Get Out of the Kitchen

The average size of kitchens in America has more than doubled in 50 years, from 80 to 225 square feet. This, according to the Washington Post, may be contributing towards American obesity. Also from the article:

"There's something very romantic about the whole family gathering around the kitchen, this whole idea of hearth and home," says Aric Chen, a writer specializing in architecture and design. "But in the nostalgic era of hearth and home, you didn't have big bags of Fritos lying around, or giant Costco 24-packs of Kraft macaroni and cheese."

A visit one of these new construction homes in the exurbs will confirm this trend. The kitchen is the architectural centerpiece. It's usually a bright, open area adjacent to a large family room -- one which often contains the TV. In comparison my home, built in the 1930s, has a smaller kitchen relative to the floorplan, no "island", and one simple pantry closet. And, good greif, TV-watching snackers need to actually walk through other rooms to get there during commercials. (Thank goodness we have the signature BEEP BEEP on Fox's 24 to tell us when to return.)

Diet, nutrition - most of us know our behavior in these areas is the product of subtle cues reinforced during our growing years. But Americans should also be aware that marketers, corporations and even homebuilders deliberately tailor their products and services around our appetites. Next time you visit a large grocery store, study the floorplan relative to product placement. It's no mistake that you must always walk past the high-fat (and high-margin) products to reach staple items like milk.

Mass customization and marketing is endlessly fine tuning itself to our native American habits, good and bad. Which is why sometimes the most subversive act is simply to go outside and take a walk -- just like this guy.