sugar and sodium content, exactly like how boomers define it...Another data on Statista that I found interesting is that 29% have made an effort to consume smaller portions last year. I think the rest 71% either don't consider small portions as a healthy diet option or didn't put effort into it, and I am one of them who couldn't control my appetite.
US Eating Behavior-https://www.statista.com/topics/1558/eating-behavior/
Eating healthy is different for everyone because we have different metabolisms and daily routines. A vegetarian that eats cheese pizza is not following a "healthy diet" as much as their meat-eating counterpart. Similarly, one might ask how is the health of a vegetarian who does not exercise vs. someone who eats fish and regularly exercises? I think eating healthy is a balanced lifestyle that makes your body feel good, this food includes macronutrients, micronutrients and essential vitamins.
According to the Oxford vegetarian study, people who eat fish had lower risks for certain cancer compared to vegetarians. Research also suggests that plant-based diets have a lower BMI and can reduce the risk of Type II diabetes, and heart diseases.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian
In conclusion, I believe it is best to listen to your body, incorporate a lot of vegetables and fruits to your diet, and avoid trans fats, limit sodium, and simple sugar.
Although the terminology is differing between each generation, I believe the continuous through line is an emphasis on whole foods. Whole Foods are foods that are not processed or minimally refined. Whole Foods are not Pop Tarts, sugary cereals, donuts and pasta as they contain high levels of sugar and carbs. If an individual consumes a diet of these foods, it is likely they will develop negative health symptoms.
To me, eating healthy means consuming a majority of whole foods. Moreover, I believe my belief in eating whole foods comes from years of conditioning, learning about health, taking courses about nutrition and also living in a household that prioritized such foods.
Moreover, Aaron E. Carroll cautions that naming certain foods “taboo” can create a culture of fear. “Being afraid of food with no real reason is unscientific - part of the dangerous trend of anti-intellectualism that we confront in many places today.” Moreover, I believe that credible resources and educating oneself about health, diseases and the correlation between the two will create a more effective foundation of truth.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/opinion/sunday/relax-you-dont-need-to-eat-clean.html
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