To what extent are the foods which humans consume ...

To what extent are the foods which humans consume a direct response to the physiological demands of the body, or the product of social and ecological constraints?
“Humans may make food, but they don’t make it just as they please” (Karl Marx)
The question of human physiological demands in regards to nutrition is a complex and far-reaching one. It crosses the disciplines of nutritional anthropology, material culture and even religious practice. In the book Every One Eats by E.N Anderson, an 18th Century poet named Ryokan is quoted as saying:
“Everyone eats rice but know one knows why people may laugh at me when I say this but instead of laughing along with them but take a step back think it over and never let up…the time will come when you really have something worth laughing at”
(Anderson 2005).
This phrase encapsulates the uncertainty amongst anthropologists and nutritionists alike in regards to human nutritional demands. In order to fully address this question the essay uses socio-biological theory to stimulate challenges against holistic views on nutrition. Clearly there is an element to which humans have physiological constraints on what they can eat; however this discussion shows that human adaptability and evolution can challenge even the most rigid proposals of nutritional limitation. Evidently food goes beyond simply feeding an individual, and functionally the impact of food in medicine and the prevention of disease are also important both culturally and biologically.
In order to fully appreciate the discussion, it is perhaps first appropriate to contextualize elements of the nutritional needs of a human. Before attempting to set out rigid quotas of human needs it is important to always remain aware of key changes in professional opinion. Additionally when we talk about needs and requirements, especially in a modern context, it is important to remember that in defining needs, this can have a huge impact on assistance and aid to the poorest people. Some 20% of the world are malnourished, however if we judged these people on accepted western values the figure doubles. (Dawson and Tiffin 1980).When we analyze these figures it is important to take established measures. In regards to protein, sourced from meat, fish and dairy products in modern populations, it has always been difficult to find a consensus as to the human minimum requirement. This is highlighted by a change in estimate of 180 grams per day when analyzing Scottish labourers, to 60 grams per day if we examine some of the poorest people on the planet. (Milward and Rivers 1988). Broadly speaking, this is because human activity can have a great impact on the “needs” of the body. When energy is used up to a large level, humans inevitably require greater rates of consumption. Examples of humans coping with very low protein and calorific figures are people of interior Zambia, who practice something akin ...