Assistant Professor of Anthropology Julie Valásquez Runk  knows why her Anthropology of Eating class is so popular with University students.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Julie Valásquez Runk tries to expose her students to local food options in her anthropology of eating class. KRISTY DENSMORE/Staff

“Everyone loves eating,” she said.

The class of 150 students from a variety of disciplines studies how food relates to environment, history, culture and politics. Velásquez, who has been teaching the class for five years, likes to challenge her students to think of food as more than just nourishment.

“The class makes them think about why they like to eat, whether or not they eat healthily and what impacts their food choices could have on their health,” Velásquez said. “Everyone likes food. Everyone can relate to food and food relates to everyone in multiple ways.”

Students in Anthropology of Eating examine health problems such as diabetes caused by poor nutrition, the history of food and the global exchange of plants and animals and how food is tied to the identity of individuals, societies and cultures.

“Some topics students really enjoy talking about are sugar and fructose in everyday edibles and cultural rituals centered on the appreciation of food,” Velásquez said. “Every year, though, students seem to take interest in varying topics which keeps the class interesting for me.”

Some of her students have already taken to thinking deeper into the food they consume.

“So far, ANTH 3541 has taught me the importance of food to western culture and the power associated with food manufacturing,” Timothy Watts said.

Watts, a senior health promotion major from Lawrenceville, said that the class has made him look at the integrity and production story behind the edibles scooped onto his plate.

“Every Tuesday and Thursday, I’m forced to think of food in terms in which I normally wouldn’t,” he said. “And I’ve realized just how detached western civilization is from its food sources.”

In addition to exploring macro-aspects of foodstuffs, Velásquez hopes to expose her class to local community-supported agriculture.

“We’ll study globalization, symbolism, nutrition labels and Thanksgiving as a ritual, but I also want to focus on organic and local foods in the Athens and the pros and cons of community grown food,” she said.

Through assignments such as eating ethnic foods and chronicling familial food histories, students interactively learn about this spectrum of food issues.

“One of my favorite activities thus far has been watching Food, Inc.,” Watts said. “It showcased perfectly the legislative clout behind food and how this power is handled by corporation heads.”

Rachel House, a senior health promotion major from Alpharetta, also enjoyed watching the documentary.

“Food, Inc. was fascinating. It was an unflattering take on the food industry, and it made me excited for the rest of the semester,” she said.

Akshay Patel, a senior chemistry major from Lawrenceville, said he liked how the documentary was incorporated into the class syllabus.

“The movie talked a lot about chicken preparation,” Patel said. “And then we had class discussions which really made the movie engaging.”

Although the documentary and class discussions about it were great hits with students, Jimmy Whittle, a junior economics major from Peachtree City, appreciates the everyday class collaboration.

“The class is open to tons of student input,” he said. “Last week a student gave out a healthy tomato soup recipe which was awesome.”

Michael Churillo, a senior geography major from Suwanee, most appreciates the real-world applicability of the class.

“The food habits and food buying techniques we learn in this class — they are lessons we’ll actually use,” he said.

Velásquez certainly aims at making her lessons practical, especially since many of her students are new to college and having to buy food on their own for the first time.

“Some of my students go dumpster diving for food and others shop in the mainstream, but I hope to give them a greater understanding about the biology of food and good habits for buying their own,” she said. “The food stories each student brings with him are relatable, and they definitely get the entire class ready for lunch.”