Material Innovations

Dearest First World Inhabitants,
I was deeply disturbed to learn of the obesity epidemic in your country.  Here, in Indonesia, we struggle mostly with hunger and malnutrition, but are also experiencing our own bout with obesity as of late.

While doing some ethnographic research in your country I noticed that many people purchase and eat mostly foods that come in boxes.  Packaged foods seem to be compounding our struggles to maintain healthy weights in a small portion of our population as well.  I wonder if these foods have something to do with your obesity epidemic.

Further investigation into these packaged foods revealed some startling facts.  To be honest, I’d never heard of most of the ingredients found in your packaged foods.  Admittedly, I struggled to pronounce their names and few Americans could help me or tell me what they were either.  They also didn’t seem concerned with their lack of knowledge around food they were ingesting.  I made a note to look into this further when I returned to my office as it would require some secondary research.
It also seems that people avoid foods that come in their own natural packaging like fruit, vegetables, or fish, essential sources of nourishment in my country.  We have efficient and beautiful ways of presenting and transporting these foods to open-air markets.  See an example below of the visually striking circular presentation of our fish along with paper wrappers for sanitary selection at the market.

I did find some interesting facts about those ingredients I observed in your packaged foods.  According to your government’s Food and Drug Administration website many of them fall under the GRAS category.  GRAS stands for generally recognized as safe.   This is concerning to me.  You might want to inquire about the definition of ‘general’ as it is a term that is usually frowned upon in scientific study.  I also wonder how the FDA accounts for all the potential combinations of ingredients in various food products that can be ingested at the same time.

In order to lessen obesity I would suggest you stop eating these packaged food-like substances and instead purchase and consume foods that can decompose.  Might I also suggest more physical activity.  I saw many people circling a supermarket parking lot in their cars hoping to save a few steps before entering.  Many couldn’t even be bothered to return their carts to the designated cart corrals a few spots over in the parking lot.

Wishing You Improved Health,
Laura
Ethnographic Research Impostor- Indonesia