Food Fight In America, you would be hard pressed to find a city that doesn't support at least one McDonald's, a Burger King, or a Wendy's. Pizzerias are a necessity in college towns. The ice cream parlors are bustling with customers of all ages after dark. Hey, who ever heard of a movie without popcorn? The growing visibility and importance of food in our culture has been a phenomenon. Food was born as a necessity of life. It was the source of energy, which allowed the body to grow and thrive and survive hunters and gatherers. In modern times, the role of food in everyday life has taken on a life of its own, from blue ribbons that please the palate and tickle the taste buds to political statements drawn in chocolate to social drinking. The resulting uses are as diverse as the different foods it comprises and as inseparable from a person's daily life as breathing. How has something as simple as energy intake become such a large and diverse part of everyday life? Food as a family affair is largely determined by the family's lifestyle; on the contrary, knowing a family's eating patterns says a lot about their lifestyle. Sitcoms portray meals as a pleasant occasion for the family to sit together to enjoy freshly baked savory foods, which the loving wife has been taking care of for the past two hours. Then reality sets in. The growing popularity of TV dinners, gourmet microwave meals and pre-packaged snacks caters to a family that doesn't have time for such luxury. Why cook when you can heat up a frozen teriyaki beef entrée or homemade apple pie in just four minutes? As the tendency for both spouses to be employed full-time has increased from 33% of families in 1972 to 67% in 1998, according to national data... half of the document... the heir lives first they can begin to outgrow the problems that resulted. As food has become more available, society has found new ways to play with it, creating brand loyalty, hobbies, programming, and food cults. Before embracing these food innovations, however, people must first establish, as a culture, the terms of their new relationship with food. Only then can we both enjoy the delights of cooking without destroying our health and self-image in the process. Sources Citedfoodies.comforfoodies.com Fast Food Nation by Eric Schossler (2001) “Body Image Statistics” womensissues.about.com/cs/bodyimage /a/bodyimagestats.htm“Fact Sheet on Overweight and Obesity” www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics /obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm“The Emerging 21st Century” cloud9.norc.uchicago.edu/dlib/sc-42.htm.