Kathlyn Gay

Chapter 1 excerpt

If you are a sports fan—whether it is football, baseball, hockey, or basketball—one part of enjoying the game as a spectator usually means hailing a vendor for refreshments.

If you like video games, you and your friends may gather to compete—and indulge in snacks and drinks.

If you go to a movie at a theater with friends or family, you might snack on a large tub or bucket of popcorn.

If you take part in or attend a school graduation, you may go to a congratulatory dinner, a picnic for graduates, or other food-based event.

If you like to meet with classmates or friends after the school day is over, you may join your group at a favorite pizza or other fast-food place.

If you are invited to a birthday party, you, like most guests, will probably expect part of the festivities to include cake, ice cream, and a soft drink.

Whenever and wherever teenagers (or for that matter any group of people) gather, food and beverages are likely to be consumed. “Interaction over food is the single most important feature of socializing,” according to anthropologist Sidney Mintz, at Johns Hopkins University. “The food becomes the carriage that conveys feelings back and forth.”

The old saying “Eat, drink, and be merry” often rings true on social occasions. But numerous experts on food and nutrition have some words of caution: Have fun, but be aware that some foods and beverages do little or nothing for your health and could even be harmful. For example, people are often tempted to eat and drink more than they need or really want when they socialize. If a person overeats too often, she or he may gain unwanted pounds. Here is how Professor Brian Wansink of Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes it:

One of life’s greatest pleasures is to share food with family and friends. What we don’t always realize is how strongly our family and friends inf luence what we eat. When we’re with people we enjoy, we often lose track of how much we’re eating. We eat longer than we otherwise would, and we let others set the pace for how fast and how much we eat. . . . When we’re with people we like, we tend to eat for longer than when we’re by ourselves. . . . On average, if you eat with one other person, you’ll eat about 35 percent more than you otherwise would. If you eat with a group of seven or more, you’ll eat nearly twice as much—96 percent more—than you would if you were eating alone.

Besides the social issue, it is common for many Americans to eat more than usual when they are stressed or unhappy. Other behavioral, economic, and cultural factors related to food may lead to diverse health problems.