5 ms·

Markets are incredibly good at giving people what they want, not what they say they want, but what they actually want (economists call this revealed preference)

Markets are incredibly good at giving people what they want, not what they say they want, but what they actually want (economists call this revealed preference). Some people, like the author, see this as a problem. He had no viable solution to the problem. We have actually tried to the "free healthy alternative" in schools, and what happens is either the healthy parts are thrown away or traded away.

AnthonBerg 9y ago
Is lung cancer from smoking a revealed preference?
- alexanderstears 9y ago
  Smoking is a revealed preference, lung cancer is a consequence but any person who buys and smokes cigarettes reveals their decision that the expected value of lung cancer is smaller than the expected value of smoking.
Frondo 9y ago
Wait a minute...traded away? So somebody does want them?
Retric 9y ago
Schools with health breakfast and lunch options are strongly correlated with academic success. It's actually one of the most efficient uses of school funding even if many students don't partake the difference is staggering. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/05/03/how-the-quality-of-school-lunch-affects-students-academic-performance/ https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/...
- alexanderstears 9y ago
  Let's make sure that people have the choice for healthy food but it'd be idiotic to spend an iota of effort trying to get people to eat things they don't want to eat.
- jnordwick 9y ago
  There seems to be a single study that looks at what children were given - not what they ate - and I'm not sure how they controlled for other factors (i doubt this is the only change). I will read about it later though.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - elicash 9y ago
    How can you say there's only one study? Why would you cast doubt on a study you admit you haven't read yet? What studies are you citing to back up your own claims?
elicash 9y ago
I just took the first few results from google for a study to give evidence on this either way, and they seem to show the opposite of your claim: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/do-healthy-lunches-improve-student-test-scores/520272/ https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/do-hea... http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/health/healthier-school-lunch-study/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/health/healthier-school-lunch-... That isn't to say there aren't instances of somebody using a vending machine (where schools choose to have them), but it actually does seem that we see improvements not just in health but also in performance.
- soundwave106 9y ago
  From further Googling, I would say that the issue with the "healthier lunches" the parent probably is referring to more has to do with abruptly adjusting to the new requirements... not necessarily the healthiness of the food. [1] It seems that the key here is to give both students and school cafeteria kitchens time to gradually adjust to newer cooking techniques and healthier ingredients. Those that have gradually phased in healthier options have done pretty well. [1] http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/31/more-food-for-hungry-students-usda-tweaks-school-meals/ http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/31/more-food-for-hungry-s...
RobertoG 9y ago
>"[..]not what they say they want, but what they actually want[..]" That always sounds circular and a little unscientific to me. It's a variation of the old: 1. markets give us ideal results; 2. how do we know? because in other case we will not get those results.

AnthonBerg 9y ago

Is lung cancer from smoking a revealed preference?

alexanderstears 9y ago
Smoking is a revealed preference, lung cancer is a consequence but any person who buys and smokes cigarettes reveals their decision that the expected value of lung cancer is smaller than the expected value of smoking.

Frondo 9y ago

Wait a minute...traded away? So somebody does want them?

Retric 9y ago

Schools with health breakfast and lunch options are strongly correlated with academic success. It's actually one of the most efficient uses of school funding even if many students don't partake the difference is staggering. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/05/03/how-the-quality-of-school-lunch-affects-students-academic-performance/ https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/...

alexanderstears 9y ago
Let's make sure that people have the choice for healthy food but it'd be idiotic to spend an iota of effort trying to get people to eat things they don't want to eat.
jnordwick 9y ago
There seems to be a single study that looks at what children were given - not what they ate - and I'm not sure how they controlled for other factors (i doubt this is the only change). I will read about it later though.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- elicash 9y ago
  How can you say there's only one study? Why would you cast doubt on a study you admit you haven't read yet? What studies are you citing to back up your own claims?

elicash 9y ago

I just took the first few results from google for a study to give evidence on this either way, and they seem to show the opposite of your claim: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/do-healthy-lunches-improve-student-test-scores/520272/ https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/do-hea... http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/health/healthier-school-lunch-study/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/health/healthier-school-lunch-... That isn't to say there aren't instances of somebody using a vending machine (where schools choose to have them), but it actually does seem that we see improvements not just in health but also in performance.

soundwave106 9y ago
From further Googling, I would say that the issue with the "healthier lunches" the parent probably is referring to more has to do with abruptly adjusting to the new requirements... not necessarily the healthiness of the food. [1] It seems that the key here is to give both students and school cafeteria kitchens time to gradually adjust to newer cooking techniques and healthier ingredients. Those that have gradually phased in healthier options have done pretty well. [1] http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/31/more-food-for-hungry-students-usda-tweaks-school-meals/ http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/31/more-food-for-hungry-s...

RobertoG 9y ago

>"[..]not what they say they want, but what they actually want[..]" That always sounds circular and a little unscientific to me. It's a variation of the old: 1. markets give us ideal results; 2. how do we know? because in other case we will not get those results.