We are what we eat, so what are you?

Hi folks, Liz here. I work with Leslie at Harvard DCE, and I’ll be blogging from time to time, starting with today’s post about why what you eat matters. I look forward to sharing this space with you, and as always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Every day, we are bombarded by stories of how food affects our health or the planet. And who’s to say today’s report won’t conflict with tomorrow’s? In the past year alone we have seen:

• A dramatic rise in food prices spurred by increased global demand, which has exacerbated hunger and food insecurity for tens of millions.
• Concerns about contaminated foods in Japan following its nuclear crisis.
• An increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and type II diabetes in China and other regions of the developing world.

I don’t know about you, but at the most basic level it sure gets me thinking: where, exactly, does my food come from? And just because the label says it’s organic, does that mean it’s healthy? Maybe I should go vegan? And of course there are the issues of dining-out too often (hello sodium and butter!) and portion control. (Read Harvard Magazine’s “Restaurant Rampant” for an eye-opener.)

In the meantime, I asked Dr. P.K. Newby, a nutrition scientist and obesity expert from Boston University School of Medicine and School of Public Health, and Dr. Gary Adamkiewicz, an environmental health scientist from Harvard School of Public Health, about their new fall course ENVR E-129 From Farm to Fork: Why What You Eat Matters.

Here’s what they had to say:

Beyond our own physical health, what are some of the other less-publicized implications of why what we eat matters?

While food plays a central role in society and culture, a source of both pleasure and sustenance, it is also a contributor to many chronic diseases and health disparities. As well, it is a basic human need that is unmet for millions on our planet. And food production, processing, and transport are major contributors to environmental problems around the world. In essence, every meal we consume is intimately tied to our own health and to the global economy and environment.

What can students expect to learn in your course?

In the course, we will examine our food decisions through various lenses such as human health, nutrition, environmental degradation, and climate change. We will also explore the significant opportunities and challenges posed by addressing food production and distribution problems at both the local and global levels. Ultimately, students will learn why what we eat truly does matter—from farm to fork, person to planet.

What do you want students to be able to walk away from your course with?

The goal of our course is to provide students with information and tools to think about how their day-to-day decisions about the food they consume affects everything from their own health to the future of our planet. Indeed, everyday choices surrounding food and diet have important ramifications at the individual, local, and global levels. And the life cycle of food has a significant footprint on the earth.

Now that we’ve heard from the faculty, I want to hear from you. Are you buying more local and organic food these days? Have you tried to go vegetarian, vegan, or even fruitarian? Can you provide your fellow gastronomes with any advice?

Lastly, I’ll leave you with Making an Organic Choice, a nifty infographic courtesy of So Nice and InfoNewt.

Mangia!