Changing Food Habits under Modernization: A Study of Dietary Patterns in Barpeta Town, Assam
Ajit Kumar Ojah
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
Madhab Choudhury College, Barpeta
Email: ojahajit7@gmail.com
Contact No. 6001913669
P.O. Barpeta, Dist. Barpeta (Assam)
PIN-781301
Abstract
Food consumption patterns across the world have undergone major changes due to the influence of modernization, globalization, urbanization, migration, and new market forces. These shifts are increasingly visible in small towns of India, including Barpeta in Assam, where traditional dietary practices have long been shaped by local ecology, culture, availability of indigenous foods, and community-based food knowledge. The present study examines the changing pattern of food items among residents of Barpeta town, based on primary data collected from 200 respondents (100 males and 100 females). The study explores the consumption of traditional and modern foods across different meals—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, across five different age groups. The results show a noticeable shift from traditional food items such as rice-based breakfast items, locally prepared pithas, and vegetable-and-fish-based meals toward modern food items including noodles, pizzas, fried chicken, and packaged snacks. Younger age groups (15–24 and 25–34 years) show the highest preference for modern food items, particularly during breakfast and snacks, whereas older groups largely adhere to traditional dietary patterns. The findings indicate that modernization, exposure to global food culture, fast-food availability, lifestyle changes, and time constraints have contributed significantly to dietary transitions in Barpeta. This shift raises concerns regarding nutrition, cultural erosion, and future food security. Based on the findings, the study recommends nutritional awareness, revival of traditional food practices, promotion of local foods, and community-level interventions to ensure healthier food transitions. The study contributes to anthropological literature by documenting respondent-based, age- and gender-specific variations in food habits in a rapidly changing semi-urban setting.
Keywords: Modernization; Dietary change; Traditional food; Barpeta; Food habits; Assam
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2511S01V13P009
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