On Eating: A Brief Investigation

Source of Energy

Of course we eat mostly because we need the required energy to go through the day. But that’s only one reason human eats.

In this modern age, most of the population feed on sugar for different reasons. Carbohydrates are easy to get; they are cheap. You can find different varieties of them in any supermarket. They provide a good amount of energy in quite a small piece. But, the fuel seems to burn quickly. Before you know it, you are consuming your second bar of chocolate. Is it because the first bar wasn’t enough fuel? Or you just fancy some more carbohydrates?

Foods as Hobbies

One needs to think of foods as a means of survival, even though they have changed most of their characteristics through a very, very long time. Who are to blame? Cooks? We learnt to cook our meals probably between one million and half a million years ago. That could be the beginning of a new age: cookery.

Cookery is now an art, a craft. Its function changed from preparing foods to making delicious sources of energy for the human. So, foods could be a form of enjoyment in this age. You could test that with different people. Give a child a tasteless meal, and they will probably spit it out if not cry. Why is that we don’t like to eat things that are lacking any good sense of flavour? Do we eat solely for joy? (That arises another question though: the function of flavour.) I cannot imagine a homo-erectus smelling his bloody haunt, and thinking, “Bad, bad smell! Cannot eat!”

Eating as a Joyful Activity

Couples go on “dinner dates.” Yes, it is nice to eat with loved ones, especially beloved ones. Why do we enjoy a delicious meal with someone? Is it the meal we enjoy, or their company? Why do couples, for example, happily arrange a date for eating ice-cream? What will happen if we take away the causation of their feeling-good-together? Will they part? Maybe, if eating would be their only sparks.

Some people find joy in travelling around the world with only one purpose in their mind: eating. What can one learn from eating foods from different cultures? Can one learn about cultures from foods?

One would taste an old wine, or a creamy cheese, and go, “Hmm, delicious!” The experience of the flavour flies away after some little time, but the memory might remain.

To Shush the Mind

I bet you have eaten in not too long ago to silence your mind. They call it “emotional eating.” Now imagine you are fasting, and for whatever reason you need to eat (emotionally). I assume, you are more likely to break your fast with the wrong foods. Is it because emotions are difficult to deal with? Or is it because you are not strong enough to understand them? Or maybe emotions intend to harm you? Honestly, I don’t know. Though, I’d like to investigate it.

Stomach as a Rubbish Bin

I once worked in a place where they offered us lunch in simple packaging. One package was an individual’s proportion. However, additional food could be found if someone wanted some extra food. We would all gather at a table at lunchtime, and eat together. Sometimes a colleague of mine would grab extra food. Sometimes he would grab other people’s leftovers also. By observing him, my eyes were opened to this mysterious phenomenon that occasionally humans treat their stomachs as if they are rubbish bin.

Perhaps some of us cannot treat our stomach kindly. That’s why obesity is the most serious disease in the world. The majority of people will never learn to stop overeating. They will never learn eating healthy. One can blame media and advertisements, but I’d prefer to blame human’s mental strength, because it is not easy to influence a monster, and by “monster” I mean mentally powerful which the majority of people are not. So, maybe the problem is not rooted in eating habits, but in mental functioning. To investigate that a bit more, I’d like to invite you to take a look at the majority of people: what do they do for a living? how much do they earn a month? what is their speciality? While answering those questions, keep in mind that the average IQ is between 90 and 110.

Everyone blames media in this “modern age,” probably because taking responsibility for one’s own actions and/or thoughts is a difficult task. I should admire media for their manipulative work, and smile at the arrogance of those who let media influence them.

Diet as a Religion

Last time I checked there were only a handful of major religions practised globally, now diets are added to the list.

A lot of arrogant vegans try to spread their naive ideology through weak reasoning. They believe their diet is the healthiest diet, and it’s the best for animals and the planet. The same people get offended by seeing a carnivore, and even try to offend. And that reminds me of typical arguments, for example, between radical Christians and atheists.

No one really cares what one practises as a religion, the same applies to one’s diet. One would be bored enough to react to someone’s religion or diet, and boredom is another disease that is wasting the most time in the globe.