Does America have a sociocultural obsession with food? You be the judge. On a recent trip to the mall I happened upon a myriad of food scented products, mostly in the form of moisturizers. Some of the flavors included pumpkin pie, strawberry shortcake, vanilla bean, cinnamon bun, and hot chocolate. And now Burger King is marketing their very own fragrance – with the scent of meat. Called “Flame” the spray is, according to the company, “the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat”. Why would anyone want to smell like charbroiled meat? I will not place judgment until I’ve sniffed it myself. But, I do wonder why anyone would want to eat a cinnamon bun, then turn around and lather themselves with cinnamon bun-flavored cream. Perhaps it just appeals to us on a gustatory level. I can’t complain, I love to eat. But, I also can’t help but wonder if this is a healthy obsession.
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Tags: burger king, fragrance, meat, perfume, scent
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:35 am
If one wants to smell like a “flame broiled hamburger” all they to do cook one.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 am
I REALIZE I AM JUST A MAN, BUT WHAT WILL THEY COME UP WITH NEXT? IMAGINE GETTING AN ONION, GARLIC, GASOLINE, ETC SPRAY AND SPEELING LIKE THAT ALL DAY ALL OVER THE PLACE. JUST A THOUGHT.
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
I couldn’t deal with that. It would just make me hungry. The last thing I need is more weight.
December 25th, 2008 at 2:51 am
I GUESS I WOULD PROBABLY BUY IT IF IT WOULD ENTICE MY BABY INTO EATIN’, GOBBLIN’ AND SWALLOWING ME UP WHOLE..hee~hee
December 30th, 2008 at 8:33 am
WHY oh WHY cannot humans be content with what they have been blessed with, be it odors, sizes of body parts and personalities?
It is a sort of “downfall” in this country to watch the changes that so many feel are necessary to make themselves acceptable. Now, with all else either enlarged or working to what is considered a better degree than previously, we should want to start
smelling like food? The general population is already grossly
overweight and do NOT need to have the smells of what is an inviation to more food than their bodies will ever require. Some
where…somehow, there should be a stop to the commercialism (and
that IS what it IS) of the things that we were not meant to have.
Let’s be satisfied with what we are and who we are for a change!!
May 28th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Hey, I am totally with you when you say commercialism is making products or “food” and senses pertaining to this article in Daily Dose extreme and absolutely, without a doubt, I think in food and food commercialism in general is way past out of control.
I can see the one side of holiday smelling candles, but beyond variety after variety and one’s that represent deserts or treats that are not selling or related to holiday times is ridiculous because, you’re correct, it enforces or says it’s ok to smell it but on the other hand it’s actually bad for you to eat (especially when the news people or doctors constantly talk about how the United States has the biggest evidence and estimated people who are beyond the normal natural weight,, even as kids. That is a whole topic on it’s own that is serious in this country, but continuing to talk about it on the news and doctors giving the risks will not help this country alone, especially, if they wave products like that around that the makers are also helping will trigger them to or persuade kids by smelling or adults just as much to go out and buy a desert type item.
I could go on all day, but can’t so, one more topic that I wanted to bring up with the aromatherapy issue of candles to begin with is if you think about the last statement I made in the above paragraph, aromas obviously (you don’t need to go to school to know that) influence or will make any person who has tasted sweets like the ones they list as the candle fragrance will tempt and will ultimately with people who have eating disorders crave for those kinds of sweet or related foods. Am I right? I think I am right about this. Ultimately, what has happened here is that they take a sensible and healthy product and because aromatherapy is so popular now and is selling so well, we all know that naturally, for instance, lavendar’s herb may help people feel calm *(It always does for me), the producers took their advantage to make it into something negative health-wise and actually use the aromatherapy craze for their own fortune which has made a huge hipocritical statement. you know that they are targeting certain people like I mentioned above. Aromatherapy is affecting to people’s senses,not just smells in different ways.
I’ll tell you that I don’t buy those flavors ever; Not even like a nice aroma red apple from like “Yankee Candle” for the holidays. Cinnamon and herbs like that are fine, which potpourri is also good for.