When Food Becomes Entertainment (Ramisa Binte Rafiq)
It is not unusual for one to think there is nothing much to do in Dhaka city for entertainment. So out of curiosity, when I started writing this blog I searched for entertainment sources in Dhaka in "Trip Advisor". It showed 3 or 4 activity stations and then some kids play zones.
Strangely enough, this gives us an idea about the situation of entertainment in Dhaka city. So in a city having nearly 10.2 million residents and only a few cinema halls and activity stations, what does the people do for entertainment?
I bet we all know the answer. We eat. We eat at restaurants.
The funny thing is while there are only 3/4 activity stations, there are 10,000 restaurants. But here lies the obvious question, can eating outside really be a source of entertainment? Sure, the issue is debatable. But according to PopOptiq, the 19 most common sources of entertainment does not include eating outside. The fact that we have made it into one, is it a reality or rather, an irony?
We can watch TV, movies, listen to songs or visit others, but what else? This is where this new trend of hopping restaurants comes into play. But honestly who can we blame? While other cities have amusement parks, we have restaurants. So it is of no surprise to us that most of the us would rather hangout at restaurants with friends and family and also let everyone know how much expensive eateries we can afford while we're at it.
Once I read that in New York if someone eats out without repeating restaurants it would take 22.7 years to cover all the eateries. At this rate Dhaka can soon compete with New York. This is what shocked me the most: food reviewers reviewing restaurants as if there is no end to it. Which also makes me question just where are all these new restaurants popping up from.
But let’s analyze this behavior. Why has food become our new form of entertainment? If I generalize, Bengalis are food centric people. We love to eat and also feed others. But due to the globalization of Bangladesh, internet, people possessing entrepreneurial mindset gave birth to hundreds of restaurants.
Eating out at fancy restaurants has also become a status quo. Are you even high-class if you haven’t tried the latest restaurant in Gulshan? Or what about that new Japanese restaurant where you eat one single raw fish with chopsticks for 14oo BDT?
Therefore the situation basically is, it is easier to make other people jealous by eating food at fancy places than visiting the Armenian Church, going to Shonargaon or taking a stroll at Romna Park.
When I'm showing concern about this issue, I'm not trying to nullify the economic advantage it adds up, or the jobs it provides to us. But my concern is about how people are mindlessly going with the flow and not acknowledging what this trend is doing to us.
A study on fast food consumption done on 170 university students of Bangladesh, predicts the current food culture and it's impacts on the youths of Bangladesh. The study shows how it is directly related to food intolerance, issues with digestion, immunity, and not to mention, around 43% of the students being either overweight or obese according to the BMI (Body mass index) scale. Is it really a surprise that these are stemming from the new and ever-growing unhealthy practice of eating out?
Most of us are aware of the physical health issues this may bring, but isn't it also obvious how it's also impacting the mental health of this generation? A 2021 study states how regular intake of fast food effects an individual's mental health and causes depression and anxiety.
I would like to end with this: eat all you can and as much as your purse permits, just look after your health. Don’t give yourself heart disease or become obese. Americans are already doing that and they don’t like when others compete with them. Hanging out and catching up with friends and family doesn't always have to revolve around eating out, does it?
Written by: Ramisa Binte Rafiq (22226026)
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