High-Risk Nutritional Practices

High-Risk Nutritional Practices
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High-Risk Nutritional Practices
Nutrition plays a critical role in the health of the society. This is mainly because good nutrition plays a core role in ensuring that the society is healthy and strong enough to participate in economic development. However, it is equally important to note that the acknowledgement of the importance of nutrition to overall health is not sufficient to promote good health and nutrition within the society in question. This is mainly because food has always been a focal point in most societies. Food is used to unite people for religious, social, and virtually every other type of event. In this sense, food serves as a pivotal part of social interactions as well as physical development and one that has great influence (Nordström, Coff, Jönsson, Nordenfelt, & Görman, 2013). Because of this, people have strongly rooted cultures and traditions surrounding the consumption of food and the reasons behind certain eating and drinking habits or preferences. In this way, the culture and social practices surrounding food greatly influence how a society feeds and receives nutrition.
Across the world, differences in cultural, social, and religious practices continue to dictate the food preferences and habits of societies. In the modern world, the development of high-risk nutritional behaviors plays a crucial role in determining how people eat and what they eat. In the USA, one of the high-risk nutritional behaviors prevalent is the consumption of fast food. In the USA, fast food has become a core part of the culture and the primary option of nutrition for millions of Americans. The affordability and widespread availability fast food has endeared many Americans to its consumption regardless of the health risks that regularly consuming such food poses. Over time, fast food has grown to become the main source of food and nutrition for many Americans, which is indicative of the cultural direction in which the USA is heading with respect to food (Heshmat, 2011). Too often, this consumption of fast food is done in increasingly large portions and is accompanied by soft carbonated drinks (Sanford, 2014). Needless to mention, this combination plays a key role in negatively impacting the health and wellness of the American people. The increase in obesity across the US as well as the development of Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension have all been linked to unhealthy consumption of fast foods that contain dangerous trans fats and minimal nutritional value. This poses a significant challenge for healthcare practitioners as they battle to rescue millions of Americans from the debilitating effects of poor nutrition and excessive consumption of said fast foods.
Across the world in Japan, a different culture towards food and consumption is manifested that is a complete contrast from the American culture. In Japanese culture and society, the consumption of raw food is highly encouraged (Smil & Kobayashi, 2012). The consumption of such food is often considered to be a pure form of eating and one that allows individuals to enjoy the true flavor of food. At the same time, the health benefits of eating raw foods play a role in shaping the Japanese culture of consuming such food. While eating healthy foods and receiving good and holistic nutrition is important, the consumption of such raw foods poses a significant challenge in terms of risk. This mainly because the raw foods consumed are diverse and even include certain meat and seafood dishes (Smil & Kobayashi, 2012). The possibility of individuals suffering from health problems related to the consumption of raw food increases the challenges that healthcare practitioners and providers have to contend with on a regular basis.
In Russia, on the other hand, the consumption of alcohol has proven to be a serious challenge with respect to consumption and nutrition. The excessive consumption of alcohol has overtaken the Russian culture with many young men and women embroiled in alcoholism and excessive consumption of alcohol (Schrad, 2014). The fact that alcohol is consumed at virtually every occasion, event, or even meal only adds to the excessive consumption of alcohol. This has overly normalized excessive consumption of alcohol and the result is alcoholism, acute alcohol poisoning, liver cirrhosis, and even alcoholic psychosis (Boyle, 2013).
As aforementioned, the nutritional behaviors of a society are predominantly influenced by the cultural practices and perspectives of the society with respect to food. At the same time, the historical perspectives of modern societies can equally result in the development of either healthy or unhealthy eating habits. In the USA for instance, the perspective of excess has greatly influenced how the public approaches food. Often considered to be ‘the land of plenty’, many Americans believe in the provision of very large portions in their food, and especially so when fast food is concerned (Sanford, 2014). Such behavior is clearly manifested in how fast food chains typically categorize food according to size in the USA. The existence of extra large portions has slowly but surely contributed towards the development of a culture of excess and eating more than one needs.
This behavior and affinity for excess is also demonstrated in how Americans perceive material items with holidays such as Black Friday being demonstrative of Americans’ affinity for the excess. At the same time, it is equally important to note that fast food played a pivotal role in the development of America. By providing cheap food at one’s convenience, homegrown fast food restaurants shaped the future food culture of the USA when they started gaining popularity (Heshmat, 2011). Also, the availability of deep fried foods at affordable prices pushed many Americans into the reliance on fast food and soft carbonated drinks in the form of sodas as a source of nutrition and health (McMillan, 2012). Needless to mention, this combination of factors worked well to proliferate the culture of excessive consumption as well as the development of obesity and overweightness. Over time, the USA has found itself in a dangerous healthcare predicament as more, and increasingly younger Americans, face health challenges related to unhealthy and poor nutrition practices.
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