Impact
of Modernization on the Chinese diet
The continually improving technologies available
to the people of China today have had a direct impact upon nutrition.
New technologies in transportation, refrigeration and manufacturing,
play an especially important role. Now food can be stored and
transported more safely and for extended periods, which assists
in availability to the average Chinese consumer.
While an increase in incomes in recent years has led to better
nutrition for many in China, some affluent citizens are beginning
to demonstrate an inverse correlation between the wealth and wellness.
Instead of observing balance (hot and cold, activity and rest,
fan and cai) and simplicity, the greater population eating the
modern Chinese diet has incurred more health problems than before
they became industrialized. Obesity, in particular, is on the
rise because of the high caloric intake and the lack of activity
by the urbanized population. In response, government health officials
have implemented a ten-year program to increase nutrition education.
Traditionally, and as determined by necessity, the Chinese spend
the majority of their income on food. According to the China Now
magazine, “It seems that the ancient stress on frugality,
simplicity and balance is just as relevant now as it has ever
been.” For some urban, affluent families, this frugality
and emphasis on traditional staples has been replaced with a preference
for McDonalds. Fast food for some busy urban residents has become
not a simple treat for special occasions with the family but an
essential staple. China’s food habits continue to change
as globalization opens the doorway for foreign influences such
as fast food. These not-nutritious but popular alternatives to
the tradition are causing higher-risk and longer-term health problems
for the population. Overweight Chinese are generally from the
younger generation who struggle to observe the traditional concepts
of TCM and therefore are overweight and nutritionally imbalanced.
And an even newer wave/trend is reversion to the courser, more
natural products and foods. Higher annual incomes have shown an
increased demand for more fresh and whole ingredients, which,
with the new technology, are available for extended seasons. Organic
farming has become the newest fad that has liberated more than
2,000 companies nationwide to pursue “less conventional”
farming. “The concept of organic food was introduced to
China 14 years ago. It is defined as non-polluting, safe, high-quality
and nutritious. Xinhua did not mention whether pesticides are
used.” The newest string of restaurants harken to these
consumers: because not only do they revert back to the raw and
coarser macronutrients that are more nourishing, they promote
cost-effective savings for the Chinese farmer producing these
materials due to less processing and fewer pesticides/chemicals
and treatment. As a result, nutritionally, Western nutrient studies
have found very few deficiencies in the diets of the Chinese population,
rural or urban. For additional information, see http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/china100804.cfm
|
|
