Different generations, social groups, ethnic identities, diverse cultures and various regions are marked with food fads, portraying trends or craze in many forms of collective behaviour that develops over time, often changing as time passes. Social anthropologists should be able to throw light on factors that have a direct bearing on the issue of food fads. Fantasising about foods, driven by preferences, accessing without much effort, ambience at the place of consumption, affordability, state of health impacting enjoyment and appetite, familiarity with the fare, tranquil mind, company that one keeps, pre-disposed views on the source of food prepared and so on, not to forget restrictions imposed by the family doctor or the specialist all can lead to confusion, if not indecision about the choice of one’s choice of food day after day, until one settles down to become bellyful. American legendary humorist’s words “To eat is human, to digest is divine” cannot be taken lightly.
On hearing the prescription of research personnel recommending consumption of nutritious foods by balancing the ingredients, some have reacted sharply saying that people at large don’t eat nutrition but they prefer to satisfy their taste buds. All said and done, whoever listens to his tongue but ignores his stomach has to pay with health issues for the fault.
