Eating Habits

You might think that how you eat is your personal choice, but one study found that the amount you spend on food is largely determined by your culture. Take for instance Asians, who spend about three times what a typical American does on food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Meat and dairy are among the most expensive in the world in China, where people eat more than 3 billion servings of low-cost rice every day. Rice consumption in China has been growing for decades as people choose to eat rice over meat because fungi are cheaper and more abundant in rice. Poor families often choose to eat rice because rice is easy to feel satisfied

On the other hand, in India, meat and dairy consumption levels are also among the highest in the world, with two-thirds of income being spent on food due to relatively high prices. In 2004, a working class family in Mumbai spent 75 rupees (about us RM4.25) per person per day on food . In the study, people were found searching bins outside a McDonald's restaurant in Mumbai for unsold fast food. This insatiable behaviour , along with the growing number of fast food chains in cities, means India is a hungrier country with endless food problems.

In Mexico, where a meat-rich diet is relatively cheap, people don't mind eating more meat than in more expensive countries due to its low price. The global average amount per person of meat consumption is 12 kilograms, but in Mexico it is merely 6 kilograms. An increase in consumption levels has been seen as Mexican agriculture has become more specialized and livestock production has expanded for export with increasing commercialization . This is not just a personal choice as Mexico has been seen to be in the grip of an obesity epidemic since the 1980s.

In contrast, in developed Western countries where meat consumption is expensive, people tend to eat less meat. For example, citizens in Norway only spend about 1 dollar (RM4.40) per person per day on food. In contrast, to the about 10 dollars spent by Americans each day on food. The country has also seen a rise in demand for locally produced products and a growing interest for organic foods, with supermarkets especially selling organic and natural food.

In conclusion, how much you spend on food depends a lot on your culture. In China, people consume a lot of rice, it is because the price of the diary and meat is quite expensive. In India, they need to use their two-third of income being spent on food , although their income is not too high. In Mexico, people don't mind eating more meat than in more expensive countries due to its low price.