Good and Bad Ways to Promote Healthy-Eating

The knowledge that fried and baked goodies are bad for our health is nothing new. People simply choose to ignore it. It’s a bad choice, but it’s theirs to make. Knowledge about calories and fat content is the best way to fight obesity, which we can do with the Food and Drug Administration’s help. The FDA recently required trans fats be listed with saturated fats on nutrition labels.

The United States has the luxury of being over-fed, which means we have to consider what we eat more seriously if we don’t want to balloon to new sizes. Over 30 percent of American adults are obese, although rates have not risen significantly over the last 10 years. More significant are studies that found large increases among children over the last 20 years. Obesity in ages 6–11 rose from 6.5 to 17 percent.

As a result, Michelle Obama announced plans to tackle childhood obesity by promoting healthy habits in small, reasonable steps. Major food suppliers have already agreed to use healthier ingredients for schools. She is also working to ban vending machine junk food in schools.

Given these recent studies, pushing schools to be more health conscious is the responsible thing to do. Children need guidance in order to develop their decision-making skills. However, I’m concerned with politicians, such as New York City Mayor Bloomberg, who are overstepping their boundaries elsewhere.

The government can wield its power in public schools—it’s their place. And possibly the only chance some kids have to learn healthy habits. But Bloomberg started a banning trend beyond the public sector. Currently, he is campaigning to get food manufacturers and restaurant chains nation-wide to lower the salt content in food. Another ban may be in progress given Bloomberg’s record so far.

In 2006, the New York City Board of Health, with Bloomberg’s avid support, became the first city to pass a trans fat ban requiring all packaged and restaurant foods do away with trans fat content. Businesses had to eliminate trans fats or face fines. Other cities and states, such as Philadelphia, Boston and California, followed this example, setting deadlines for their restaurants and bakeries to comply.

While trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods, others are the result of a process called hydrogenation—where hydrogen is added to liquid oils as they are turned into solids. Such solids include shortening and stick margarine, which are used to make any fried or baked foods. Trans fats give products a longer shelf life and flavor stability. However, they are also found to raise the levels of “bad” cholesterol, which increase chances of heart disease.

While the Bloombergs of the world think it’s better to change habits by force, Mrs. Obama’s initiative is ‘about balance.’ Her approach is a relief, which has been careful not to demand quick action and preach to parents. Her plan is about ‘small changes that can add up, like walking to school when you can, replacing soda with water or skim milk, trimming portions just a little.’ Her message teaches a variety of options, which is important if we want kids to accept and successfully maintain long-term, healthy living. It's more tangible this way.

Bloomberg and friends’ ban method is the food police in disguise. The government often thrives, and grows, on our fears—in this case, those ominous ingredients we can’t see, buried in our burgers and fries, making us fatter and sicker. The same people Bloomberg wants to help are likely to react to this demand with resentment and rejection.

His message, while loud and clear, falls on deaf ears. Unless Bloomberg is going to follow you around and slap the bag of Doritos out of your hand (and let’s hope it doesn’t come to that), bans won’t really be effective in fighting obesity. The obese will continue to be none the wiser on how to turn it all around. After all, adults can be just as stubborn as children, but none appreciate being treated as such.

In 2002, McDonald’s declared they would get rid of trans fat by February 2003, but failed to do so due to an operational problem. Consumers ate fries under the assumption they were made without trans fat. McDonald’s was sued for not properly informing the public of this failure to switch by the deadline. McDonald’s settled out of court and agreed to help with trans fat education and gave money to the plaintiffs and the American Heart Association.

McDonald’s should have been clearer about the unsuccessful change, but did people really think they were being healthier by eating trans fat-free fries?

It’s common knowledge that eating fast-food is fattening. The problem in this case was that the customer was misled. The customer may have passed on the fries had they known it still contained trans fat. Herein lies a solution to obesity—make sure information is readily available and accurate. No doubt McDonald’s learned its lesson from the trans fats debacle, but consumers haven’t. We don’t need the government to tell us what to eat if they ensure we stay informed. We’re not stupid—just lazy.

So why not educate and let the consumers decide? No doubt the calorie-obsessed culture would pressure businesses. It already has. People forget that McDonald’s volunteered to replace trans fat. Many food makers stopped using trans fats when the FDA started requiring companies to publish trans fat content on labels. They must have realized we’re more health conscious when the facts are staring back at us.

Our obesity fears shouldn’t allow the government to be a fill-in for lack of self-control. Mrs. Obama's engage and inform method provides better tools for long-term effects. I agree trans fats are bad and welcome non-trans fat options, but it should happen by choice. We’re capable of managing our own eating-habits. Bloomberg makes laws in “our best interest,” but good intentions can still be bad for our health.