Americans can learn to curb obesity by eating real food, like Chinese students do

Last year when I was browsing the latest fashion with my friends at Destiny USA, dazzled by the nation of plenty for the first time shortly after coming to Syracuse, an old lady turned to me in the dress jungle and asked: “Why you Chinese girls are always so slim?” I was a little startled by her greeting, which is much less common than a typical American smile, but still felt somewhat complacent when I replied, “Because we eat Chinese food!”

After one year of experiencing life in this country, I realize the thing I was complacent about before could be a panacea for many food-borne chronic diseases in the United States, which lead to a tremendous social cost as well as people’s sufferings both physically and mentally. Food-related deaths are far too common in this country.

Obesity, an epidemic caused by unhealthy food choices, now affects one in three Americans and costs the United States $150 billion a year, according to the New York City Health Commissioner, Thomas Farley. Ironically, it is considered to be economically rational for a consumer when less money is invested to get more calories, which might justify hundreds of people lining up for sodas at the Carrier Dome during football season with mountains of disposable cups accumulated afterwards. Since 1995, $16.8 billion in federal farm subsidies goes toward corn- and soy-based additives found in most processed foods, which has made oranges and apples less affordable than Pepsi and Twinkies.

I am not trying to move Chinese food to the top of your diet plan, but just wondering if the traditional philosophy embedded in Chinese or much broader Asian food culture could contribute to changing the current, unsustainable food system in the U.S. Food is a direct connection between humans and Mother Nature. People should keep it away from intricate artificial process as far as possible, which is energy-dense as well as eco-detrimental.

So my real answer to the lady should have been, “Yes, because we eat real food.”

Enyu Cao

Graduate student

Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management

SUNY-ESF