Americans have a calorie imbalance with the rest of the world. Historically speaking, obesity is considered a sign of wealth, and America is the wealthiest society in the history of the world. Americans are gluttons relative to the rest of the world.
The first French restaurant and food critic, Grimod de la Reyniere, often described showing up to dinner on an empty stomach worse then committing a violent crime. On an empty stomach, we tend to shovel food into our mouths, to satisfy our immediate hunger. If we are famished with immediate hunger, do we really do a chef’s cuisine justice, in appreciating it for what it truly is?
Food and water are one of our most basic needs— but—chefs and gastronomes are artists elevating one of our basic needs into a symphony of flavors—and—do we do them justice when we have starved ourselves all day waiting for them to feed us? We eat faster when stomachs growl and slower when moderately nourished.
We have become accustomed to consuming 20 ounce bone-in ribeyes, accompanied with mashed potatoes and asparagus lathered in Hollandaise Sauce—all in one sitting. We have become a materialistic consumption society with reckless disregard for understanding the virtue of moderation and balance. The noble art of moderation derives from the balance and wisdom of nature.
