It takes lots of Bravery and Poverty for an Educated Person to Eat Unhealthy
15 Oct 2016
Song of the day: Take Me to Church by Hozier
In this day and age, I am just like many other people. I am educated, I go to school now when I am sixteen and I expect to continue my learning for the next 5-6 years, at least. But I may not be that normal after all, because I enjoy learning. Like, school is enjoyable because of the lessons rather than because of the classmates/friends I get.
Perhaps the most wasted class, or what I feel most regretful learning, is biology. The topic is Biological Molecules and we learn about carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. I learn some new stuff, in addition to reinforcing what I already know, such as how unsaturated fats are good whereas saturated fats are bad, and trans fats are even worse. And then I know why eating fatty meat is bad and hydrogenated margarine is worse. Next, in Excretion, I start to understand how having a diet high in sugar, salts and too much protein will eventually kill our kidneys. And, if I actually apply what I learn in Homeostasis, I will stop eating so much sweet stuff and carbohydrates during lunch in order to prevent a midday crash. More recently, in Cell and Nuclear Division, I learn that processed foods like sausages and bacon and ham will cause cancer.
But no, in my real life I don't ever apply whatever I learn in biology class. Biology is, more or less, bunk. Everything I learn in biology, I have every ability to recall it during the finals exam to score a good mark, as long as I did study. In application questions I can teach a non-existent person how to eat healthily. As for my own eating habits, it’s still same old, same old. My family never ever eats brown rice. I and my two sisters eat sweets almost every day. We can eat margarine like the end of the world if we want to. I enjoy eating the fattiest parts of chicken. I uninhibitedly eat potato chips because they taste good. I drink coffee on most days, but only those with lots of sugar. Sometimes I try to restrict my consumption of Starbucks coffee with whipped cream but I still drink that. It’s not that I don't feel guilty or anything, but that is a lifestyle and a family tradition. Even if I were to gain independence when I grow older it’s not like I can change my eating habits easily.
The school I go to can probably be considered an elite school. This means most students are smarter than average. And people in above-average schools more often than not come from above average income households, right? They can afford tuition for all nine subjects if they want to (this is the reason why some people score well. but most people are just naturally talented…). This means these rich students can buy anything. A school, where all students need to buy a personal laptop in Year one. And most people have changed their laptops at least once or even twice in the four years I’ve been here. Seriously, the consumerist technology industry should be grateful that such people and such schools exist. Why is this even important?
Because recently a friend is on a diet, and diets require a lot of time, dedication, and money. And going to gym also needs the same commitments. And I have also known, only recently, that at least two of my friends eat only brown rice at home. Oh, so that's how there is demand for the brown rice industry. Rich people. And I realise, only recently too, that among this population at school, I am actually not that rich. (Me? My family, really. I have nothing to my name.) It’s not like my family’s income isn’t above average. It’s just that there are six people in my family and one person working, so per capita my family’s income isn’t that high. Oh wells, nothing I can do, right? My friend’s families have less people and they too have educated parents who bring in a high income, so of course they can afford more stuffs? Like, having enough resources and time to care about having a healthy diet. I’m not, in anyway, blaming anyone, by the way. It’s just a different kind of life an aristocrat can have.
