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Chocolate Wars and the hidden agenda of food corporations
9th August 2009
* Is there a hidden agenda behind the latest
chocolate scare stories?
* Revealed! The Darwinian snack hunter evolution
theory
* Good chocolate vs bad. Good salt vs bad. And
other revelations...
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Who'd have thought that chocolate could start a war?
A war of words at least...
I can't imagine a real war over chocolate. You know... with
guns, tanks, missile launchers and the like.
If this type of total war was going to happen it would have been
when the European 'Snickers' came rolling over the UK
borders and destroyed the 'Marathon'... and a whole way of
life.
Some resistance fighters believe we still live in 'Snickers-
occupied Britain.' They cross out Snickers on the packet and
write MARATHON with indelible ink over the top.
Secretly, they gather together and eat them in secret bunkers,
talking about the days when 5 pence pieces were bigger, dog
poo was white, and everything was generally better.
But at the very least, my letter about chocolate on the 31st of
July caused an outpouring of indignation.
The hidden agenda behind the chocolate debate
One reader says:
'Firstly, it seems to me the perfect opportunity for chocolate
manufacturers to increase their profits! Smaller bars for the
same or similar price? Secondly, I don't think it will stop
obesity. People will just buy two bars rather than one. I
honestly can't see how this will adjust people's habits or
intake.'
They continue:
'If the government want to do something more constructive,
then try educating people about better eating habits and stop
the big processed food manufacturers from confusing the
public about unhealthy foods. They are allowed to advertise
foods that are highly processed and often high in sugar and
they portray these as being healthy, good for your heart etc.
The public are largely ignorant and confused about nutrition
and the manufacturers prey on this.'
I absolutely agree. Although I feel somewhat guilty for turning
people into angry Good Life ranters, because this reader
finished by saying:
'Obviously I've been reading your letter for far too long as I'm
beginning to rant! I love food, have been known to eat
chocolate, ice cream and drink beer, wine and malt whisky so
I'm no health fanatic but I get cross when I hear some of the
nonsense passed about by government and the press.'
However, another reader initially disagreed with this view...
'It seems a shame that we (our government) have to try such a
trick. I'm sure it will work. Research will definitely show that
people who eat one chocolate bar a day now have less fats,
BMI and cholesterol than those people who ate one chocolate
bar a day before the size was changed.'
Then even this reader ended up thinking twice...
'....But then, how many will eat two smaller bars a day?'
And another Good Lifer joined the fray to say
'If they reduce the size of the bar, are they going to reduce the
price accordingly? And if so, people will simply buy more of the
cheaper bars to compensate for the drop in quantity.' |
The Darwinian snack hunter theory
However the most learned response I got was from this Good
Lifer, who says:
'In noting the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin
earlier this year, we celebrated the ability of human beings to
adapt. If you alter the size of chocolate bars (or burgers, or
cans of fizzy drink or anything else of same ilk) people will
simply find a way round it, possibly by switching to something
else more harmful. On the other hand, people might simply
take no notice at all and carry on buying chocolate bars, mini-
sized already, in bulk in supermarkets. For many, chocolate is
included in the week's shop along with bread and washing
liquids.'
Aha! I like this theory.
So perhaps we will EVOLVE into even more sophisticated -
and even portlier - snack hunters.
Darwinism in action!
The problem, as some people see it, is that when authorities try
to FORCE healthy habits on the populace, it can backfire
horribly. The same reader goes onto say:
'None of the Government's so-called healthy ideas have been
thought through and this will be just another costly disaster.
The healthy school dinner idea proposed by Jamie Oliver is a
prime example. I'm all in favour of children eating well but to
force both pupils and schools to switch virtually overnight from
burgers to salad was ridiculous. Phasing in the healthy
options, along with some subtle education about the benefits,
might by now have borne some fruit (to coin a relevant
phrase)'.
When will the government learn that people don't like to be told
what to do? We don't want to be patronised and lectured.
Especially when the measures they take only put MORE
money into the coffers of the confectionary companies who get
away with charging the same for less.
Time and time again it's the same old story, right? |
Let's not listen to hypocritical government lectures... let's
empower OURSELVES
In my view, The Good Life Letter is about empowering you to
know the many options are for your health. Not to say: 'Do this,
don't do that, and behave yourself!'
Chocolate is being demonised in the media to sell a few newspaper
copies, but it won't solve the problem. And it may simply add
more pennies to the cost of living, yet again.
And there's another reason this blanket 'EVIL CHOCHOLATE'
finger wagging is nonsense...
We all know there's reasonably healthy chocolate, made
mainly from cocoa, eaten with some benefits if in moderation
and as part of a good varied diet...
And there's unhealthy chocolate - the uber-processed and
sugar-laden confectionary you get in the newsagents.
There's healthy salt - like sea salt - which you sprinkle on
fresh, unrefined, homemade food. The salt you can SEE going
onto your food, and adjust accordingly.
And there's unhealthy salt - the stuff that's jam-packed into
ready meals, sauces and snacks. The stuff you don't see. That
you don't even know you're eating and in what volume.
There's healthy fat and unhealthy fat. There are good carbs
and bad carbs.
If the government would stop demonising one substance after
another, ramming rules down our throat, and hoodwinking us
with their hidden agendas... then maybe we can have an open
and honest debate about how we can ENJOY food and live
happier, healthier lives.
Take a look at my website for more on chocolate and other
unfairly maligned foods:
The Good Life Letter |
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