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Madeline Leamy

English 137

Professor Babcock

November 3, 2017

Food for Thought

1980. The era of the low-fat diet was at its peak. 1990. Whatever you do, do not eat

carbs. 2000. Scratch that diet, now just eat all protein. 2017. Organic, gluten-free, vegan,

vegetarian—whatever floats your boat. This is what America has seen to be the evolution of

dieting and healthy eating practices. Throughout these decades, personal dietary decisions have

been altered as a result of social influences, socioeconomic influences, and marketing and

advertisement growth. Prior to determining the influences and the extent to which they affected

people’s eating habits, one must understand the organic eating trend and how it came into

existence.

For those who are unaware, organically grown crops follow a strict set of rules set by the

United States Department of Agriculture. Aside from the commonly known fact that organically

grown crops are prohibited from containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the United

States Department of Agriculture states that, “operations must demonstrate that they are

protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and using only approved substances”

(United States Department of Agriculture). Within organic food trend “umbrella,” there are often

people who adopt regimens of vegetarianism, veganism, or even gluten-free diets. Vegetarianism

is refraining from eating meat, while veganism is refraining from eating all animal products.

Those who are gluten-free will refrain from eating foods such as bread, pasta, and other

carbohydrates, as they contain gluten and will cause an unwanted reaction. Fittingly enough,
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“organic food sales in the United States last year hit a new high, reaching $39.7 billion”

(Watrous). This just goes to show how popular the trend has come to be. In the simplest of terms,

organic farming was brought to America with the intention of improving the health and lives of

humans and other animals. What is extremely interesting is the fact that this is not the motivation

for many people to eat organically. That being said, personal dietary decisions, such as choosing

to consume organic food, can be altered as a result of social influences.

Social influences play a key role in determining how popular a trend comes to be—

especially a trend like a diet. A consumer can choose whether or not he or she is exposed to such

influences. For instance, one way that influence is exerted onto the public is through social

media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (Holmberg). Here, people can share the

methods that they use to eat healthy, which typically involves organic eating. People will post

pictures that are aesthetically appealing, which prompts others to want to join in on the trend.

These social media platforms are highly populated by celebrities trying to promote what they do,

such as shopping at Whole Foods (Lipson). For example, celebrities like The Office’s Mindy

Kaling and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres take to Twitter to express their allegiance to Whole

Foods, which claims to be “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” (It’s Finally Fall). Whole

Foods is notorious for selling goods without artificial preservatives, colors, or sweeteners. Whole

Foods is known to be an expensive grocery store, but with high prices comes high quality food

that is often organic, or boasts to be gluten free or vegan.

That being said, these words, “gluten free” and “vegan” are often tossed around

frequently. People have been self-diagnosing allergies, which has in fact become a social issue.

Many are claiming that they are intolerant to foods that contain gluten. Instead of receiving a

proper diagnosis, people are assuming that they have an allergy; this could be credited to the fact
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that people who are gluten-free typically boast and inform others about it on social media. They

share symptoms and hypochondriac tendencies emerge, making people feel as though they

would feel much better if they adopted the diet that others have adopted. Social media presence

is just one of the many influential factors that contributed to the rise in popularity of organic

eating.

An additional social factor that seems obscure at first is the fact that gender plays a role

in determining what foods one will eat. In a study of 4,064 participants, it was concluded that

women were 21% more likely to consume organic food than males (Curl). This is a very

interesting concept, because it throws accessibility and affordability out the window, making

people aware of the fact that just because something is accessible to a population does not mean

that people will utilize these resources. This then prompts an additional discussion about

education surrounding healthy eating. In terms of education accessibility, people who live in

wealthier areas may have access to materials that will educate them on the benefits of eating

organically grown crops and raised animals. However, it is important to address the study at

hand, making one question whether women are more willing to put in effort to educate

themselves about dieting practices than men. Gender is a social influence that can be paired with

age. As according to the study at hand, it appears as though women are more receptive to organic

diets. This same premise can be seen in consumers of certain ages, as well.

