SouthernJet Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Study: Last Supper Paintings Supersize the Food Tuesday , March 23, 2010 The food in famous paintings of the meal has grown by biblical proportions over the last millennium, researchers report in a medical journal Tuesday. Using a computer, they compared the size of the food to the size of the heads in 52 paintings of Jesus Christ and his disciples at their final meal before his death. If art imitates life, we're in trouble, the researchers conclude. The size of the main dish grew 69 percent; the size of the plate, 66 percent, and the bread, 23 percent, between the years 1000 and 2000. Supersizing is considered a modern phenomenon, but "what we see recently may be just a more noticeable part of a very long trend," said Brian Wansink, a food behavior scientist at Cornell University. The study was his idea. For biblical context, he sought help from his brother, Craig Wansink, professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia, and an ordained Presbyterian minister. The Bible says the Last Supper took place on a Passover evening but gives little detail on specific foods besides bread and wine. "There's nothing else mentioned. They don't say there's a fruit cup or carrot cake," though other foods such as fish, eel, lamb and even pork have appeared in paintings through the years, Brian Wansink said. For the study, he used paintings featured in the book "Last Supper," published in 2000 by Phaidon Press. They include perhaps the most famous portrayal of the meal, by Leonardo da Vinci. Computer technology allowed them to scan, rotate and calculate images regardless of their orientation in the paintings. Details are in the April issue of the International Journal of Obesity. The study is "not very meaningful science," said Martin Binks, a behavioral health psychologist and a consultant at Duke University Medical Center. "We have real life examples of the increase in portion size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetophile Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 "That would be a much more meaningful snapshot of how this society's relationship to food has changed," Binks said. Art certainly does imitate life, doesn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Banner Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 But I like food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
war ensemble Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Might as well do a study on how the average penis has grown based on looking at Greek sculptures. Yawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 Might as well do a study on how the average penis has grown based on looking at Greek sculptures. Yawn. Great point..those guys had some major shrinkage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neckdemon Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Might as well do a study on how the average penis has grown based on looking at Greek sculptures. Yawn. yeah really....what a waste of time this study was huh? hope this guy didn't get some sort of grant for this nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 yeah really....what a waste of time this study was huh? hope this guy didn't get some sort of grant for this nonsense. sad thing is you KNOW he did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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