Too Many Potsticker Make Hand Go Crrkk

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Too Many Potsticker Make Hand Go Crrkk

 

 

Do chopsticks cause arthritis? Does the world really need another dumb study no

one will pay the slightest bit of attention to?

(Associated Press)

 

 

CHENGDU, China (AP) -- At table No. 6, a man and woman deftly snag the last

kernels of corn from the plate. Nearby, a businessman lifts a clump of noodles

mouthward. Niu Ming, a tiny waitress with an enormous smile, makes a rapid

scissors motion with her right hand as she watches them.

" Chopsticks make your hands stronger and build your muscles, " says Niu, on duty

at the Old Gedou Sichuan Specialties Restaurant, which serves the peppery

cuisine typical of this region of western China, known to Americans as Szechwan.

In a land where 1.3 billion people consider chopsticks, or " kuaizi, " a virtual

extension of the right hand, affinity for the ancient implements runs deep.

That's why a new study released in the United States doesn't sit well. Its

conclusion: Long-term use of chopsticks may increase the risk of arthritis.

" Arthritis? From chopsticks? " Niu scoffs. " Not likely. "

In research presented this fall to the American College of Rheumatology,

investigators studied 2,607 60-year-old residents of Beijing, the Chinese

capital. They interviewed subjects about chopstick use and tested them visually

and diagnostically for increased joint stress.

" This study suggests that chopsticks may play a role in the development of hand

osteoarthritis, " Dr. David Hunter, an assistant professor at the Boston

University School of Medicine and the lead investigator, said in a statement.

Hunter, who did not respond to an e-mail seeking further comment, added that the

increase in risk is small.

Science is one thing, though, and culture another. It's understandable that a

study questioning an age-old way of life -- no matter that the research methods

were sound or that five of the nine researchers have Chinese names -- might

touch a nerve.

" Ridiculous, " snaps Dr. Cao Li, a physician at the bone department of Beijing's

Xuanwu Hospital, which offers both traditional Chinese and Western medical care.

" I have been here for many years, and I've never seen a single case of arthritis

that could be linked to chopsticks. "

Theories vary, but many say chopsticks date to primitive people who used twin

twigs to pluck morsels of meat from the fire. Chinese food evolved into a

bite-sized cuisine cooked with little fuel and easily grabbed by the slivers of

wood -- which would be difficult with most American meals.

" Chinese food is different from Western food. You have big things like steaks

that you have to cut and poke at. We have bits and pieces we need to snag. The

tool fits the job, " says Yang Jianping, a Sichuanese who has never used a fork.

Then he really gets going. " I've walked with my feet since I was born. Does that

mean my feet will get arthritis? I've chewed with my mouth since I was born.

Does that mean my mouth will have arthritis? I think my hand will be just fine. "

The new study comes months after chopsticks took another hit in China. This

year's epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome got people thinking about

the custom of sharing food and dipping one's saliva-saturated chopsticks into

common bowls. The solution: Don't.

" Do not use chopsticks in communal food dishes. Use a serving spoon to dish food

up onto your plate, " the Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics advised in

its anti-SARS guidelines.

Chinese, particularly young urban ones, are engaged in a continuous process of

reviewing traditions, modifying them and creating new ones. Coffee is luring

many drinkers from longtime stalwart tea, and more Chinese are trading rice and

dumplings for KFC and Pizza Hut.

Could this herald the dawn of a nation of diners who eat with forks and knives

-- and, given the imminent arrival of Taco Bell, sporks?

Unlikely, says Ma Huidi, a professor at the Institute of Chinese Culture in

Beijing.

" Chinese people have been using chopsticks for more than 3,000 years, " Ma says.

" Younger generations tend to try new ways of life and taste new cultures. But

chopsticks are an important part of Chinese food culture and will never

disappear from people's lives. "

Niu, the Chengdu waitress, isn't too concerned either. She says Americans might

have problems with their hands after using chopsticks because " they hold them

too far down. " But Chinese, she's sure, needn't worry.

" My friends, none of them are using a fork or a spoon. In 200 years, we Chinese

will still be using chopsticks no matter what the rest of the world is doing, "

Niu says.

" And, " she insists, " we'll have stronger hands than anyone. "

 

 

 

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