Monday, December 22, 2008

A Different Kind of Darwininan Paradox

I was reading Jeanette Fulda's post today about how she wishes she could get a secondary stomach that would take care of all the junk food that she wishes she didn't eat. Anyway, I was thinking about food obsession and how pathologized it is. Pasta Queen goes on to say, "I realized I have a serious problem with food."

We were born to live and then to procreate and then to die. Okay. That's weird. But then, if you think about it like that, it doesn't seem so weird that we're totally obsessed with food (and sex!) So, like let's say I wasn't born back in 1982, but instead in 3382 B.C. Everyday, I would wake up, walk around all day and look for food. I'd hunt, gather, pillage, kill, rape, etc. etc. All I'd care about was finding food and sex. Some might say I was obsessed, I was a hedonist, a pathological narcissist, or really, really self-centered. But back in the day yo, it was all about being obsessed with food.

But now, food is plentiful. And we as humans who are predisposed to be obsessed with food as to stay alive and propagate the species, we are the new Darwinian paradox. We are obsessed with food and thus the obesity epidemic. Are those who have lost the gene to be obsessed with food more advanced? You know those people, they never think about food until they need it, thten they eat exactly what their bodies need and stop... they've caught up with the new-fangled American abundance of food. They are the fittest!

2 comments:

Girl of True Heart said...

Read Michael Pollan's books. Very eye-opening. I'm just beginning them myself. I think everyone has an obsession with something. If food isn't their trigger, something else is. Some people have managed to become obsessed with exercise. Some shop. Some sex. Some drink. Some gamble. Etc. I think it is agreeable to say because our main goal is no longer "stay alive" before the saber tooth tiger eats us, we've become sloth-like in our behavior. I say bring back the predator to human beings...oh wait, we have other human beings killing each other...hmmm...how about a game show where people have to fight to stay alive? Not pseudo-like on survivor, but real. We could make the prize something everyone wants: sex. LOL Quick, call MARK BURNETT! (This nonsense ramble was brought to you by holiday stress...)

Lila said...

you are totally right. mindfullness and intuitive eating is the best. ED is loud though sometimes and doesn't always fully go away. :(