This is a guest post by Simmons University Dietetic Intern Jessica Xu.
Looking back into your own life, it can be interesting to think about your “food story”. What does food mean to you? What was your food culture growing up? Where do your current food rules come from? When did food become more than just food? To many of us, food plays a large role in our lives, such as how it makes us feel, how it impacts the people around us, and how it relates to our culture. In honor of AAPI heritage month, I want to take the time to discuss the impact food has on Asian American populations, along with the impacts of diet culture, body bias, and disordered eating.
Generational Perceptions of Food in Asian American Families
Growing up in a Chinese household, food was practically a love language in itself. It was a way for my grandparents and parents to show their love and care, as they always made sure to check if I was hungry. In response, it was a sign of respect to finish what they gave me, and a level of shame if I didn’t complete what was offered. Food often serves more purposes than just nourishment, but we also have to consider the complications of family expectations, and the social standards of what it means to be “Asian”. Many of us can relate the experience of family members both encouraging us to eat in fear of us being hungry, yet simultaneously fat shaming us and setting the expectation to remain thin.
Looking at the different values of Asian culture, the words that typically pop up are community, family, respect, hard work, and discipline. In many Asian households, parents are oftentimes put on a pedestal to know what is right for us, and it remains our responsibility as the future generation to maintain their expectations. After all, they were the ones who sacrificed so much and worked so hard for a better future for us. These burdens of expectations force us to work harder, usually with the fear of failure looming over us, whether it’s for grades, career choices, and future income. At the same time, we’re also pushed to downplay our struggles, as generations before us struggled even harder, with the notion that we should at least be grateful for the environment we were provided.
But the one failure that doesn’t get enough visibility is the topic of weight. Looking at diet culture today, being “overweight” is seen as being lazy and having a lack of discipline, which goes directly against Asian values. In part of the hardships our parents went through often comes with the trauma of food insecurity. This then ties back to how they show their love, as providing food means they have succeeded in being able to provide for their families, and allows us to be well nourished and healthy. Yet these good intentions suddenly spiral into contradictions and shame the moment we break out of the body norms that are placed on us. Worst yet is growing up observing the body dissatisfaction within our parents and listening to their harsh remarks to their own bodies. The highly critical and hypocritical environment makes it difficult to cherish and love your own body, especially when it’s a learned behavior that comes from our parents.
Perception of Asian Cuisine in America
Throughout my years of living as an Asian American, I have noticed shifts in the way Asian culture is perceived in America, yet so many aspects have stayed the same. I remember starting elementary school, and being ashamed to bring my dumplings, red bean soup, and other traditional meals for lunch, as they were typically labeled as “smelly and weird”. Yet throughout recent years, there has been a new embrace of Asian cuisine. The number of ethnic restaurants have increased in certain areas, and there has been new-found appreciation of certain foods.
At the same time, there are stereotypes that exist against Asian foods, such as the ethics, cleanliness, and healthiness of it all. MSG has always been painted in a negative light, yet there is no concrete evidence that MSG has any impacts on health. When complimenting the Asian diet, it often comes from praising how thin Asians are based on popular media. Simultaneously, there is criticism for the rice, raw foods, sugar, and flavorings that are present within our cuisine. This puts a standard of what “healthy ethnic foods” are, and puts an unfair expectation that the only purpose food has is nourishment.
Current Statistics on Asian American Eating Disorder Prevalence
In the current research available, Asian populations are seen to have an equal, if not higher, risk of developing eating disorders to their caucasian counterparts. These risks are then increased with biculturalism, where Asian Americans need to balance both cultures. In a society where we are expected to give our best and follow the stereotypes given to us, there is a high amount of pressure we give ourselves to perform. Then we look at the beauty standards in many Asian countries- pale, thin, and dainty. For men, there is also the added expectation to be muscular, but to still maintain the thin ideal. When balancing both cultures and body expectations that are placed upon us, there is no wonder why the prevalence of eating disorders is so high.
Yet even with these increased rates of eating disorders, there are also several barriers to receiving help, and getting diagnosed in the first place. Some studies showed that Asian American populations are 50% less likely to reach out for professional medical help, and this likelihood decreases in regards to mental health. Back to the common Asian values, mental illnesses and eating disorders are seen as a sign of weakness and as an individual issue. Asians have also been perceived as the “model minority” in America, making it even harder to even admit to ourselves that we need help. This AAPI heritage month, I hope to bring increased awareness to the prevalence of eating disorders within the Asian American community. It can be so easy to feel alone in this space, and it’s important to speak out about our experiences to promote seeking out help.
References:
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