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>The goal is to educate humanity so that we can start making more conscious decisions I don't think you can educate your way out of economies of scale that mak

>The goal is to educate humanity so that we can start making more conscious decisions I don't think you can educate your way out of economies of scale that make it cheap to feed people garbage. The only real solution would be to declare PUFA as unfit for human consumption but that won't happen obviously Besides, many people really will just eat whatever crispy oily sugary slop has the shiniest packaging. It is unpleasant to believe this, but it's true. Think of how health conscious or critically minded the average person is, and remember that 50% of the population is below that average. A lot of people really just go through life without making choices, just consuming whatever is directly in front of them. This can be hard to believe if (like most people on this site) you are significantly smarter and richer than average, and spend your time around others who are similarly smarter and richer than average, but it really is true. Like think of how more than 2/3 american adults are overweight. Why? Because they literally can't stop picking up food with their hands, putting it into their mouths, and chewing and swallowing it. All you have to do to not be fat is to instruct your fleshsuit to stop picking things up and placing them in your mouth. Calories cannot legally enter your body without your consent. And yet 2/3 adults are overweight. So I don't think education will do anything here.

deleted 5y ago
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jim-jim-jim 5y ago
> Like think of how more than 2/3 american adults are overweight. Why? Because they literally can't stop picking up food with their hands, putting it into their mouths, and chewing and swallowing it. All you have to do to not be fat is to instruct your fleshsuit to stop picking things up and placing them in your mouth. Calories cannot legally enter your body without your consent. And yet 2/3 adults are overweight. So I don't think education will do anything here. Do you think the average American's willpower has radically plummeted since the 70s? And the rest of the developed world nosedived with them? It's gotta be calories-in/calories-out and discipline to a degree, but things have shifted so rapidly and decisively that it's worth entertaining environmental explanations. Plus there's little harm in kicking this hypothesis around. A fat person who is otherwise unmotivated by traditional health advice might perk up once you appeal to his inner conspiracy theorist and tell him he's being fed industrial waste.
- blindmute 5y ago
  >Do you think the average American's willpower has radically plummeted since the 70s? And the rest of the developed world nosedived with them? That, and how much they exercise? Yes, absolutely I believe that. The signs are all there.
TaylorAlexander 5y ago
Actually there has been a well documented effort by the sugar industry to mis-educate our way in to this crisis so it seems perfectly reasonable that better correct education about health could help a lot. It’s not just about not putting too much in your mouth, it is about making informed decisions about what to eat. It’s about deciding which foods to eat and understanding what the trade offs are between various choices. That’s non trivial and requires education to get right. For example for breakfast should you have a bagel and cream cheese, a bowl of cereal, eggs and toast, a grapefruit, or nothing at all? These are things we can educate on. I spent a month recently absorbing a lot of the videos created by NutritionFacts.org. The real answers are guided by scientific research and knowing them can make a huge difference. This little panel discussion on the sugar industry’s efforts is a great watch. https://youtu.be/-s5szfPYKY4 https://youtu.be/-s5szfPYKY4

deleted 5y ago

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jim-jim-jim 5y ago

> Like think of how more than 2/3 american adults are overweight. Why? Because they literally can't stop picking up food with their hands, putting it into their mouths, and chewing and swallowing it. All you have to do to not be fat is to instruct your fleshsuit to stop picking things up and placing them in your mouth. Calories cannot legally enter your body without your consent. And yet 2/3 adults are overweight. So I don't think education will do anything here. Do you think the average American's willpower has radically plummeted since the 70s? And the rest of the developed world nosedived with them? It's gotta be calories-in/calories-out and discipline to a degree, but things have shifted so rapidly and decisively that it's worth entertaining environmental explanations. Plus there's little harm in kicking this hypothesis around. A fat person who is otherwise unmotivated by traditional health advice might perk up once you appeal to his inner conspiracy theorist and tell him he's being fed industrial waste.

blindmute 5y ago
>Do you think the average American's willpower has radically plummeted since the 70s? And the rest of the developed world nosedived with them? That, and how much they exercise? Yes, absolutely I believe that. The signs are all there.

TaylorAlexander 5y ago

Actually there has been a well documented effort by the sugar industry to mis-educate our way in to this crisis so it seems perfectly reasonable that better correct education about health could help a lot. It’s not just about not putting too much in your mouth, it is about making informed decisions about what to eat. It’s about deciding which foods to eat and understanding what the trade offs are between various choices. That’s non trivial and requires education to get right. For example for breakfast should you have a bagel and cream cheese, a bowl of cereal, eggs and toast, a grapefruit, or nothing at all? These are things we can educate on. I spent a month recently absorbing a lot of the videos created by NutritionFacts.org. The real answers are guided by scientific research and knowing them can make a huge difference. This little panel discussion on the sugar industry’s efforts is a great watch. https://youtu.be/-s5szfPYKY4 https://youtu.be/-s5szfPYKY4