Globalization And Children's Diets: The Case Of Maya Of Mexico And Central America

Guatemala is often recognized in three stages, Mayan Empire, Spanish rule and last but not least the Modern Republic. Every single one of the stages have had a great influence on the food in Guatemala. The ancient civilization of the Mayan lasted for over six – hundred years before it collapsed in 900 A.D. Usually Spanish dishes like tamales, enchiladas, Guacamole, and tortillas consist of the Guatemalan diet. Guatemala doesn’t have a national dish but there are many dishes that have become more of an everyday dish. Over many years tourism, exports of textiles nontraditional agriculture, such as vegetables that don’t produce very well in the winter time and cut flowers have been greatly purchased, and apparel to continue to represent the exports market. Approximately 13.4% of the children age 7 to 14 are working 68% work in agricultural based things, 13% in the industrial based things, and 18% involved in the services

The Pimas used to eat these types of foods. However, in the late nineteenth century everything changed. In the article “Obesity and Diabetes” by Lorraine H. Marchland, Marchland discusses the work of Dr. Eric Ravussin. Ravussin has been studying the Pimas for almost two decades. According to Ravussin, American farmers diverted the water supply of the Pimas, and they could no longer grow their crops (Marchland 1). It was a terrible time for the Pimas. They suffered from starvation and poverty. They were malnourished and instead of their healthy diet, they began to eat U.S. government rations that consisted of high quantities of sugar, lard and white flour (Marchland 1). The rough times subsided for the Pimas during the WWII era, and they were able to rebuild their waterways. They were able to farm again and famine was no longer an issue, but western diet became part of their lifestyle. “The Pimas went from eating a diet high in starch and fiber with only 15% fat, to eating a diet that consisted of 40% fat”(Marchland 2). This change in diet is the reason that the majority of Pimas are overweight. A direct link between obesity and diabetes has been found, and this seems to be the number one problem for the Pimas (DeMouy 1).

Journalist and novelist Michael Pollan writes about the trials and tribulations surrounding food in North America and raises questions regarding Western diet, which is mostly comprised of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup and corn in general. He reiterates that chemically generated food is creating disease in North Americans; If we eliminate these factors and adopt the eating habits of less industrialized places in the world will we in our lifetime see rates of heart disease, type two diabetes and obesity decline dramatically? The western diet has evolved drastically in the last sixty years, so much so that people have become codependent on the government, dietitians and food agencies regarding their health and what to consume. The land is suffering from pesticides and singular plant farming, the alternative to this is to buy organic but at a higher price. Media has influenced the consumer to read the label and accept and trust the daily vitamin percentages on the box, as this is what is best for them. Money is the key factor in all of this and the government, scientific research and media know that, therefor the public is in for a shock when they realize that the very labels that are supposed to save them have fooled them.

As populations become more urban and incomes rise, diets high in sugar, fat and animal products replace more traditional diets that were high in complex carbohydrates and fibre. Ethnic cuisine and unique traditional food habits are being replaced by westernized fast foods, soft drinks and increased meat consumption (Drewnowski, 2000). Homogenization and westernization of the global diet has increased the energy density and this is particularly a problem for the poor in all

In Raj Patel’s novel Stuffed and Starved, Patel goes through every aspect of the food production process by taking the experiences of all the people involved in food production from around the world. Patel concludes by eventually blaming both big corporations and governments for their critical role in undermining local, cultural, and sustainable foodways and in so doing causing the key food-related problems of today such as starvation and obesity. In this book of facts and serious crime, Patel's Stuffed and Starved is a general but available analysis of global food struggles that has a goal of enlightening and motivating the general Western public that there is something critically wrong with our food system.

The Deadly Migias cooking program is enabling the Indigenous women to not only develop healthier lifestyles, it is changing their perspectives and attitudes of nutrition. According to Brimblecombe (2014 pp.392) traditionally knowledge about food is passed from adults to children in their community. Children grow up learning from their families and the strong influence of the family environment. Through these relationships they were able to develop their knowledge on food, food preferences and eating, and this was generally the role of the mother and grandmother in the family. The Deadly Migias cooking program the women are able to become confident again in their knowledge of these “new foods” and once again be able to take this information

Whenever people bite into some food, they often forget how far that food has travelled to get to them. Each ingredient has its own story, some better than others. By tracking just two days of my food consumption I learned a lot about myself and my food. It is easy to forget, or not care about where our food comes nowadays and how we impact where that food comes from with our demands. Foods from different regions carry with them different sociological, economical and environmental impact; sometimes, outweighing the value of the food.

