Doctor's Kitchen Monday: 16 Pictures Speak Louder than a Thousand Words

Time Magazine in partnership with CNN has posted a photo essay called:

What the World Eats 

Everybody needs to look at this.  I found it very compelling.  One of the things I noticed right off was something we already knew but this really underlines the fact:  The more modern the country the more boxed/bottled/canned/processed foods there were and the more fast food containers on the table. The less modern the country, the more vegetables and whole grains there are on the table.  I was also struck by the differences in the amount of food and it doesn't always correspond with the number of people in the family.

Click HERE for the link to "What the World Eats".

This is an example of a one of the families in the essay from California. Sure looks pretty typically American, as in mine and my friends' tables,  to me.  But there were also a lot of boxes, bottles, and cans on the tables of the families from Great Britain, Germany, and Italy.  Very interesting. Less bottles/boxes/cans on the tables of the folks from Egypt, Chad, Bhutan, for example.

At the end of that photo essay you can connect to another photo essay called "What Makes You Eat More Food" which is also a good reminder of how much our senses of sight, smell, and time influence our eating patterns.

Click HERE for that direct link to "What Makes You Eat More Food".

And what am I eating right now this morning for breakfast as I type this entry?

Shredded wheat cereal out of a box with 1% milk and a spoon of white granulated sugar.  And a 12 oz can of Coke.

Could be worse.  Could also be better.  The photo essays made me more aware of my choice. Too bad I didn't read the essay before I put the sugar on my cereal and popped the top on that can. I might have chosen differently.

The Biggest Loser--the Work Version Update:

I've currently lost .7 % of my body weight.  Remember my goal is at least 10% by Halloween. I hate that it's not a round 1% but .7% still translates into a loss.  Hey, maybe I should drop those Cokes for breakfast, duh. :-)  Click HERE for the original post about my work buddies and our diet contest.

Comments

[Kathe]

Weight lose motivation! First of all congrats on your progress! I'll have to share some of the better diet recipes I've found with you. I'll go through them and see what I've got!

To motivate me with exercise (and also because it's a great cause) I signed up for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. The Breast Cancer 3-Day is a 60 mile walk over the course of 3 Days to benefit breast cancer research and treatment. Just knowing I have to walk 60 miles this October has really motivated me to get moving. When I started 5 miles was a killer, but now I'm walking anywhere from 25 minutes to 2 hours every night.

In short, charity walk = exercise motivation!

I know there are shorter ones for Leukemia and Animal Shelters and the 3 Day is all over the US, maybe there's one close to you?

Food for thought :)

[Katiez]

That photo is scary - but, then, it does appear as if there are growing boys in the family... they're a challenge to feed anywhere!
And I recognise the Coke Light box in the background as one that's always in my basket.... you could switch to that for breakfast....
Congrats on the weight loss - slow but sure...

[Deborah]

I checked this book out of the library when I first heard about it. It was very informative and humbling to say the least. It really made me evaluate how many fresh ingredients we use on a weekly basis. It also made me realize how blessed I am to live somewhere where food is plentiful!

[Dani]

First off, congratulations on your progress!! Every step in the right direction brings you one step closer to your goal (even if it's a little one!)
Thanks for the article, it's really insightful!

[Tanna]

It all starts with awareness . . . will you pop the top tomorrow!

[Tanna]

And congratulations on the weight loss. I think you'll be happest with the slowest over time loss.

[Albany Jane]

The actual book is great too - the pictures are huge and really detailed, and the stories from each family are very insightful. Well, that and it's about food, which is always a winning topic for me!

And keep up the good work, slim!

[sher]

Thanks for the info on that! And congratulations on the weight loss. It may not be as much as you wanted at this point--but it's a loss and that's great! Something to build on!

[Lisa]

Yes, I saw that photo essay, too. Gives one pause, doesn't it, when you see how low the amount of money is that some families have to spend? And the comparison of processed vs. VERY unprocessed foods that are represented? Quite the food for thought.

[Alisha]

Congratulations on your success so far with you weight loss. Keep up the good work!

I hadn't seen that photo essay so thanks for posting it. It was interesting and now I'll have to see if my library has the book.

[candy]

the thing i found interesting about that photo essay was the huge amount of fruits & vegetables on the tables of the families in other countries! i want to eat with that family in sicily! also, that kitchen in the kuwait picture was HUGE! so much counter space.

[Tara]

Coke for breakfast!?!?!? WOW, that one opened my eyes. Sorry, I have just never heard of that before!

I loved the photo essay when I looked through it on the weekend, the differences between all the different countries was amazing. It made me wonder what my families groceries would look like if they were all piled up on the table like that.

[Glenna]

Kathe--Thank you and congrats on your exercise motivation. That's daunting but I think it's great that you're doing great things for your body while you're working towards such a noble goal.

Katie--Absolutely. Even though there's a lot of fast and convenience food there, I sure can't judge and we don't even have kids, teenage boys or not.

Deborah--Is the name of the book Food Nation? I saw later after I'd written this that it was from a book. And yes, I totally agree. The photos gave me a whole new appreciation for the grocery store.

Dani--Thank you. I appreciate your support and comment.

Tanna--Thanks. I know you're right but I don't have a lot of patience. And no, I won't be popping the top. Or if I do, it will be Coke Zero.

Jane--LOL! I'd love to see the whole book now after seeing those photos...

Sher--Thanks. Keep telling me that, okay?

Lisa--Yes, it was "food" for thought. I couldn't get over how much crap we eat if we can afford it.

Alisha--Thanks! I was thinking the same thing about the book.

Candy--Yes, me too! And the more package/processed food there was, the less fresh vegetables, although I noticed everyone eats more fruit than I do. One more thing to feel guilty about!

Tara--Yes! Me too! I tried to mentally do it but it's hard. I might someday sit down with a pencil and paper and list it out... You were shocked by Coke for breakfast. Gee, and that seems the least shocking of my eating/drinking habits. :-) Funny, a lot of my co-workers from both the hotel business and now hospital drink sodas even for breakfast. It does seem to be an age thing. My age and younger drink more sodas. Older than me, the folks tend to drink more coffee.

[Kate]

I learn so much from your blog.

[Glenna]

Kate--You are so sweet! Thank you so much. I learn so much from doing this blog and from you guys leaving your comments about how you do things differently.