I thought that the poster presentation on the artificial corn syrup/natural sugar debate was a wonderfully dense and informative one, and I couldn't help but notice some similarities with the one that preceded it. Body issues, the idea of beauty as a whole, is a matter of perception, and it is my claim that in America, these two ideals are interchangeable. Health IS beauty. One focuses on health because one wants to be more attractive, thinner, with a more glowing complexion. We don't really care about how healthy we are. In fact, many women (myself included) envy thin women who can eat whatever they want. The image of a size 2 eating a cookie is infuriating to many! And it is because we want to look like her AND eat like her! Ideally, we would look great and eat shit because health for health's sake has nothing to do with it. Good health is the most effective and efficient rode to beauty. So, with that, comes the stylishness, the fashion forward way to eat; no more artificial corn syrup! I couldn't help but feel bad for the McDonald's chicken nuggets box that was sitting in the middle of a table it work. Its paper lid proudly proclaimed, "No trans fats!" How passe! Artificial corn syrup awareness is the new black, and those worried about their trans fats are as out as bellbottoms and peace sign medallions. And before that was "fat free." But what about the good fats! We know about those now! They make you beautiful! So of course, this won't work. Eating healthy because you want to be thin won't last. As soon as you're thin you'll eat all of the fast food in the world. If you're going to be healthy, you should actually care about health. Then maybe the debate over these sweeteners would actually get somewhere. It's not just about calories, it's about life expectancy. So, are nose jobs for bat mitzvahs equal to a "no artificial corn syrup" label used to sell a product? I think they could be when they become normalized. When we know that it may be a marketing scheme and we purchase the product anyway, when a rabbi is desensitized to having part of a Jewish girl's face cut off as a present to her. And as far as I can see, there is no way to solve this. Body issues will always exist if dress size is valued over blood-pressure. It was before, it is now, and it will be later.
Also, please not that I use the term "Madelyne Riley effect" as ironically as possible. I did not cause anything. This is no effect of mine. I just like to hear my name out loud.
I totally think that there is a hipster element to the "no high fructose corn syrup" trend. The foods movement has always promoted itself in this way and I think that looking at WHO is shopping at places like The Wedge and what they look like is definitely important.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the reason the foods movement gets away with eliding the connection you are talking about is that people sometimes see cosmetic surgery as "unnatural," while the promotion of 'organics' or 'natural food' is precisely the opposite! They definitely accomplish the same kind of worth though -- it always lets us know who is rich and who is hip.