Elvis Gonsalves
Dimapur
“1 smoky grilled bucket, 3 large Pepsi and 3 zinger meal boxes with extra fries”
Azo declares impatiently as the young lady finally orders after spending a luxurious couple of minutes gazing at the colourful illuminated menu, much to the distress of the serpentine queue behind her, on a bustling Friday afternoon at one of the most popular new fast food chain.
It could only be a matter of minutes before the smiling cashier-cum-server diligently sort out his orders in a tray and hand it over to him, for him to whisk it away to his drooling two young sons.
“They keep pestering me to take them here every day ever since that day their mother took one of the boys here for his birthday.” Azo smiles.
“And to be honest, I enjoy coming here as much as them”
This multinational fast food chain inaugurated just a year ago has seen many Azos and their demanding children who could never in their wildest dreams queue up for anything else except some crispy deep fried chickens sizzling with cleverly marketed catchphrases and dubious dose of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
What is this MSG?
MSG is a naturally occurring non-essential amino acids found in tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, etc. and is used as a taste enhancer as it increases the meaty and savoury flavor of the food.
What are its effects?
In one of the research published in November 2009 issue of the ‘International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine’, researchers found that MSG has the ability to cause what is known as excito-toxicity which refers to the ability of Glutamate to cause damage by over stimulating neurons, leading to cell death. Researchers also noted that boiling/heating MSG did not alter its toxicity.
This ability of MSG to over stimulate the nervous system and cause inflammatory responses is also substantiated by Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of the book ‘Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills’.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes MSG as safe within a permissible dosage but its counterparts in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) considers it far more harmful as it is cited to show signs of discomfort among sensitive people or even long term effects.
Typical MSG complaints include:
-Burning sensation in the mouth, head and neck.
-Headaches.
-Weakness of the arms or legs.
-Upset stomach. -Hives or other allergic type reactions with the skin.
Recent conclusive studies have also shown that it can destroy the retina and parts of the brain. It is also particularly harmful for pregnant women and nursing mothers as infants and very young children are susceptible to brain damage and underdevelopment.
The Maggi debacle that was played out in national media in 2015 when the UP Food Safety and Drug Administration tested it positive for MSG with questionable dose of lead contrary to their “No MSG” label on their 2-Minutes Noodles packets is one such example of deceptive marketing food companies are willing to go just to push their sales figures. Nevertheless when the Maggi ban took effect, Nestle (The parent company of Maggi) reported its first loss in three decades at Rs 64 Crores in the April-June 2015 quarter.
But some companies like McDonalds clarifies on their website that they don’t use MSG but use other Glutamate substitutes.
Widespread use of MSG in fast foods is just the tip of the iceberg.
Now the elephant in the room- obesity and fast foods.
Fast foods in conjunction with other factors like genetics, exercise regime, etc. makes up the major impetus for obesity related health complications.
The frequency of visits by individuals is directly correlated with their weight. According to a 15 years study of 3000 adults, people who visited fast food restaurants more than twice per week gained roughly 4-5 Kgs more than people who visited them less than once per week.
America, the home of most of these fast food chains, is already grappling with an obesity epidemic with 75% of the American population likely to be overweight and obese by 2020. The US Center for Disease and Control puts the current obesity figure at one-third of the population which has seen an ominous increase from 7% in 1980 to 20% in 2008 in children between 6-11 years.
Obesity leads to much more than simple weight gain. It has linked to a number of health complications, some of which are life-threatening: -Type 2 diabetes
-Heart disease.
-High blood pressure
-Cancer -Stroke
-Fatty liver disease.
-High Cholesterol.
-Arthritis.
-Infertility.
As the Obesity rates goes up so does the unprecedented strain on existing healthcare infrastructures. The global annual medical cost treating serious consequences of obesity is expected to reach $ 1.2 billion per day by 2025 with a staggering $ 13 billion annually for India alone.
But Nagas and obesity?
Yes, the lean and healthy Nagas with their exquisite and sometimes esoteric dietary habits but nevertheless healthy, have all the reasons to be concerned about the recent foreign invasion of these slow killing poison masquerading as wholesome family nutrition.
Health conscious Americans are now making a transition en mass to organic foods and are even ready to pay a premium for it whereas in Nagaland, these overpriced junk foods are idolized and patronized by the young population in their misconstrued sense of “coolness” deliberately marketed by Hollywood and advertising agencies. The Nagas have much to lose given its rich culinary heritage, that if may make a not-so-ridiculous hyperbole, could be lost to the younger generation now being brought up on monotonous and mass produced burgers, fries and Pepsis.
It would indeed be a very sorry sight to witness in the future where a tribal Morung during Hornbill festival showcasing foods devoid of any cultural history or heritage, or to even one’s horror, fried chickens and burgers (of course by popular demand).
