being Jewish is fattening

mumoo

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 12:30 am

I've spent a little time on the hate making Shabbos thread. It reminded me that we buy, make and serve way too much food

not only Shabbos, but parlor meetings, kiddushes, weddings- our schools put out cookies and soda during teacher conferences!

Is this only an American thing? Is it only a Chicago thing? Is anyone else concerned that the food thing is out of control?

shininglight

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 4:12 am

I totally hear you.

I say, more fruit and vegetable platters at simchas and less rich trifles and chocolates!

It IS getting a bit out of hand.

purplegirl

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 4:31 am

Yeah, I hate the stereotype of Jews being overweight. You've got to have a lightning-speed metabolism to keep all the simchos and yomim tovim off your hips.

Also, the clean-your-plate mentality has made much of us deaf to feelings of satiation, and we just keep on eating even when we don't need any more.

My husband tells me to make less for shabbos, but I feel bad having nothing on the table for our guests, so I make another kugel, another side etc. because there's a way the table has to "look." When it was just us, I made very little, but I feel that for guests I have to go all out...

chocolate moose

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 10:01 am

I think it's more the idea of "simcha". We are not a poor society. In the olden days, they didn't have as much, so for them it was okay to indulge occaisonally.

Simcha means bread, meat and wine. Taking it futher is chocolate and cakes.....

greenfire

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 10:14 am

I just make the main dish with a side dish. Good and simple. Don't like things wasted and go overboard for fun once or twice a year.

Oh but we must always have dessert.

I don't understand when it is day after day of yom tov that people eat and eat and eat some more. I eat milchigs during the day.

yoyosma

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 10:16 am

While I agree that certain "Jewish" foods are very fattening, think of all of those fast food joints that sell hamburgers for 99 cents.
Why do you think most of middle America is considered obese?

Basya

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 10:21 am

By the time one Yom tov is over and you decide to go on a diet, the next yom tov, or simcha etc. comes along making that impossible!

Ruchel

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 10:26 am

In my experience, Jewish people eat too much and too unhealthy and are offended when you don't finish your plate (even better if you ask for more). And yes, few of them are thin....

ShiraMiri

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 12:16 pm

My husband's grandmother asked us what we had served at a shabbos meal we made for friends. When we told her she couldn't believe it. She said when she was younger with kids and working, if she had to make all those dishes she would NEVER have had company. She said in her day (in Chicago) people made simple meals. A cholent, challah, salad, 1 kugel OR gefilte fish before the cholent, some nosh (cookies, or nuts or candy). They served water and tea to drink.

Now, it's like you are serving the queen every time you prepare a meal with multiple courses - each fancier than the next. It is expensive, time consuming and much of the food is wasted.

But these days is like keeping up with the Joneses. Everyone serves so fancy and so much - you feel you must do the same when they come over. It's a vicious cycle.

happy2beme

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:01 pm

Quote:

While I agree that certain "Jewish" foods are very fattening, think of all of those fast food joints that sell hamburgers for 99 cents.
Why do you think most of middle America is considered obese?

yoyosma, I was just gonna post a similar thing!
can u imagine not being jewish & eating pork? how fattening is that!

DefyGravity

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:02 pm

Basya wrote:

By the time one Yom tov is over and you decide to go on a diet, the next yom tov, or simcha etc. comes along making that impossible!

It's difficult, but it's definitely not impossible.

queen

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:05 pm

Marney wrote:

But these days is like keeping up with the Joneses. Everyone serves so fancy and so much - you feel you must do the same when they come over. It's a vicious cycle.

so true!

When it's just dh and me for shabbos I cook a lot simpler than when we have company. My husband doesn't need it, and we don't eat that much either.......

shayna82

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:05 pm

non jewish life revolved around food too. I think blaming it on yomtovim and simchas is not the way to go.

people in general have low self control, and dont know when to stop eating. and get little to no exercise.

mumoo

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:19 pm

Marney wrote:

But these days is like keeping up with the Joneses. Everyone serves so fancy and so much - you feel you must do the same when they come over. It's a vicious cycle.

I think we should start in Chicago and break the cycle. Make it trendy to serve minimally.
My Rebbetzin doesn't overdo, and I never feel deprived there. Is the Torah atmoshphere at their table filling in other ways as well?

But of course it's not just Shabbos- and I agree with Shayna too-it's pretty much across the country. Do our Israeil and European friends see this in their countries also?

amother

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:27 pm

Shayna82 is right. the problem is self control. Funny thing , I remember in college a friend said he couldn't understand why frum girls would talk about diets. He felt we had unbeleivable selfcontrol, not eating anywhere,& no icecream after meat.Why can't we all display that selfcontrol more often? What's the matter with me?

shayna82

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:31 pm

its society, its eating to make you feel good... thers so much depression and stress in todays world, lots of people turn to food. it makes you feel good for the moment. but dosnt last too long. before you know, your like 50 pounds overweights with healthy problems.

for myself:

1. small amount of junk food on shabbos, only- kids know that, and its strictly enforced.

2. no crazy desserts, no crazy fatttnign main cources. lots of vedgies

3. exerice, excercise, exercise.

mumoo

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 1:39 pm

amother wrote:

I wonder why I can walk right ast a gorgeous milchik viennese table when I'm fleishik or pass up a heavenly smelling treife grill restaurant when I'm starving with no effort whatsoever!

can anyone list issurim doraisa (like Chofets Chaim did with Shemiras Haloashon) regarding overeating?

ShiraMiri

Thu, Dec 21 2006, 6:24 pm

Hmm.. not sure how reliable these sources are, but I ran across this conversation on the web:

"R. Mordechai Willig spoke recently about Gambling in Halakhah and answered all of the above questions in the negative. He quoted a 1972 article by R. Ahron Soloveichik in Tradition, in which the latter based the prohibition on the Sefer Ha-Hinukh's understanding of the verse "that you not stray after your own heart" (Numbers 15:39). This, R. Ahron Soloveichik argues based on the Hinukh, precludes becoming addicted to anything. R. Willig explicitly applies it to gambling, smoking, drugs and... overeating."

This is very difficult. First, lo sossuru is generally understood to need to lead to issur. Second, the ramban explicitly discusses overeating as naval brshus hatorah."

http://www.haloscan.com/commen.....9011/