Personal dieting preferences can be influenced by age. Most of the research today shows

that the millennial generation is most susceptible to adopting an organic diet. It has been found

that half of the organic consumers are in fact millennials. Their reasoning is that the organic label

is trustworthy and reliable (Watrous). Millennials are very open minded and willing to try new

things such as organic foods, meanwhile, other older generations may be skeptical and are not as
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willing to trust a label as millennials. Age is surely a contributing factor when it comes to

making personal dietary decisions.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, it is clear that consumers choose the social

influences to which they expose themselves, thus proving that these social influences can impact

dietary decisions. Not only do social influences play a crucial role in determining whether people

will alter their diets, but socioeconomic factors contribute to this decision, as well.

Socioeconomic factors, in the simplest of terms, rest on the premise of drawing social and

economic influences together. The social aspect of such factors can be explained by the belief

that people will eat organic because they are under the impression that it is making an impact on

their lives or the lives of others. The rise of the organic trend can be explained by people’s innate

desire to impact the area in which they live. This can be seen with the increase in popularity of

farmers markets, roadside produce stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA). These

three produce hubs have several traits in common, but the main trait to keep in consideration is

the fact that they are all small, often local businesses. It has been said that, “CSA is also a great

way to support local farmers and build resiliency into the local economy” (Sjöberg). Consumers

are getting a high-quality food that was most likely harvested within the last 24 hours, while

farmers need not worry about the daunting fact that their business may not be successful. This is

a really strong incentive for both parties—the farmer will continue to grow organic foods with

the intention of having consumers to purchase it. Both parties win, showing that the popularity of

eating organic can certainly stem from wanting to help a local business in need (Klavinski). The

desire to help local businesses is not the only factor that has contributed to the rise of organic

food consumption. On the economic side of socioeconomic factors, financial backgrounds play a

key role in determining what personal dietary changes people can make in their lives.
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People that have money and a stable financial standing will typically be able to afford

organic goods, thus having the capability of changing their personal diet, while those living in

lower economic states will struggle to afford organic goods. That being said, the wealth of an

individual and the location in which they live are surely related. In terms of location, people that

live in rich, suburban areas would typically have more funding for higher priced foods.

Furthermore, suburban areas also have many grocery stores, while urban cities do not have as

many accessible grocery stores that are readily selling organic goods that are fresh. It is

important to note that, “organic farms are growing less food and often at a higher price”

(Krasny), which makes organic food a hot commodity. People that live in areas where organic

food is accessible to them have an advantage over those who do not live in these areas. It is very

clear that demographics and location play a key role in determining what foods are accessible

and popular among people. In terms of discussing reasons why consumers’ diets have changed to

incorporate organic foods, a very big motivating factor is the way in which organic materials are

presented to consumers through the usage of marketing and advertising.

Marketing and advertising factors are influential when determining whether people will

adopt an organic diet. Starting with marketing, companies tend to adopt marketing platforms in

order to appeal to those who will buy organic. It has been said that people are more inclined to

buy foods if they have an organic label, so they can be “[marketed] at a higher price point”

(Krasny). Marketing aside, organic foods are surely expensive. In a study done with the Public

Library of Science, it was determined that young people who are employed tend to be able to

afford and will purchase organic food (Curl). Similar to marketing, advertising is a contributing

factor when it comes to discussing how eating trends have shifted towards incorporating more

organic goods into personal diets. Big companies will advertise to try to gain the attention and
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support of people. A really timely example of this is the fact that Amazon bought Whole Foods

and has been advertising the fact that an Amazon Prime membership will be the system of

rewards that Whole Foods is using. And even better in terms of advertisement, Amazon is

boasting that they will be cutting the current prices at Whole Foods by 43%; now healthier,

trendier foods will be more accessible to people of all economic backgrounds (Kaplan). Strong

advertisements from big name companies such as Amazon will surely draw people in, making

them want to adopt a diet that incorporates goods from Whole Foods. With that in mind, the

goods at Whole Foods that contain an organic label will become even more covetable.

Advertising allows for companies to boast a product that they believe can be marketed at a

higher price. Combined, these are strategic methods that convince people to change their

personal diets.