Johnson describe the link between Mexico and food insecurity as families immigrate to the United states. The article describes Mexican -Immigrant families who run a higher risk of having hunger at school and at their homes. the families lack resources, education, and proper access to food markets that can help them cope with hunger. Hunger is present in the children of the Mexican immigrant families and puts at high risk the development of children and their future. According to” Sharkey, Dean, and Johnson (2011) “Younger children of Mexican-immigrant families have a greater risk for hunger and household food insecurity”

Hispanic Americans have a strong tie to their culture and display it in their cuisine. Rice and beans are staples to la familia, together they provide a complete protein, and are inexpensive. Spicy peppers and hot sauce provide antibacterial and digestive health qualities that were imperative to provide healthy meals in Mexico because the water supply isn’t guaranteed to be safe for drinking. Historically, many tomato products were introduced to the United States by Mexico, including burritos, tacos, other Mexican cuisine and even ketchup (Sowell, 1981).

More and more health-conscious individuals are scrutinizing the source of the food their family consumes. However, even the most conscientious consumer is not fully aware of the exhaustive efforts and struggle to get a juicy, ripe strawberry or that plump tomato in the middle of winter, even in Florida. These foods are harvested and picked mostly by seasonal and migrant farm workers. Migrant workers hail, in large part, from Mexico and the Caribbean, and their families often travel with them. Migrant farm workers must endure challenging conditions so that Americans can have the beautiful selection of berries, tomatoes, and other fresh foods often found at places like a farmer’s market or a traditional super market. Seasonal and

Food did not originate from every continent; some food had to be imported because some regions could not grow food as they did not develop agriculture. Diamond formulates this into a question about food origination and when it arose on certain continents (94). It is also stated that there are many global inequalities that Diamond calls the HAVES and HAVES–NOTS. This leads readers to think about Yali’s question regarding New Guiana. Many people had farm power and many did not until several years later or did not have farm power at all because of the environmental and ecological issues in that society like climate. This leads to an issue Diamond calls “to farm or not to farm.” This also raises another question about food production and why

“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” -Mary Poppins. Sugar and many other unhealthy foods are very common for children to eat these days, even though they can harm them in many ways. Hence, I believe that children’s diets should be regulated because aside from helping the medicine go down, sugar and unhealthy foods can cause serious health problems, whereas healthy diets can better one’s lifestyle.

During the first week of class, four readings were assigned. One of the readings, “Food and Eating: Some Persisting Questions,” by Sidney Mintz, discusses the paradoxes of food. Although food seems like a straightforward concept, it is actually extremely complicated. According to Mintz, there are five paradoxes, including: the importance of food to one’s survival, yet we take it for granted, how people stick to their foodways, but are willing to change, whether the government should allow people to freely choose food or if they should protect the people through regulations, the difference in food meanings according to gender, and the morality of eating certain foods. All of these paradoxes give people questions to think about, making this an extremely philosophical look at food studies. It also mentions that food must be viewed through the cultural context that it is in, which became important in “The Old and New World Exchange”, by Mintz, and “Maize as a Culinary Mystery”, by Stanley Brandes. These discuss the diffusion of foods after 1492 in different ways. The Mintz reading gives an overview of all of the foods spread from the Americas to the Old World, and vice-a-versa, but does not go terribly in depth on the social changes and effects of specific foods. Brandes focuses on the cultural impact of specifically maize on the European diet, noticing that most Western Europeans shunned it. He studies the cultural implications of this, concluding that maize was not accepted

While globalization is a relatively new phenomenon in theory, but not necessarily in history, as of 2009 it has created transnational corporations linked to government, international economic institutions, and non-government organizations. (Steger 67). With this definition bananas are a textbook example of the globalization of tropical fruit commodities. The transnational corporations of the United States, most notably Chiquita, Dole and Del Monte, have been linked to the governments of Latin and South America, the World Trade Organization, and the “organic” fruit movement. By tracing the path from banana plantations to supermarket it becomes clear how the “morals” of capitalism have permeated

To say that globalization has affected the lives of children and youth around the world would be an understatement. But with the growth over the years from globalization, many pros and cons have come out of it. The forthcoming of globalization has done wonders to developed countries, but not so much for underdeveloped countries. This is why I stand on a thin line between if it has improved the lives plenty, or not quite enough.