It is inevitable to encounter such a problem when eating out: do you want to use public chopsticks? The answer, of course, is to use public chopsticks. Using public chopsticks is not only a manifestation of civilization and etiquette, but also a responsible behavior for one’s own health, which can avoid the spread of infectious diseases in the digestive tract.
Eating around the table and sandwiching dishes with each other is a Chinese dietary habit since ancient times. It can shorten the distance between people at once. However, countless pairs of chopsticks are used for a dish, which gives the opportunity for a large number of bacteria to spread between pushing cups and changing dishes. “It has become the biggest bad health habit of Chinese people not to use chopsticks when eating.” Wang Chen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering and President of the China Japan Hospital, appealed: “for your own health and for others, you must start to take action to promote the system of separate meals and public chopsticks!”
how to use public chopsticks
In foreign countries, separate meals and public chopsticks are common, which are the embodiment of civilization and etiquette. However, most Chinese still maintain the habit of eating together. You and I will take a dish. Sometimes, in order to show our hospitality and friendship, we will take dishes for our guests, who have to eat because of their face. Even if some restaurants provide public chopsticks, most of them are for display. Many people find it troublesome to exchange two pairs of chopsticks.
The reporter interviewed more than 20 Beijing citizens at random on the topic of “whether you will take the initiative to use public chopsticks at dinner”. Most of them answered No. Ms. Li said that if you are at a company dinner or a friend’s party, you will definitely not take the initiative to add “public chopsticks”, which will affect the atmosphere. Aunt Wang, who has retired at home, said that if relatives and friends eat together and put out a pair of public chopsticks, it would seem too unfair. In the investigation, the reporter found that the larger restaurants generally provide public chopsticks, but not everyone or every dish will provide them. Some smaller restaurants simply do not have public chopsticks. According to a survey conducted by a domestic website, 60% of the respondents had thought about sharing meals at a restaurant party, but it was not implemented in the end.
With regard to the above phenomenon, Wang Chen said that Chinese people have many habits that need to be changed at the table, but the most prominent problem is that “the bowls and chopsticks do not distinguish people and do not use public chopsticks for dinner”. A variety of infectious diseases may be “imported from the mouth” through tableware, especially when chopsticks are used. The mouth and saliva of diners directly contact chopsticks, and they are easy to cross infect each other by picking up dishes on the same plate. Wang Chen stressed that this has become a public health problem, and it is urgent for everyone to improve their awareness, form a public consensus, and make real changes. Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering, also has a deep understanding of this table habit: “the Chinese people like to use chopsticks to clip around, which is not available in foreign countries. In the past, there were few opportunities for families to contact with the outside world, but now there are very frequent contacts. It is suggested that public chopsticks should also be used in families, or everyone should have special bowls and chopsticks.”
hidden dangers are buried without dividing tableware.
Liang Lianchun, chief physician of the infection department of Beijing You’an Hospital, said that there are three conditions for disease transmission. The source of infection, the route of transmission and the susceptible population are indispensable. Mixing dishes and chopsticks may mainly cause some diseases transmitted through the digestive tract.
Helicobacter pylori infection the habits of Chinese people, such as eating without separate meals and sharing dishes with each other, will increase the risk of transmission of Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter pylori is the chief culprit of many stomach diseases. It is mainly transmitted through mouth and fecal mouth. If one person in the family is infected, the probability of infection of others will also increase, because Helicobacter pylori will be found in the dental plaque and saliva of the infected person. Chopsticks may become the carrier of bacteria if meals are not divided. The International Cancer Research Institute under the World Health Organization has listed it as the first category of carcinogens that can induce gastric cancer. Because Europeans and Americans are used to the serving of individual dishes, the infection rate of this bacterium is significantly lower than that of Chinese people.
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