West Meets East

By: Elizabeth Anderson

The following is the third in a series of reports that Elizabeth Anderson, a CoAg alumnae who is teaching in China, is sending that chronicle her experiences in China. In this issue she tells us about her own experiences teaching and also lets us “hear” the student perspective by providing the winning essay of another writing contest.

The essay competitors for this issue of Ag Illustrated are 90 food science juniors at Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi Province, China. They are very bright, capable students who enjoy a challenge.

My students have been studying English since seventh grade (they call it junior middle school) so they eagerly accepted the assignment of taking to the stage to perform in an English drama of their own creative design. Last class the theme was: “What can you as future food scientists do about food waste and toxic pollutants.”

One group wrote and performed these words in English: “The last drop of pure water will be the teardrop of humanity.”

I am co-teaching the “professional English” class with Dr. Wang Hua, vice dean of the College of Food Science and Engineering. Wang, the family name, always goes first, and people usually call each other by their family name alone. This is the opposite of the American custom of usually calling people by their given name.

In China, the family name is often followed by a title if one intends to show respect. Students would address her by saying, Wang Lao Shi, which means teacher Wang. Teachers are well-respected here. Some parents even say their children choose the instructions of their teachers over those of their own parents. One student calls me “teacher,” which I like very much.

Co-teaching is a fun and beneficial collaboration for both of us because I learn the Chinese style of teaching with its high expectations of performance and Dr. Wang learns the more relaxed, fun, creative style of American teaching. Perhaps the ideal is somewhere in the middle, taking the best aspects from both cultures.

The theme of the essay looks at nutrition of China’s predominant group, poor farmers, and the rare elite, the top athletes. In this province, Shaanxi, the soil is so compact that it is possible to dig grandly arched caves and live in them year-round. They are cool in the summer and warm in the winter for the poor farm families that dwell in them.

All my food science students did very well on the essay contest but as always there is one who shines a little brighter than the others. I hope you enjoy the following essay by Sun Shumin. We are practicing writing scientific papers so that is why it is in the format of a top food science journal in the United States. This essay is 85 percent unedited, so you can see that the level of English mastery is quite good.

Further information is available by contacting Qiao Wenjun, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, 3 Taicheng Road, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China, 712100; phone 86-29-87082935; or e-mail qiaowj@nwsuaf.edu.cn.

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China’s Nutrition and Public Health: from Poor Farmers to Top Athletes

By: Sun Shumin

Abstract:
Good nutrition is the cornerstone for survival, health and development for current and succeeding generations. With the development of China’s economy and the increase of the people’s income, dietary structure has been greatly improved. But because of the imbalance of economical development and the lack of knowledge of nutrition, the nutrition of Chinese people is still a big problem.

Introduction:
The nutritional problem in China was one of under-nutrition rather than over-nutrition in the past years, but now we have both under-nutrition and over-nutrition problems. From poor families to top athletes, the nutritional structure and problems are different. We should know these and find some methods to solve them.

Results and Discussion:
At present, the primary students in villages, especially in impoverished areas, the nutrition of children and their growth condition makes everyone worry. Malnourished children have lowered resistance to infection; they are more likely to die from common childhood ailments like diseases causing diarrhea and respiratory infections. For those who survive, frequent illness saps their nutritional status, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth.

According to one item of national nutrition and the healthy comprehensive investigation results which were announced last October, the village area malnutrition of children is still a serious condition.

The child below 5 years old grew at a slow rate and has a low body weight rate…Low levels of education, and poor access to health services are major contributors to childhood malnutrition. We should educate families to understand the special nutritional needs of young children, notably the value of breastfeeding and the importance of introducing suitable complementary foods at the right age and paying special attention to the nutritional needs of children from poor families.

Experts have called for increased awareness of and concern about the rising numbers of obese children in China especially in cities. Official statistics show that 10 percent of the children in China suffer from obesity and the number is increasing by 8 percent per year…

Now, in the big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, there is an average of one obese child in every five. Experts warned that obese children are vulnerable to weakened intelligence, autistic personality, unhealthy sexual development, and high incidence of chronic disease like arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes and hypertension. They highlighted a balanced diet, and rational nutrition and physical exercises to help control the weight of kids. At the same time we can’t blindly follow the food of the West with high fat and high quantity but should eat more of the plant food especially soybean food.

The athlete is a special group. What nutrition they need is certainly different from general people. A few of the topics covered include importance of nutrition in sports conditioning and diet, triathlon training, proper nutrition for endurance sports and strength/power sports and using undesired body fat. Sports drinks are also important to athletes. According to a research result, sodium content of 18-59 mmol/L drinks are better replacements than the drink with no sodium inclusion to young adolescent athletes…

With the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008 closing in, our country is drawing up the green food production technique rules and standard systems to guarantee the foods’ safety. The point is developing the green food produce, examination and packing techniques… to provide nourishing and safe food that is free from pollution for the athletes who take part in the game and for the public.

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