This past week, my intern was assigned a research paper in which she had to observe customers in a local McDonald’s and their reactions to the newly posted calorie count on their menus. After telling me that she saw absolutely zero change in their reactions to the astronomical calories posted beneath each combo meal the customers ordered, I began to wonder why people seemed to have no problem consuming such unhealthy food. I don’t think the problem necessarily lies with McDonald’s but with its customers and their eating habits. Why do people choose to pay for this unhealthy food to eat? Many researchers studying this topic believe it is due to the lack of knowledge and education about proper nutrition as well as our culture. People do care about what they’re eating, but they may not understand what eating healthy really means.
An old Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” While it is nearly impossible for one person to change our entire society and our knowledge and habits regarding proper nutrition, we can definitely change our own and our family’s. We all probably get on the Internet at least once a day. During this time, why not read an article or two about eating healthy or looking up a healthy recipe? (I know I’m preaching to the choir right now, because you’re obviously already doing that!)
The most important thing is to know what you are putting into your body. One of my favorite Bible verses is “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,” Jeremiah 1:5. I believe that God took a lot of time planning and working on each and every one of us, right down to the shape of our belly button. I don’t know exactly how long God spent on each of us, but I’m guessing it was more than the time we have each taken to work on a craft or home improvement project. And I do know that He gets very upset when we do not treasure His masterpieces, in this case, our bodies. Eating healthy is about taking care of one of the most beautiful and powerful things that the Lord has given you. Art curators spend years educating themselves about how to properly take care of and display famous pieces of art, and, like them, we must take the time to educate ourselves about taking care of our own masterpieces that God Himself created.