The Traditional and Nutritional Values of the Chinese Cultural Diet

Examining Cultural Influences of Behavioral Nutrition: The Traditional and Nutritional Values of the Chinese Cultural Diet
It is a general belief that adequate nutrition equals healthy living. From time immemorial, human beings have understandably placed a premium on diets. Rightly so as lives have been saved or lost through food. However, while nutrients will always be a significant factor which decides what people eat or do not eat, there are other as worthy elements that influence human eating behavior. One of those other several factors that determine people's choice of food is cultural influences. This explains why food is one of the crucial elements that define people's way of life. People’s culture cannot be holistically discussed without good attention to their diets. One of the world's cultural groups that are very popular for their diet culture are the Chinese people. Of several other components of the Chinese, food is a top priority and mark of identity of these Asian people. Looking at the way they choose, prepare and eat their meals, it is worth wondering what influence these eating habits they are culturally known for.
Traditionally, food serves different purposes in China hence the importance attached to it. These commitments fulfilled by Chinese diets in most cases, go beyond nutrition. Most Chinese both in the past and now, eat not primarily to stay healthy but as a way of honor to traditions and customs. In China, among traditional issues attached to food is the interpersonal relationship. For instance, social eating is considered a way of expressing a relationship with one another. "Food consumed by one person alone” according to Ma (2015) “is not a social food.” It is widely believed among the Chinese that food eating communally is a tool for expression and maintenance of a relationship. When this is now taken further to the level of presenting and eating more expensive foods among different people, it is a way of showing the degree of the relationship that exists between them, Ma (2015). Apart from the relationship, Ma (2015) also observed that food in China, among other things, represents social status, and an essential part of the celebration of special moments and festivals. Other traditional influence of diet in China include a representation of symbolic significance, and a means of reward or punishment in the sense that when someone achieves important tasks, good and desired food is provided to appreciate them while bad behavior is punished via denial of one's desired meal.
The uniqueness of the Chinese cultural dish, is, however not found in the taste alone, it is also in the manner at which their meals are served. For instance, in China, it what is taken as breakfast, lunch or dinner is culturally almost the same in every household. According to “Countries and Their Cultures”, in the southern part of the country, it is common to see many Chinese starts their day with "rice porridge, or congee served with shrimp, vegetables and pickles." Their lunch is not too different from the breakfast while the dinner is usually their day's largest meal, and every of their meal includes soup, and this is served as the last course, (“Countries and Their Cultures”) observed. Just like many other cultures, the Chinese diet is, majorly influenced by their history stated that factors like wars and natural disaster which have ravaged the countries long ago made people embrace many diets which many other parts of the world do not eat. For examples, “The Chinese eat parts and species of animals that many other cultures do not, including fish heads and eyeballs, birds' feet and saliva, and dog and cat meat” , (“Countries and Their Cultures”). Most of which were believed to have been inculcated during hard times like drought and conflicts.
So, beyond the traditional influences, what are the nutritional values associated with the Chinese food dish? Like every other culture, the people of China placed a huge interest in nutritional values in their choice of diets. Although over decades, there have been several significant shifts in food choice in Chinese, the value placed on nutrient derivations from those foods remain of utmost priority. The nutritional concern in the country is a national issue. For instance, the Chinese government, in her recognition of the importance of adequate nutrients on healthy living, had to design a Dietary Guidelines for the people. The 2016 dietary Pagoda is in three prongs- the dietary guidelines for the general population, the dietary guidelines for a specific population, and the practice of balanced diet of Chinese residents Wang, Lay, Yu and Shen (2016). The guidelines recommended that the Chinese people's food intake daily contain vegetables and fruits, cereals, livestock, milk, soy, nuts, fish and other foods. It went further to state that "on average, more than twelve kinds of food should be consumed daily, and at least twenty-five per week” Wang et al (2016). The aims to be achieved by this national program include reduction of mortality, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, and prevention of life-threatening diseases like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Judging by the country’s life expectancy which according to World Life Expectancy, stood at 77.0 male; 77.9 female; and 76.4 in total. This is a testament that the Chinese culture importance on nutrition is to a recognizable extent, effective. However, while life expectancy might sound encouraging, there are other health challenges related to diet in the country.
