Sometimes art expresses truth better than research ever could. I present the following as evidence of art capturing the essence of the Whole Foods habitus.

The video is of course meant to parody the cultural conventions of Whole Foods; but, I think that it really speaks to larger truths about culture, food, and inequality. While the video pokes fun at the Whole Foods consumer, I think that it accurately reflects how out of touch a vast swath of relatively privileged Americans are regarding the real struggles of poorer and many minority residents face when attempting to eat a healthy diet. Forget the fact that kombucha isn't on the shelves, many can't find produce or unspoiled meat as Dan Rose, my friend from graduate school documents in this piece Detroit neighborhoods where they are even lucky if they have grocery stores.

I think that it is this tension that is often missing from debates about healthy nutrition in this country. While those most quotable (or at least quoted) tend to focus on eating locally, organically, and sustainably, they fail to notice how unattainable that lifestyle is for many Americans and how this cultural chauvinism can lead to health inequality. This video is certainly funny, and I appreciate that Whole Foods and their shoppers can poke fun at themselves, but the failure to recognize the privileged position from which they are able to poke fun at themselves helps perpetuate health inequality.