The Adjustment

Food has always been there. Through late night study sessions, early morning ice hockey practices, nights hanging out with friends, and hard workouts in the gym, food is the singular thing that was always there.  It was also the one thing in my life that it seemed I never had to worry about. Food was part of my culture—my culture as an athlete. My whole life was never all about sports, at least that’s what I thought. Never did I think my life was all about food either. Food and sports were both things I took for granted. It is only in hindsight that I can my whole lifestyle was sports oriented.

What makes a team great isn’t always the talent. It’s the chemistry. It’s the pregame pasta parties, the constant intake of energy bars and protein shakes, and the celebratory dinners. When you’re burning thousands of calories a day, food is fuel, not something to fear. My entire life, I have always been able to eat whatever I liked without having to worry. I never worried about what the extra cupcake or the three bowls of pasta would do to my body because I knew that as an athlete, I would burn it off. In fact, I always used to pride myself in being the one to always eat the most amongst my school friends. I secretly would indulge in the pleasure of being able to eat all the junk food and carbs I wanted without compromising my health and “ideal” body type.

This all changed when I lost everything I had taken for granted. I went from being “Nicole, the hockey star” to “Nicole, the gimpy girl in the sling.” I never could have imagined that my dislocated shoulder would mark the start of my battle with food. Food was my friend, food had always been there. There was nothing better than enjoying all my favorite foods, knowing I would be exercising later. I no longer have that luxury. These days, food is all I can think about. Food was my addiction, and now I’m facing the side effects. It is not that I crave eating large amounts of food, but I do crave the freedom of not worrying about my weight and health.

            My injury has caused my body to change, but the culture I’ve always known has not. The people around me have not changed. It kills me having to go to a pasta party and watch the rest of my team eat bowls and bowls of pasta in preparation for the game. I know that if I were to do the same thing, there would be consequences to my health. It is unreasonable for me expect my peers and teammates to adjust to my new lifestyle, yet, deep down, I still hope that they will. It is selfish, I know, but change is hard. It is especially difficult when the people you associate yourself with eat four to five meals a day, when you know that doing the same would not be in your best interest. Food is no longer the constant in which I can rely on. Instead, it is time to strike a new balance in my life. Adjustment is not easy, but it is necessary. 

Corporate Responsibility

It is a fairly common thought that companies outsourcing jobs will take advantage of the workers in that country. A prime example of this type of abuse taking place can be seen with the company Nike and its outsourcing to China.  The lack of strict labor laws, such as those that exist in the United States, makes it easier for companies like Nike to create products as quickly as possible without paying much attention to the actual workers. Although not all workers are abused in the process of outsourcing, many of those employed suffer from some sort of exploitation, especially regarding working conditions and wages.

Large corporations do not realize that they have the power to create change among the outsourcing “industry,” which would positively affect the lives of thousands of workers. Nike has had allegations made against them of worker abuse at sweatshops. Many of Nike’s employees feel that their “only choice is to stay and suffer, or speak out and be fired” (Bradford). Companies, such as Nike, usually move overseas with “the intent to take advantage of lower wages and operating costs” (Lach). Although products can be made at lower costs, people such as the six female workers forced to stand in the “blazing sun after they failed to meet their target of completing 60 dozen pairs of shoes on time” (Bradford), should not have to be subject to that kind of cruel punishment.

Nike is an interesting company to look at because it has been under the most criticism in the past decade. In fact, it was under such scrutiny that it was “the first major apparel company to disclose the names and locations of hundreds of plants that produce its sneakers, clothes and other products” (Bradford). This was back in 2005 when Nike first addressed this issue. But, today in 2013 there are still issues of worker abuse going on in China and other countries.  It is truly sad that Nike contractors believe that “there is little it could do to stop it” (Bradford). It is about time that corporations start to take responsibility for the workers that they employ and put in the extra effort to ensure safety. It is a moral obligation that as one race—we must begin to look out for each other.  

Works Cited

Bradford, Harry. "Nike Faces New Worker Abuse Claims In Indonesia." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 July 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

Lach, Alex. "5 Facts About Overseas Outsourcing." Name. N.p., 9 July 2012. Web. 11 Mar.    2013.