“You should eat something healthy.”
That is what my coworker (with whom I have a great relationship) interjected when I paused in my sentence while adjusting my scarf. “I was going to get a candy bar, but-”
“Yeah, you should eat something healthy.”
What I was going to say next was that I was only mouth hungry and would save my treat for later. His evaluation of my chosen treat as unhealthy did not escape my attention.
“There’s nothing wrong with a candy bar,” I replied, I am sure failing to hide the prickliness I felt.
At this point, he said something else to the effect of his first statement–in a friendly way, I must add.
“There’s nothing wrong with a candy bar,” I repeated. He clammed up. Then to save our relationship, I explained what I had wanted to say in the first place. That was the end of that.
This brief exchange brought one of my concerns about the U.S.* mentality on food and exercise to the front of my thoughts. Why do we assume that an indulgence is a negative thing—that a candy bar can’t be part of a healthy lifestyle?
In a comparative study on food mentality (I think I read this in In Defense of Food), people from France and the United States were asked to give word associations for “chocolate cake.” The most common French answer was “celebration.” The most common U.S. association was “guilt.”
Is it any surprise that my coworker labeled a candy bar forbidden rather than exciting? Until very recently, I would have too. I used to call days when I avoided sweets entirely “good” and those when I overindulged in them “bad.”
I was the kind of person who ate dressingless salads during the day and then splurged on two Weight Watchers ‘ice cream’ bars at night. I never allowed myself the real thing, like, say, Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, which is what I really wanted to eat. But I didn’t feel I could allow myself. Being an extremist somehow felt safe, even if it meant lessening my enjoyment or nourishment, eating tasteless or additive-stocked ‘food.’
“Good” and “bad”: really, they have no place in my pantry—or my body. After much struggle, I have banished critical judgments from my kitchen, instead embracing the relative judgments of “too much,” “too little,” and “just right.” Call it the Goldilocks approach to wellness.
What did I end up getting at the corner store? A Snickers Almond bar to eat when I actually did get hungry for a treat. Let me tell you, it was delicious. I think I’m going to try the new Snickers Fudge next time.
Incidentally, Dima and I will be moving to the land of “chocolate cake celebration” in January so that he can spend a semester abroad. Despite my nerves regarding the transition, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to immerse myself in a society with values—at least where health is concerned—more closely aligned with my own. I hear the yogurt selection in French supermarkets is mind blowing.
*I have ceased using the term “American” to refer to citizens of the United States after listening to a talk on history textbooks. There is a growing movement to reevaluate the term “American,” which really refers to people from Chile through Canada and not just the United States.
Tweets that mention “You should eat something healthy.” - Collards and $ense -- Topsy.com
November 13th, 2009 at 9:19 am #
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Pollan News, Health Maintainer. Health Maintainer said: “You should eat something healthy.” – Collards and $ense http://bit.ly/4fUP6K [...]
Brie
November 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am #
Yay for you. Candy bars are just necessary sometimes…as well as chocolate cake. You would love my friend Raphaelle, who lives in France and visits Paris often. She is a cake lovah to the core. Anyway, congrats on France. I will be visiting, whether you like it or not.
admin
November 14th, 2009 at 9:25 pm #
Thank you, Brie! Ooh, I get to eat Brie with Brie
Brie
November 15th, 2009 at 9:39 am #
this is true. will is help if wear a beret as well?