Having experienced changes in dietary pattern in the past decades, some of the negative effects accompanied the food Chinese taste revolutions are obesity and other diet-related communicable diseases. Being the world most populous country, the Asian tiger, while having a representation of food sufficiency in some quarters, still has a substantial percentage of her population grappled by the shortage of food. This is the factor behind the present reality of “the dual challenges of undernutrition and overnutrition at the same time” Xiao, Ruth, DeFries, Liming and Kyle (2018).The challenges are attributed to change in diet which has made most Chinese consume more of fat-given foods. For instance in China, there has being a higher consumption of foods like pork, eggs, dairy products, and other animal-sourced foods. Also on a higher level of consumptions in the country are processed foods high in refined starch, sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats Xiao et al (2018).
Another element suspected to be among the contributing factors to the nutritional problem in China is the shift of staple food consumption toward refined cereals. Xiao et al (2018). further observed that the Chinese diets that were predominantly traditional coarse (e.g. sorghum, millet) in the past have now been majorly shunned for refined cereals such as polished rice and white wheat. Responsible for these significant changes are numerous influences that range from social, political and economic factors which were originated both locally and internationally.
The Chinese have for thousands of years attached a great significance worth of being referred to as ‘matter of life and death’ to their diet. Studies on foods as they relate to the concept of balanced diet and longevity had always been given dedicated attention by health specialist like doctors and Taoists (“The cultural dimension of food”). For these centuries, the Chinese have been one of the groups of people that paid the highest premium on the nutritional values of their food intake. From this they take great pleasure and pride, believing that a cultural group that does not prepare, serve, or cook their food in the same manner as done by them, is therefore considered not doing it right. They have been at the forefront of championing food diversity globally and have worked hard to protect the cherished laid down food culture passed to them by their ancestors. Although, there have been some degree of outside influence in their diet in these modern days, the cultural background, is, however, still held with a sense of value. For instance, today's popular tea culture is known to have begun in China as they were the first cultural group to cultivate tea, an act that has now become global. Today, productions, distributions and consumptions of tea have spread worldwide. In their usual way of sticking to their cultural diets even with delight, the Chinese have ensured that “tea is the characteristic traditional element, and it is so important that it is included among the seven indispensable products for life" [which others being] fuel, oil, rice, salt, soy sauce and vinegar" (“The cultural dimension of food”)..
The strong attachment to their cultural diets have, however, made many to wonder the health implication that might arise should China choose to completely move away from her traditional food to an entirely different diet culture. The consequence of this is, however, not farfetched as the emerging facts can show that the result would be more negative than positive. Already, China's nutrition transition has posed a national challenge to the country, and as it can be clearly seen, “the changes in diet and lifestyle patterns have large impacts in terms of public health, food safety and the environment” Ramsing (2018). Thich has resulted in obesity, cancer and other life-threatening health problems mentioned above. It will instead be advisable that the country found its root back to her ancient eating habits which were more natural and healthier.
In sum, the Chinese cultural influences behavioral nutrition remains one of the most unique globally which has found its way into other cultures around the world. Their value attached to nutrition and healthy communal relationship as being derived from food will always make their cultural diet a reference points worldwide. However, the massive diet shift has proven to be of negative consequences on the country's health; it is, therefore, a matter of urgent that China traces her step back to its healthy past.



References
China: Life Expectancy (2019). World Health Rankings: Live Longer Live Better. Worldexpectancy.com. https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/china-life-expectancy
Culture of China. Countries and Their Culture Forum. https://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/China.html
Ma, G. (2015). Food, eating behavior, and culture in Chinese society. Journal of Ethic Food. Science Direct, vol. 2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618115000657
Ramsing, B. (2018). China Changing Diet: Meat and Dairy on the Rise. Reflections on China’s Changing Diet: Local Impacts, Global Implications, and Promising Solutions.  Center for a Livable Future. http://livablefutureblog.com/2016/08/china-meat-and-dairy-on-the-rise
The Cultural Dimension of Food: People, Environment, Science, Economy. Barrila Center for Food Nutrition, 23-29https://www.barillacfn.com/m/publications/pp-cultural-dimension-of-food.pdf
Wang, Shan-S., Lay, S., Yu, Hai-N., and Shen, Sheg-R. (2016). Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016): comments and comparison. Journal of Zheijang University SCIENCE B, 9, 649–656. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5018612/
Xiao, C., Ruth, S., DeFries, Liming, L., and Kyle, D. (2018). Understanding Dietary And Staple Food Transitions In China From Multiple Scales.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0195775