What we think is healthy

A tenet of my argument about obesity is that Americans don't lack for knowledge about nutrition, but choose not to apply it because nutrition is for sissies.

I could be wrong about that.

A poll by Consumer Reports Health says that 9 out of 10 Americans consider their diet  "somewhat," "very," or "extremely" healthy. Yeah, right. Fattest nation on earth, one of whose chief cultural exports to the world is fast food.

"Fifty-nine percent said they were either "careful" or "strict" about their food intake, while only 23 percent said they pretty much ate whatever they wanted," CR's report on the poll said.

The poll of more than 1,200 American adults showed how little respect they have for the power of table sugar:

 

Of those who said they carefully watched their sugar intake, 30 percent said they had at least one sugar-sweetened beverage on a typical weekday. So did 26 percent of the self-described dieters and 34 percent of the people who rated their diets as "extremely" or "very" healthy.

 

What this says, of course, is that one out of three people think they are watching their sugar intake despite drinking a can of soda every day. My guess is, if that fits into a reduced-sugar regimen, so does a lot of other stuff.

Please note, troglodytes: I'm not saying refined sugar is evil, or should be banned. But I am saying that it is not a nutritionally positive substance, that it is a major reason for overeating in those who overeat, and that food processors rely on that aspect to sell more food. We would all be better off if we ate less, if less was produced, if fewer rops were grown for its production. If you want to argue that, good luck.


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