I’m educated, and I eat unhealthily. Of course I would be scared of my life, sacred of dying early. I know it’s not that bad for me. If I try very hard to only eat the healthiest things I may be able to do it. But the same cannot be said of other people, those who actually do live from paycheck to paycheck. Even if they are educated and want to “apply what they learn in biology class”, and live healthily with a healthy diet, they can’t do that because healthy food costs a lot more than unhealthy food. Compare the price of a McDonald’s salad and McChicken burger. Or rather, compare the price of white bread and wholegrain bread. (Something funny: while my maths teacher was teaching statistics, and interpretation of graphs, a reason for why bread consumption increased over the years was that people used to be unable to afford bread as it was too expensive. Seriously…) it so always happens that the healthier version of any kind of food will cost more. And so, for people who can’t even afford to pay their bills on time, choosing to buy healthy, high quality food will be the last thing on their minds. It intrigues me how something which was once the norm of consumption has now become reserved for the aristocracy. Poor people can’t afford to eat healthy meals, and yet junk, unhealthy, fast food is priced so cheaply, it’s almost as industry is telling the lower income class that they do not deserve to eat well. It’s like some sadistic survival of the fittest game, where people are coerced by societal pressures to eat to their deaths. And if all poor people were uneducated it wouldn't be so bad, as they can live their lives thinking that junk food is actually good for them. And as they succumb to cancer and their bodies eat themselves out from the inside, at least they will still be in ignorant bliss. The ones who suffer most are the educated poor men. Those who can afford an education, but don't have the status to land a good job, and subsequently earn peanuts for a living, being unable to afford proper food. They know what’s good for them, they can remember biology and physical education for all they want. But they are stuck doing sedentary jobs with overly long hours, sacrificing their health and wealth. They sure can afford a MacDonald’s burger daily, but what’s between them and their health is a deep abyss of obstacles. Firstly they can’t afford to buy expensive healthy food when eating out daily. Next they are also unable to cook their own meals as they are just too damn busy. I truly pity those people. If I were given a choice as them, I would wish to unlearn whatever I had learnt in school about healthy living.
I’m lucky that my situation is different. While my family doesn't always have a habit of eating the healthiest stuff, we do have a choice and the means to if we wanted to. It’s just that the adults all have too busy lives to care much, and it’s not like I can go all health freak and be like, ORGANIC FOOD!!! On them. I’m merely a follower, not of age yet, not independent enough, and I am compelled to comply so that I’m not hated anywhere I go. But it is a dilemma, on whether I should follow my knowledge that carbonated drinks is bad, and strictly refuse to drink coca cola, or if I should follow the family culture of loving strong flavoured stuff, and continue my outrageous consumption of chilli sauce, citric acid in coca cola, and crispy chips that makes me salivate just thinking about how salty they are.
Song of the day: Take Me to Church by Hozier
In this day and age, I am just like many other people. I am educated, I go to school now when I am sixteen and I expect to continue my learning for the next 5-6 years, at least. But I may not be that normal after all, because I enjoy learning. Like, school is enjoyable because of the lessons rather than because of the classmates/friends I get.
Perhaps the most wasted class, or what I feel most regretful learning, is biology. The topic is Biological Molecules and we learn about carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. I learn some new stuff, in addition to reinforcing what I already know, such as how unsaturated fats are good whereas saturated fats are bad, and trans fats are even worse. And then I know why eating fatty meat is bad and hydrogenated margarine is worse. Next, in Excretion, I start to understand how having a diet high in sugar, salts and too much protein will eventually kill our kidneys. And, if I actually apply what I learn in Homeostasis, I will stop eating so much sweet stuff and carbohydrates during lunch in order to prevent a midday crash. More recently, in Cell and Nuclear Division, I learn that processed foods like sausages and bacon and ham will cause cancer.
But no, in my real life I don't ever apply whatever I learn in biology class. Biology is, more or less, bunk. Everything I learn in biology, I have every ability to recall it during the finals exam to score a good mark, as long as I did study. In application questions I can teach a non-existent person how to eat healthily. As for my own eating habits, it’s still same old, same old. My family never ever eats brown rice. I and my two sisters eat sweets almost every day. We can eat margarine like the end of the world if we want to. I enjoy eating the fattiest parts of chicken. I uninhibitedly eat potato chips because they taste good. I drink coffee on most days, but only those with lots of sugar. Sometimes I try to restrict my consumption of Starbucks coffee with whipped cream but I still drink that. It’s not that I don't feel guilty or anything, but that is a lifestyle and a family tradition. Even if I were to gain independence when I grow older it’s not like I can change my eating habits easily.
