A History Of Diets - Introduction
As human beings we require food to grow, reproduce and maintain good health. Without food our bodies could not stay warm or build and repair tissue or maintain a heartbeat. Ensuring that we obtain nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water) from the food we eat is essential if we are to avoid certain diseases or recover from illness.
Animals have a very simple relationship with food; they eat when they are hungry and when food is available in order to survive. As human beings our relationship with food has become far more complex, probably due to the fact that we have created a world in which for most of us food of all types is readily available.
It seems ironic that for thousands of years man struggled to get enough to eat and as soon as there was plentiful supply some people started to get fat. Nowadays, being on a diet seems to be constant state of affairs for many people. In fact it is estimated that nearly 60% of adult women in Britain are on a diet at any given time.
As human beings we require food to grow, reproduce and maintain good health. Without food our bodies could not stay warm or build and repair tissue or maintain a heartbeat. Ensuring that we obtain nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water) from the food we eat is essential if we are to avoid certain diseases or recover from illness.
Animals have a very simple relationship with food; they eat when they are hungry and when food is available in order to survive. As human beings our relationship with food has become far more complex, probably due to the fact that we have created a world in which for most of us food of all types is readily available.
It seems ironic that for thousands of years man struggled to get enough to eat and as soon as there was plentiful supply some people started to get fat. Nowadays, being on a diet seems to be constant state of affairs for many people. In fact it is estimated that nearly 60% of adult women in Britain are on a diet at any given time.