Comments on: Who is responsible for what we eat? http://hadleybeeman.net/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/ Contributions to the conversation from Hadley Beeman Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:51:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Colin http://hadleybeeman.net/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Colin Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:24:38 +0000 http://collaborator.wordpress.com/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/#comment-13 That's what I meant by "pragmatically useless" - for 99.9% of their intended consumers, Jaffa Cakes should be classified as "food that's bad for me in my current state." This makes them as close to bad food as you can get. The tendency to reward ourselves with bad food is a whole different thing. Not unlike rewarding yourself by paying someone to choose something from your wardrobe and set it on fire, just because you really get a kick out of fire. That’s what I meant by “pragmatically useless” – for 99.9% of their intended consumers, Jaffa Cakes should be classified as “food that’s bad for me in my current state.” This makes them as close to bad food as you can get.

The tendency to reward ourselves with bad food is a whole different thing. Not unlike rewarding yourself by paying someone to choose something from your wardrobe and set it on fire, just because you really get a kick out of fire.

]]> By: Hadley http://hadleybeeman.net/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Hadley Tue, 24 Oct 2006 09:30:36 +0000 http://collaborator.wordpress.com/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/#comment-12 Personally, I disagree. I still think Jaffa cakes are bad food. But logically, I will concede your point. It just seemed to me to be a bit contradictory to be promoting healthy eating (when the original topic was obesity) by offering the public such carte blanche in their food choices. To their credit, Sainsbury's are making an effort to better educate shoppers on nutritional content and RDAs with their <a>Wheel of Health</a> labelling, which should help. (As are <a>Tesco</a>, though one labelling system has little in common with the other.) And while we're checking logic, I'll admit to making an assumption that the underlying issue here that should be addressed is food choice. But I think the media made the same assumption, hence inviting the head of a major supermarket to discuss the obesity findings in the first place. Personally, I disagree. I still think Jaffa cakes are bad food. But logically, I will concede your point. It just seemed to me to be a bit contradictory to be promoting healthy eating (when the original topic was obesity) by offering the public such carte blanche in their food choices.

To their credit, Sainsbury’s are making an effort to better educate shoppers on nutritional content and RDAs with their Wheel of Health labelling, which should help. (As are Tesco, though one labelling system has little in common with the other.)

And while we’re checking logic, I’ll admit to making an assumption that the underlying issue here that should be addressed is food choice. But I think the media made the same assumption, hence inviting the head of a major supermarket to discuss the obesity findings in the first place.

]]> By: Colin http://hadleybeeman.net/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Colin Tue, 24 Oct 2006 05:51:07 +0000 http://collaborator.wordpress.com/2006/10/11/who-is-responsible-for-what-we-eat/#comment-11 This is one of those statements that is technically correct, but pragmatically useless if interpreted in so technical a way. The statement "There are no bad foods" is correct insofar as a person suffering from mild starvation will gain very useful calories from a package of Jaffa Cakes. However, you could extend this logic to further state that "There are no good foods," insofar as a diet consisting only of bananas will kill you just as dead as a diet consisting only of Twinkies. Foods are only good or bad relative to your current nutritional needs, your genetic predispositions, and the remainder of your normal diet. It's all personal. This is one of those statements that is technically correct, but pragmatically useless if interpreted in so technical a way. The statement “There are no bad foods” is correct insofar as a person suffering from mild starvation will gain very useful calories from a package of Jaffa Cakes. However, you could extend this logic to further state that “There are no good foods,” insofar as a diet consisting only of bananas will kill you just as dead as a diet consisting only of Twinkies. Foods are only good or bad relative to your current nutritional needs, your genetic predispositions, and the remainder of your normal diet. It’s all personal.

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