The school I go to can probably be considered an elite school. This means most students are smarter than average. And people in above-average schools more often than not come from above average income households, right? They can afford tuition for all nine subjects if they want to (this is the reason why some people score well. but most people are just naturally talented…). This means these rich students can buy anything. A school, where all students need to buy a personal laptop in Year one. And most people have changed their laptops at least once or even twice in the four years I’ve been here. Seriously, the consumerist technology industry should be grateful that such people and such schools exist. Why is this even important?
Because recently a friend is on a diet, and diets require a lot of time, dedication, and money. And going to gym also needs the same commitments. And I have also known, only recently, that at least two of my friends eat only brown rice at home. Oh, so that's how there is demand for the brown rice industry. Rich people. And I realise, only recently too, that among this population at school, I am actually not that rich. (Me? My family, really. I have nothing to my name.) It’s not like my family’s income isn’t above average. It’s just that there are six people in my family and one person working, so per capita my family’s income isn’t that high. Oh wells, nothing I can do, right? My friend’s families have less people and they too have educated parents who bring in a high income, so of course they can afford more stuffs? Like, having enough resources and time to care about having a healthy diet. I’m not, in anyway, blaming anyone, by the way. It’s just a different kind of life an aristocrat can have.
I’m educated, and I eat unhealthily. Of course I would be scared of my life, sacred of dying early. I know it’s not that bad for me. If I try very hard to only eat the healthiest things I may be able to do it. But the same cannot be said of other people, those who actually do live from paycheck to paycheck. Even if they are educated and want to “apply what they learn in biology class”, and live healthily with a healthy diet, they can’t do that because healthy food costs a lot more than unhealthy food. Compare the price of a McDonald’s salad and McChicken burger. Or rather, compare the price of white bread and wholegrain bread. (Something funny: while my maths teacher was teaching statistics, and interpretation of graphs, a reason for why bread consumption increased over the years was that people used to be unable to afford bread as it was too expensive. Seriously…) it so always happens that the healthier version of any kind of food will cost more. And so, for people who can’t even afford to pay their bills on time, choosing to buy healthy, high quality food will be the last thing on their minds. It intrigues me how something which was once the norm of consumption has now become reserved for the aristocracy. Poor people can’t afford to eat healthy meals, and yet junk, unhealthy, fast food is priced so cheaply, it’s almost as industry is telling the lower income class that they do not deserve to eat well. It’s like some sadistic survival of the fittest game, where people are coerced by societal pressures to eat to their deaths. And if all poor people were uneducated it wouldn't be so bad, as they can live their lives thinking that junk food is actually good for them. And as they succumb to cancer and their bodies eat themselves out from the inside, at least they will still be in ignorant bliss. The ones who suffer most are the educated poor men. Those who can afford an education, but don't have the status to land a good job, and subsequently earn peanuts for a living, being unable to afford proper food. They know what’s good for them, they can remember biology and physical education for all they want. But they are stuck doing sedentary jobs with overly long hours, sacrificing their health and wealth. They sure can afford a MacDonald’s burger daily, but what’s between them and their health is a deep abyss of obstacles. Firstly they can’t afford to buy expensive healthy food when eating out daily. Next they are also unable to cook their own meals as they are just too damn busy. I truly pity those people. If I were given a choice as them, I would wish to unlearn whatever I had learnt in school about healthy living.
I’m lucky that my situation is different. While my family doesn't always have a habit of eating the healthiest stuff, we do have a choice and the means to if we wanted to. It’s just that the adults all have too busy lives to care much, and it’s not like I can go all health freak and be like, ORGANIC FOOD!!! On them. I’m merely a follower, not of age yet, not independent enough, and I am compelled to comply so that I’m not hated anywhere I go. But it is a dilemma, on whether I should follow my knowledge that carbonated drinks is bad, and strictly refuse to drink coca cola, or if I should follow the family culture of loving strong flavoured stuff, and continue my outrageous consumption of chilli sauce, citric acid in coca cola, and crispy chips that makes me salivate just thinking about how salty they are.
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