Thesis: Society’s emphasis on dieting and productivity has made food a daily hassle, rather than a form of self care.
American culture influences the idea of “dieting” as a way of healthy living. When in reality, dieting is just a construct that big companies have put out into society. Making Americans believe that you will lose weight, become healthier, and be stronger by following these rules. In reality there could be so many reasons why you look or feel the way you do. In the article The End of Food by Lizzie Widdicombe discusses the “revolutionary” product soylent. Including the man behind Soylent, Rob Rhinehart who realized that food was a burden in his life. He developed a nutritional drink that would give you all the nutrients you need to survive. The product is marketed to people who need more time in the day or want to live a healthier lifestyle. Consumers believe that this drink will solve all their hassles of dieting and preparing meals by putting it all in one bottle. Widdecombe quotes Rhinehart in her article and he says “You need amino acids and lipids, not milk itself…You need carbohydrates, not bread…it seems like a system that’s too complex and too expensive and too fragile.” (p.1) Rhinehart believes that you only need the essentials to “survive”. Which is ignoring the other important parts of eating a wholesome meal. However, everyone differs in what nutrients they need. Soylent is a one-size-fits-all approach to dieting which is unhealthy to put that idea into society. Thinking that ‘Oh if I drink this, all my problems with dieting will be solved!’ Our daily meals should be a time of taking a break from the day and fueling our bodies for the rest of the day.
Productivity is a major part of American culture, especially in college. Soylent was designed to boost productivity during the day by not needing breaks to eat. With soylent, one could drink it throughout the day and never get hungry. The product was influenced by its producer Rob Rhinehart. Widdecombe points out Rhineharts main selling point of productivity in the essay saying “As Rhinehart puts it, you ‘cruise’ through the day. If you’re in a groove at your computer, and feel a hunger pang, you don’t have to stop for lunch. Your energy levels stay consistent: ‘There’s no afternoon crash, no post-burrito coma.” (p.14) Having well balanced meals as a college student can be tough. Considering your main focus is being successful in school. Which requires one to be productive, but that can get in the way when it comes to meals. The thought of taking a break from work when you are in a time crunch is difficult. As a college student, soylent can be very appealing to me. Everyday I ask myself ‘Do I eat? Or do I study?’ Most of the time I choose to study because that’s what is more important to me at the moment. But most of the time I actually just need a break to recharge. Taking a moment to eat a meal with friends is one efficient way of self care. That allows you in the long run to be more productive. When I keep studying instead of taking a break to eat I always end up running out of energy and starving.
Meals should be considered a form of self care. Taking a break from school, work, and other requirements is important for your mental health. One way of doing this is making sure you eat three meals a day. It forces you to stop, recharge, and collect your thoughts before moving on with your day. Making sure you eat three meals a day allows you to catch up with family and friends. It can be as little as grabbing lunch with a friend or having a big gathering with loved ones. Personally, every Christmas my family has a big gathering full of food and desserts. One desert in particular my mom makes every year is “wacky cake”. It’s a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but it’s not your average chocolate cake. As I mentioned in my Favorite Meal Essay, “I put the corner of the cake in my mouth and the frosting melted as soon as it met my tongue. I was greeted with a sharp flavor of chocolate with a background of sugar. As I started to chew the cake was dense like a brownie, but airy like a cake.”
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