The Skinny on Food Love

Internet, my conscience sometimes makes it tough for me to keep not only a food blog, but a food-loving attitude, in a country where obesity is such a hot topic for debate. I've watched enough of Bob and Jillian whipping Biggest Loser potentials into shape to know that, sometimes, extreme love for food is a disease. The guilt I feel is probably akin to that that a blogger who wrote about, say, drinks with the highest alcohol content would feel, knowing that his readers may be recovering alcoholics themselves.

That being said, I do not think that love of food always has to lead to over-consumption or irresponsible consumption. In fact, I think part of food love is practicing moderation and making smart choices. I don't write about my favorite fast food here. Really, I don't actually have a favorite fast food. Then again, I grew up in a wacky community where fast food restaurants were outlawed. (Perhaps outlawed is a bit strong of a word? Well, they were not allowed.)

Anyway, in an effort to keep myself as well-rounded as possible (and I'm not talking about my waistline), I did a bit of research and came across a fantastic article. It's a bit lengthy, but it really screwed my head back on straight when it comes to making good choices in the kitchen... or in a restaurant dining room.

Anderson, M., and D. Matsa. "Restaurants, Regulation, and the Supersizing of America. " Regulation, 33.3 (2010): 40-47. ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

Authors Anderson and Matsa explore in this article the relationship between obesity and restaurant proximity. They explain that previous studies have implied a relationship between accessibility of meals outside the home and prevalence of obese populations. The two professors, however, challenge that finding by conducting and analyzing research of their own. To introduce the study, the authors explain that the reason obesity and restaurant food are linked has to do with several attributes of restaurant food, such as portion size, nutritional value, and the lifestyle of those who choose to dine in restaurants. While Anderson and Matsa do not challenge the established idea that regular restaurant dining leads to obesity and/or risk factors of obesity, they do challenge the fact that availability of restaurant food is related to obesity. 

Previous studies had implied that obesity was more likely in geographical areas where restaurants were easily accessible. That is, a town with many restaurants would be more likely to have an obese population than one which did not have restaurants. Anderson and Matsa look directly at proximity to restaurants in relation to obesity, unlike previous studies which linked frequency of restaurant dining with obesity. The conclusion that Anderson and Matsa reach is that proximity has little, if any effect on obesity because the decision of whether or not to dine at local restaurants is still a matter of free will. Given that the research described in this article was conducted and analyzed by professors at University of California - Berkeley and Northwestern University, respectively, gives credibility to the argument. The article also displays a number of charts and graphs to illustrate the findings in an easy-to-interpret way.  

This article would be especially helpful to anyone studying obesity, especially studying it in relation to its prevention. It also could be helpful to legislators writing health legislation in order to improve the health of the American population. 

Just a bit of... you guessed it: food for thought.