It is very clear that over time, eating trends have shifted. People are no longer focusing on

consuming items that are labeled as “low-fat” or “low-carb” but rather, they are taking a more

holistic approach to eating, and incorporating all food groups with the intention of eating high-

quality items from these food groups. This is where the organic food trend comes into play, as

organic foods are produced with the intention of removing potentially dangerous risks to

consumers, such as pesticide exposure. The cause of this shift can be traced back to the rise of

including social influences, socioeconomic influences, marketing and advertising. Even as early

as the 1980s, there were diets sweeping the nation, reeling in many supporters. And this can

surely be attributed to celebrity influences, just like the organic food trends today. Whether in the

past or present, the town or city in which one lives and financial standing impact whether one

will adopt an organic diet. Unlike the past, the rise of local businesses and CSAs have created a

convenience factor for consumers, and these small, quaint experiences keep consumers coming
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back for more. They believe that they are aiding local businesses and the local economy, but by

doing this, they are indirectly helping themselves with an organic diet. Furthermore, marketing

and advertising techniques appeal to Americans, reeling them in to want to eat organically.

On that note, it is important to attend to the question of whether there will come a point

where organic foods will be accessible to everyone in America. This seems like a very

impossible task for any society to accomplish. The accessibility of organic foods in the future

depends on whether social influences will continue to drive consumers to make decisions. Social

media is very prevalent in society at this current moment, but this is subject to change. If the

organic eating trend continues to rise, more farms will be needed. If there are more farms

harvesting organic goods, prices could drop, thus allowing those of all economic statuses to

consume organic goods. Nevertheless, the town or city in which one lives comes into play yet

again, making it very clear that there will not be a time where the best foods will be accessible to

all citizens of America, as cities currently do not have the capability to accommodate such a

trend.

Putting all of these factors into consideration, it is very clear that some influences that

prompt Americans’ personal dietary decisions have remained constant over time, while new,

more advanced influences have emerged. As one can see, dietary trends have changed a lot since

1980, and it is quite possible that the trends of 2017 are nothing but a phase. Just like the trends

from nearly forty years ago, they are not permanent. One can only imagine what personal dietary

decisions will emerge in the future if eating trends continue to evolve as drastically as they have

today.
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Works Cited

Curl, Cynthia L., Shirley A. A. Beresford, Anjum Hajat, Joel D. Kaufman, Kari Moore, Jennifer A.

Nettleton, and Ana V. Diez-Roux. "Associations of Organic Produce Consumption with

Socioeconomic Status and the Local Food Environment: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

(MESA)." PLOS ONE. Public Library of Science, 31 July 2013. Web.

Gallup, Inc. "Forty-Five Percent of Americans Seek Out Organic Foods." Gallup.com. Gallup Inc, 07

Aug. 2014. Web.

Holmberg, Christopher. "Food and Social Media -- A Complicated Relationship." The Huffington Post.

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 05 Mar. 2014. Web.

"It's Finally Fall." Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods Market, 2017. Web.

Kaplan, Jennifer, and Matthew Boyle. "Amazon Cuts Whole Foods Prices as Much as 43% on First

Day." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 28 Aug. 2017. Web.

Klavinski, Rita. "7 Benefits of Eating Local Foods." MSU Extension. Michigan State University, 13 Apr.

2013. Web.

Krasny, Jill. "Economist Tyler Cowen Says Organic Foods Are Just A 'Marketing Label'." Business

Insider. Business Insider, 19 Sept. 2012. Web.

Lake, Laura. "What's the Difference Between Marketing and Advertising?" The Balance. The Balance,

10 May 2017. Web.

Lipson, Debra. "Celebs Obsessed with Whole Foods." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com,

18 Oct. 2013. Web.

Lockie, Stewart, Kristen Lyons, Geoffrey Lawrence, and Kerry Mummery. "Eating ‘Green’:

Motivations Behind Organic Food Consumption in Australia." Wiley Online Library. 2002.

Wiley Online Library. Wiley Online Library. Web.

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Pomeroy, Steven Ross. "Are You Really Gluten-Intolerant? Maybe Not." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 16

May 2014. Web.

Sjöberg, Daniel, Ben Reade, Nordic Food Lab, Anna Sigrithur, John Robb, Kirsten Dirksen, Pat Henry,

Walden Labs, and Paul Clarke. "The Future of CSAs (Community Supported

Agriculture)." Walden Labs. Walden Labs, 10 Sept. 2013. Web.

United States Department of Agriculture. "Organic Standards." Organic Standards. United States

Department of Agriculture, 2017. Web.

Watrous, Monica. "Millennials Pushing Organic to New Heights." Food Business News. Sosland

Publishing Company, 23 Sept. 2016. Web.