A Dubious Distinction

One of the signature dishes at a Decatur, Ga., eatery --- bacon-cheeseburger served on a Krispy Kreme donut --- attests to why the South has earned the dubious distinction as the nation’s stroke belt.

As the Associated Press’s Daniel Yee writes, “health officials have been trying to get diners to flinch, at least a little, at the region’s famed fried and fatty foods” --- but, it would seem, to no avail.

Even the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is marshaling the nationwide campaign against obesity, is not completely guilt free, serving “artery-clogging biscuits regional favorites (such) as biscuits and gravy” in its cafeteria.

Health officials have fanned out to community centers and churches, preaching the new gospel of low-fat alternatives to traditional southern fare – more vegetables, though without the usual flavoring with bacon and meat drippings, and a lot less frying.

Yee also includes an interest quote pointing out that southern cuisine is the product of culture AND necessity.

Frying was eminently practical in the region’s hot climate because it didn’t take as long as baking and didn’t heat up the house as much, says Laurita Burley, a clinical nutrition instructor at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Moreover, workers didn’t have all day to cook foods; they had to return to the fields.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at February 15, 2005 03:17 PM | TrackBack