According to a curious article to be published next month in the International Journal of Obesity, the food represented in the paintings of the Last Supper was growing “biblically” in the last millennium.
Using computerized measurements, the researchers compared the size of the food regarding the size of the heads of the characters in more than 52 paintings of the famous Gospel scene where Jesus and his disciples share the Last Supper before his crucifixion.
If art imitates life, we’re in trouble, the researchers conclude. They found that between the years 1000 and 2000, the size of the main source grew 68%while the individual dishes did so in a 66%and bread in a 23%.
Theologians, basing themselves on the Gospels, believe that the Last Supper happened the night of Holy Thursdaybut the Scriptures give little detail about food, beyond bread and wine.
“Nothing else is mentioned. They don’t say if there was fruit or pastries, although other foods such as fish, eel, lamb, and even pork have appeared in paintings over the years,” he says. Brian Wansinka Cornell University nutrition scientist and author of the study.
Martin Binks, a researcher at Duke University Medical Center, agrees that the study is not very significant for science. “We have real-life examples of the historical increase in portion sizes. All you have to do is look at what’s selling at fast food restaurants,” she says. A more contemporary analysis might look at food portions advertised in SuperBowl commercials across decades.
The increase of quantity in portion sizes is considered a modern phenomenon. But according to Brian Wansinkwhat we see now could be the consequence of a long millennial trend.
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