In 2011, Organic Produce and Health Foods were the fastest growing food sector in North America. The industry grew by 9.5% to a total turn over of $31.5 billion dollars in sales, $29.22 bil of the sum in food and beverage goods. [1]
The industry has grown exponentially since the establishment of the first Whole Foods store in 1995, the company now listing on the Top 500 Forbes list since 2005. Just last month, the largest supplier to Whole Foods, Hain Celestial, hit a value of $3.5 billion dollars having been purchased for $25 million in January of this year. [2]
We are not dealing with small change here. So why is Clean Eating sweeping the nation like it's going out of fashion? Are we cleansing our bodies or our bank accounts?
Over the past five years, clean eating has grown into a global phenomenon. Juice cleanses, detox kits, organic produce and the likes have been providing 'miraculous' solutions to the middle class, tertiary educated Caucasians [3] shopping their way to better skin, leaner bodies and longer lives.
So why does nobody mind that the products are on average 30% more expensive [4] despite the lack of evidence that they are any more beneficial for their health?
Behold, the power of the consumer!
It's important to note at this point that there is scientifically no such thing as clean or dirty foods.
According to fitness expert JC Deen's article, 'Clean Eating is a Scam and Why You Should Abandon It, [5] there is huge emphasis on what foods people perceive to be clean (good) and dirty (evil). Despite the basic physical understanding of energy in = energy out, the problem lies in a dieter experiencing inner turmoil over eating a slice of pizza (cheese, floury base, sauces etc.) but having no qualms about devouring a plate of chicken and brown rice. The plate of rice and chicken contains significantly more calories but because both lean protein and complex carbohydrates are considered 'clean' foods, there is less association with the meal having a negative effect on your waistline. The solution seems obvious but calorie and portion control seems to be the most effective method of weight management.
So why is clean eating so firmly engrained in the gym bunny psyche?
Enter veteran Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr and actress and professional sleep inducer, Gwyneth Paltrow. Both women will loudly attest to the benefits of an organic lifestyle here and here.
Despite the fact their ramblings are almost as nonsensical as they are detached from reality, both are promoting a (fabulous) way of life largely unattainable by the general population.
Unless you, Sue Smith, with a full time career and three children, have time for two hours of Iyengar yoga and meditation before sitting down to leisurely breakfast of organic whole grains, it is unlikely that you will too reap the physical benefits of such an existence. And that's before the dermatologist appointment.
Paltrow's recently released recipe book titled, 'It's All Good' is the perfect example of an idealistic lifestyle being drilled into the masses. Feminist website Jezebel's tongue and cheek review of the book recommends its reading more for a peek in the universe of 'oblivious and unrestrained luxury', suggesting readers eat the pages to maximise the cookbooks nutritional value. The book was later slammed by Yahoo's Shine Blog' when the writer estimated an average cost of USD $300.00 per day to cook from it.
The effect of an 'healthful' organic lifestyle championed by celebrities and the like is not just limited to the financial strain experienced by those wanting to jump on the green bandwagon.
A not yet recognised disease in most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5; orthorexia nervosa affects more and more men women each year, previously gone undetected either under the guise of anorexia or bullimia nervosa. Orthorexia occurs mostly in women, where a normal awareness of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle morphs into a dangerous obsession with food. Often the illness results in sufferers elimination one or more food groups from their diet entirely.
According to a She Knows (2008) interview with dietitan Heidi Lewin-Miller, the problem lies in society's normalisation of such behaviour.
"People with orthorexia are outwardly motivated by health but other underlying motivations lead to the diet obsession, such as weight loss, living up to social standards of beauty, being perfect and other factors that are not health-related" (Lewin-Miller, 2008).
The demonising of foods, diets and lifestyles is adding unnecessary pressure to a generation of people already consumed by society's perception of what is beautiful. Lewin-Miller asserts that it is merely a case of people recognising that a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle is sufficient to stay in good health. A lack of good self-esteem seems to be common denominator in extreme cases of orthorexia or obsession with diet and clean eating.
A call for both genders to recognise society's idealistic values and warped standard of beauty is well overdue. The cost of looking young and living forever is not just financial; it's having a well documented effect on this generation and if we don't act now, it will impact the next.
My advice? Order the cheeseburger.
The industry has grown exponentially since the establishment of the first Whole Foods store in 1995, the company now listing on the Top 500 Forbes list since 2005. Just last month, the largest supplier to Whole Foods, Hain Celestial, hit a value of $3.5 billion dollars having been purchased for $25 million in January of this year. [2]
 |
| Gwyneth Paltrow: Mother Earth's least favourite celebrity |
We are not dealing with small change here. So why is Clean Eating sweeping the nation like it's going out of fashion? Are we cleansing our bodies or our bank accounts?
Over the past five years, clean eating has grown into a global phenomenon. Juice cleanses, detox kits, organic produce and the likes have been providing 'miraculous' solutions to the middle class, tertiary educated Caucasians [3] shopping their way to better skin, leaner bodies and longer lives.
Behold, the power of the consumer!
It's important to note at this point that there is scientifically no such thing as clean or dirty foods.
