The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
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CHENGDU, China. At table No 6, a man and woman deftly snagged the last kernels of corn from the plate. Nearby, a businessman lifted a clump of noodles mouthward. Niu Ming, a tiny waitress with an enormous smile, made a rapid scissors motion with her right hand as she watched them.
"Chopsticks make your hands stronger and build your muscles," said Niu, on duty at the Old Gedou Sichuan Specialties Restaurant, which serves the peppery cuisine typical of this region of western China. In a land where 13 billion people consider chopsticks, or kuaizi, a virtual extension of the hand, affinity for the ancient implements runs deep. That is why a new study released in the United States does not sit well. Its conclusion: Long-term use of chopsticks may increase the risk of arthritis.
"Arthritis? From chopsticks?" Niu scoffed. "Not likely."
In research presented in October to the American College of Rheumatology, investigators studied 2,607 residents of Beijing, most of them 60-year-olds. They interviewed subjects about the use of chopsticks 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 added that the increase in risk was small. He did not respond to an e-mail seeking further comment.
Science is one thing, however, and culture is another. It is understandable that a study questioning an age-old way of life might touch a nerve.
"Ridiculous," snapped 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.
"Chinese food is different from Western food," said Yang Jianping, a Sichuan resident who has never used a fork. "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."
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 follows another hit to chopsticks in China. The epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome this year raised concerns about the custom of sharing food and dipping one's chopsticks into common bowls. In its anti-SARS guidelines, the Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics advised: "Do not use chopsticks in communal food dishes Use a serving spoon to dish food up onto your plate".
Chinese people, particularly the young urban crowd, are continually reviewing traditions, modifying them and creating new ones. Coffee is luring many drinkers from tea, a longtime stalwart, and more Chinese are trading rice and dumplings for American fast-food chains like KFC and Pizza Hut.
Could this herald a nation of diners who eat with forks and knives?
Unlikely, said 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 said. "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, is not overly concerned either. She said non-Asians might have problems with their hands after using chopsticks because "they hold them too far down". But Chinese, she was sure, needn't worry.
"My friends, none of them are using a fork or a spoon," she said. "In 200 years, we Chinese will still be using chopsticks no matter what the rest of the world is doing."
And, she added, "we'll have stronger hands than anyone".
The Associated Press
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