Do I look like a nut to you?
Digital Vision/Getty Images
In a January 6, 2010 article, Devra First of Boston.com declares: "The Boston area isn't generally thought of as a health food mecca." She goes on to explain that prime rib, fried seafood, and boiled dinner represent Boston's "conservative culinary roots" and thus, it should "come as no surprise that the vegetarian, vegan, and raw restaurants that thrive in other cities have cropped up at a slower pace here." Then the punch line: "Yet eating for health has a long history in the area."
I could have a field day with First's use of the adjective "conservative" to describe prime rib and fried seafood as "culinary roots." But even more compelling is her unabashed admission that these roots have little or nothing to do with "eating for health." I've written about this in another context before but it all comes down to how we speak and what we accept as "normal." Only in a culture overwhelmed by corporate propaganda could the term "health food" exist.
WATCH VIDEO: Is Ed Begley a "nut" for riding his bike?
Americans regularly vow to find a better job, learn to speak a foreign language, save money, read more, watch TV less, and, of course, get themselves in shape. But watch out: Too much chatter about taking responsibility for one's own mental and physical fitness just might get you labeled a "health nut."
Human beings can eat junk food till their arteries scream for mercy without ever running the risk of being called a "disease nut." However, frequent use of words like organic or vegan will send up a red flag.
Feel free to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day; no one will call you a fanatic or zealot. But be wary of how much time you spend at the gym or yoga class or running track. That kind of behavior is reserved for obsessed people.
Sit on the couch all night. Make no effort to avoid hydrogenated oils. Consume those sugary desserts. You'll fit right in. Joining a food co-op or slapping a filter on your faucet could get you added to a no-fly list. You might as well wear a neon sign on your forehead that flashes: PSYCHOTIC. But stay strong. It was William S. Burroughs who once made clear:
"A psychotic is someone who has just find out what's going on."