According to fitness expert JC Deen's article, 'Clean Eating is a Scam and Why You Should Abandon It, [5] there is huge emphasis on what foods people perceive to be clean (good) and dirty (evil). Despite the basic physical understanding of energy in = energy out, the problem lies in a dieter experiencing inner turmoil over eating a slice of pizza (cheese, floury base, sauces etc.) but having no qualms about devouring a plate of chicken and brown rice. The plate of rice and chicken contains significantly more calories but because both lean protein and complex carbohydrates are considered 'clean' foods, there is less association with the meal having a negative effect on your waistline. The solution seems obvious but calorie and portion control seems to be the most effective method of weight management.
So why is clean eating so firmly engrained in the gym bunny psyche?
Enter veteran Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr and actress and professional sleep inducer, Gwyneth Paltrow. Both women will loudly attest to the benefits of an organic lifestyle here and here.
Despite the fact their ramblings are almost as nonsensical as they are detached from reality, both are promoting a (fabulous) way of life largely unattainable by the general population.
Unless you, Sue Smith, with a full time career and three children, have time for two hours of Iyengar yoga and meditation before sitting down to leisurely breakfast of organic whole grains, it is unlikely that you will too reap the physical benefits of such an existence. And that's before the dermatologist appointment.
Paltrow's recently released recipe book titled, 'It's All Good' is the perfect example of an idealistic lifestyle being drilled into the masses. Feminist website Jezebel's tongue and cheek review of the book recommends its reading more for a peek in the universe of 'oblivious and unrestrained luxury', suggesting readers eat the pages to maximise the cookbooks nutritional value. The book was later slammed by Yahoo's Shine Blog' when the writer estimated an average cost of USD $300.00 per day to cook from it.
The effect of an 'healthful' organic lifestyle championed by celebrities and the like is not just limited to the financial strain experienced by those wanting to jump on the green bandwagon.
A not yet recognised disease in most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5; orthorexia nervosa affects more and more men women each year, previously gone undetected either under the guise of anorexia or bullimia nervosa. Orthorexia occurs mostly in women, where a normal awareness of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle morphs into a dangerous obsession with food. Often the illness results in sufferers elimination one or more food groups from their diet entirely.
 |
| Worship the Almighty Silverbeet |
According to a She Knows (2008) interview with dietitan Heidi Lewin-Miller, the problem lies in society's normalisation of such behaviour.
"People with orthorexia are outwardly motivated by health but other underlying motivations lead to the diet obsession, such as weight loss, living up to social standards of beauty, being perfect and other factors that are not health-related" (Lewin-Miller, 2008).
The demonising of foods, diets and lifestyles is adding unnecessary pressure to a generation of people already consumed by society's perception of what is beautiful. Lewin-Miller asserts that it is merely a case of people recognising that a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle is sufficient to stay in good health. A lack of good self-esteem seems to be common denominator in extreme cases of orthorexia or obsession with diet and clean eating.
A call for both genders to recognise society's idealistic values and warped standard of beauty is well overdue. The cost of looking young and living forever is not just financial; it's having a well documented effect on this generation and if we don't act now, it will impact the next.
My advice? Order the cheeseburger.
References
Dakss, B. (2009). Organic food: Worth the extra cost? Retrieved 17 September, 2013, from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500194_162-2636253.html [4]
Deen, J.C. (2010). Clean eating is a scam and why you should abandon it. Retrieved 19 September, 2013, from http://www.jcdfitness.com/2010/09/clean-eating-is-a-scam-and-why-you-should-abandon-it/?switch_child_theme=jcdfitness_child2 [5]
Dettman, R.L. (2008). Organic produce: Who's eating it? A demographic profile of organic produce consumers. Retrieved from http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/6446/2/467595.pdf [3]
Organic Trade Association. (2012). Consumer driven U.S. organic market surpasses $31 billion in 2011. [Press Release]. Retrieved from
http://www.organicnewsroom.com/2012/04/us_consumerdriven_organic_mark.html [1]
Dakss, B. (2009). Organic food: Worth the extra cost? Retrieved 17 September, 2013, from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500194_162-2636253.html [4]
Deen, J.C. (2010). Clean eating is a scam and why you should abandon it. Retrieved 19 September, 2013, from http://www.jcdfitness.com/2010/09/clean-eating-is-a-scam-and-why-you-should-abandon-it/?switch_child_theme=jcdfitness_child2 [5]
Dettman, R.L. (2008). Organic produce: Who's eating it? A demographic profile of organic produce consumers. Retrieved from http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/6446/2/467595.pdf [3]
O'Connor, C. (2013). Juiced up: Inside $3.5 billion organic giant Hain Celestial, Whole Foods' biggest supplier. Retrieved 24 September 2013 from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/07/24/juiced-up-inside-3-5-billion-organic-giant-hain-celestial-whole-foods-biggest-supplier/ [2]
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/07/24/juiced-up-inside-3-5-billion-organic-giant-hain-celestial-whole-foods-biggest-supplier/ [2]
Organic Trade Association. (2012). Consumer driven U.S. organic market surpasses $31 billion in 2011. [Press Release]. Retrieved from
http://www.organicnewsroom.com/2012/04/us_consumerdriven_organic_mark.html [1]
Awesome work! Very cool insight as to why my Facebook, Instagram etc. are clogged up with so many healthy "juices" and ridiculously green looking meals all of the time. I guess it is an interesting revoke from this generation's consistent bombardment of fast food products or those similar, then again I may be looking into it too much. Also the fact your brought up about there are technically no "dirty" foods was a little surprising. All in all, very good stuff!
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