Compare And Contrast The American Diet In South Korea
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Dieting is a universal struggle for women but in South Korea, there seems to be a competition to become thinner. South Korea is a country that is very obsessed about aesthetic. Korean traditional food has to be arranged in a neat and delicate manner with even consideration of the colors. This principle is applied the same way to women. In order for women to look delicate, they have to be thin and frail. Even though women in the Eastern Asian countries like Japan and China are very obsessed about their appearance, it’s much worse in South Korea. Women are persuaded by family members, media, and peers that having a thin body makes a person beautiful. In order to improve their appearance, Koreans especially women are willing to take…show more content… They tend to look for ones that either will show them fast results or find plans that are easy to follow. A few years ago, the “Denmark Diet” was a popular diet plan. The “Denmark Diet” is a diet that consists of mainly protein and vegetables and low on carbohydrates. However, diets like these are hard to keep up unless the person has a really strong motivation or resolution. Opting out carbohydrates in a meal can be hard to resist since they are so addictive and satisfying. Another popular one is the sweet potato diet. To make it fast and effective, one has to eat sweet potatoes for the whole day and nothing else. This is a common diet regimen for Korean Pop idols when they need to shed some pounds. There is a saying that goes, eating too much of anything is bad for you. No matter how dedicated you are to eating healthily, it can be dangerous if you only eat one type of…show more content… Kathy Chu, the author of “Extreme dieting spreads in Asia” reports, “Experts say dieting in Asia tends to be more extreme than in the West because of cultural perceptions of beauty". What is considered a healthy body in the United States is considered overweight in South Korea. In “Shrinking Women” by Lily Myers tells the story of the struggles many women face. One of them is deciding how much food one deserves and what kind of picture will that intake of calories look on the body. Food has become something harder to enjoy since people care more about their weight and appearance. Having a mindset like this is quite common in Asian households since this perception is taught by the mothers and ingrained by the daughters.
Growing up in an Asian household, food and weight was a common talk between mothers and daughters. I was pleased with the variety but not with the quantity. I am always reminded not to eat to my fullest through portion control. My grandfather who is very interested in health often calls me over the phone to remind me not to consume food with too much salt, sugar, and fat. He even asks me about my height and weight every now and then just to see where I land on the body mass index. In other cultures, people may feel offended or attacked if they hear comments about their food culture and