Food Writing

Submitted By cockmeat274
Words: 1074
Pages: 5

Food writing has evolved throughout the years; it began merely as a simple recipe, depicting instructions on how to create unique cuisines. However, as time progressed and as writing evolved, food has become not only a substance for survival, but also a cultural phenomenon. Food writing cannot be categorized as a genre itself, but an issue in which utilizes a wide range of subgenres. Such genres include: recipes, blogs, memoirs, food dieting, and reviews. Therefore, the dieting genre can be described as a distinct category of its own, in which it provokes and inform readers to physically react in order to better their physical and mental health. Thus, diets are designed to help individuals make changes in their usual eating habits or food selection. Some special diets involve changes in the overall diet, such as diets for people needing to gain or lose weight or eat more healthfully. Therefore, maintaining a healthy diet involves a balance of behavioral, psychological, environmental, and biological factors. Once these needs are fulfilled, then good and healthy behaviors of dieting are obtained, resulting in the gratitude of weight loss. The article, Dieting: Good Or Bad? Written by Maghan L. Butryn and Michael R. Lowe, depicts the difference of good dieting versus bad dieting. This article, through food writing, describes that dieting is at an alarming increase in the obesity epidemic, individuals are therefore resorting to dieting. Food writers, Butyn and Lowe inform and persuade readers, that in order to shed the pounds correctly one must diet correctly. However, in order to understand the effects of good and bad dieting, there must be a line of inquiry on the effectiveness of dieting. Thus, creating controversy on its influences on medical and psychiatric health. According to Meghan L. Butryn and Michael R. Lowe, in which informs the reader that “determining how “good” or “bad” dieting is involves three central issues: the effectiveness of dieting, its physical or biological effects, and its psychological effects” (Butryn, Lowe 184). Thus, both of these dietary writers imply the “cause and effect” rhetorical strategy; a writing strategy in which focuses on the reasons of an issue and the consequent effects. For example, both Lowe and Butryn set up a central focus on the effects of why dieting the correct way will help an individual lose weight. Furthermore, both Loew and Butryn indicate that there are several types of dieting: “dieting programs that are researched at university clinics, commercial dieting programs, and self-guided dieting” (Buytrn, Lowe pg. 185). However, they state “individuals who seek treatment from university-based clinics have more psychiatric problems and a longer history of unsuccessful dieting (Buytrn, Lowe pg. 185). The importance of this is that although there are several dieting techniques and methods, it does not necessarily mean that they are all beneficial. On the contrary, regardless of the weight-loss method, effect dieters eat low-fat, low-calorie diets, and engage in high levels of physical activity. Moreover, The National Weight Control Registry has stated “of over 5,000 individuals who have lost approximately 66 pounds and maintained that lost for approximately five years” (Butryn, Lowe pg. 186). As a result, both dietary writers provoke and inform readers that although there are several dieting methods, one must always maintain a low intake on calories and fats as well as maintaining a scheduled physical activity. Moreover, dietary food writing is depicted as a proposal to explain and induce readers to diet correctly. Additionally, Butryn’s and Lowe’s writing, inform readers that the physical effects of maintaining a diet correctly will retain a weight loss. They state “weight loss tends to produce changes in bodily functions that encourage weight regain” (Butrym, Lowe pg. 186). Informing readers that although the initial weight is lost, a correct diet continues after the