27 Jan /16

Diet

Diet - Word of the day - EVS Translations
Diet – Word of the day – EVS Translations

To some, it is the worst 4-letter word in the English language, and to others, it is a way to systematically deprive yourself of everything that tastes good and is worth eating for a certain period of time. This year in the UK, “losing weight” and “improving my diet” ranked first and third among New year resolutions, with the associated goal of “doing more exercise” being sandwiched between them. Whether it be low-carb, low-fat, no-gluten, vegan, pescetarian, or Mediterranean, and regardless of how painful it may be, we seem to be obsessed with both dieting as well as changing our diets, but what about the word itself? Even if you have never thought about the word, this may be the time to do it, as it could take your mind off of whatever food you are craving but should not eat!

Diet – History

Originally, our word “diet” comes directly from the Old French word diete, meaning “diet, pittance, fare,” though the root extends back to the ancient Greek diaita, which is translated to mean “one’s regimen” or their “way of life.” Before becoming a modern form of self-torture, the word literally and simply meant, in a food context, the things that we eat. Considering the “way of life” meaning as simply showing similarities between groups of people, the word has also historically been used to represent board given to people (i.e. sharing the same dwelling) or even, in a general sense, people who thought or acted similarly.

Unfortunately, to contrast the definitions, it is the same similar acting and cultural diet- meaning the food that we eat- that often necessitates the need for the modern definition of a diet (weight-loss). A study completed in 2014 shows that 61.7% of British and Irish adults are overweight or obese. In England alone, the prevalence of obesity in adults has increased from 14.9% in 1993 to 25.6% in 2014.

The first known use of the word “diet” in English comes from the monastic manual, Ancrene Riwle, or Guide for Anchoresses, in the early 1200’s and, referring to the Crucifixion, reads, “Understand his diet on that day of bloodletting, so baleful and bitter.” Skipping ahead 150 years or so to the late 1300s, our word also is mentioned several times in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, notably in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, where it is said that “no dainty morsel passed through her throat….moderate diet was all her medical treatment.”

Perhaps, considering all this talk of torturous resolutions and slimming down and using the meaning of a way of life, it is apt to end on a quote from the 1567 work The Trial of Treasures which states that “Behold how a lie can please some folks diet.”