I'm not 100% convinced that this is a good thing. Counting calories is something that can easily go down a bad road. I can think up at least three ways. It can encourage anorexia and other eating disorders, and it can also promote destructive fad diets.
Perhaps more importantly, it gets people to focus on calorie counts at the expense of looking at nutrition in a holistic way. Low-calorie food isn't necessarily less healthy. For example, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish are all high-fat, high-calorie foods that are very healthy and nutritious. And whole-grain bread can sometimes have more calories per slice because it's denser (less air), yet it's infinitely better for you.
I think that government regulation of our food supply is something that should be engaged in with caution. This initiative seems sorely misguided, especially when we look at all the unhealthy things that are laxly regulated. Why do we still not label Genetically-modified foods? Why does labeling not distinguish between added refined sugars and naturally-occurring sugars? Why does labeling not distinguish between locally grown fresh ingredients and ingredients that have been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles, stored for months and months, and heavily processed?
I personally think that most people have better health when they start ignoring labeling and instead focus on eating a diverse, balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, local foods, and low in processed foods. And yet...these things can't be communicated with a label. The more we label specific measured chemicals the more we are missing the point. What really matters is the stuff that can't be easily summed up in a number.
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I'm not 100% convinced that this is a good thing. Counting calories is something that can easily go down a bad road. I can think up at least three ways. It can encourage anorexia and other eating disorders, and it can also promote destructive fad diets.
Perhaps more importantly, it gets people to focus on calorie counts at the expense of looking at nutrition in a holistic way. Low-calorie food isn't necessarily less healthy. For example, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish are all high-fat, high-calorie foods that are very healthy and nutritious. And whole-grain bread can sometimes have more calories per slice because it's denser (less air), yet it's infinitely better for you.
I think that government regulation of our food supply is something that should be engaged in with caution. This initiative seems sorely misguided, especially when we look at all the unhealthy things that are laxly regulated. Why do we still not label Genetically-modified foods? Why does labeling not distinguish between added refined sugars and naturally-occurring sugars? Why does labeling not distinguish between locally grown fresh ingredients and ingredients that have been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles, stored for months and months, and heavily processed?
I personally think that most people have better health when they start ignoring labeling and instead focus on eating a diverse, balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, local foods, and low in processed foods. And yet...these things can't be communicated with a label. The more we label specific measured chemicals the more we are missing the point. What really matters is the stuff that can't be easily summed up in a number.
March 25, 2010 - 9:01amThis Comment
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