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On the omnivore's dilemma: our challenging relation to food indicates more profound challenges for the future.

Article Excerpt
Food is central to human existence, but in the West this relationship has undergone a transformation. On the one hand, our increasingly marginal relation to the food we eat means that we often do not know where our food comes from, or the political and economic factors behind its production. We scan the packaging to see what's in it; we get anxious about whether we eat too much or too little of a certain product, or whether we should eat it at all.

The cultural frames which govern our connection to food have also changed. The act of eating is paid little attention; meals are increasingly consumed in cars or in front of the TV or computer screen. In many cases we do not cook what we eat; fast food takeaways and restaurants have increasingly become the norm.

On the other hand, we are obsessed with food as a cultural signifier. Food shows are everywhere on television and the rise of the chef as rock-star figure is well documented. Even here there are multiple species of celebrity chefs--each occupying micro-niches of culinary fantasy--from the straight-laced Delia Smith to the gonzo stylings of Anthony Bourdain. Their appeal to a large audience, many of whom will probably never cook the meals displayed, indicates that food is still important to us, but not necessarily because we need to eat it.

Amidst this cultural revolution we see other reversals. Food and class are still linked, but the overweight are now likely to be poor, rather than...