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02.03.2011

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Eat Less. Why Is This Now News?

Obesity and the Paradox of Culture

Going back to 2004, the Hartman Group has researched and talked exhaustively about the root causes underlying obesity in America. We have published so much on the topic that we sometimes worry about appearing obsessive, although we think the subject important enough to take that chance.

Our consistent critiques of conventional public policy approaches to obesity have withstood the test of time. Does anybody remember the “new and improved” food pyramid the USDA trotted out in April 2005? You know, the one with “five different triangle-shaped guides, each geared to people's differing lifestyles and nutritional needs"?

What we first argued in 2005 seems as appropriate now as it did then:

So let's get this straight: We've all learned about the first pyramid, but apparently haven't been interested in following its guidelines, and as a result we've (mostly) gotten fatter. And the best response we can muster as a nation is to offer a substantially more complex, multi-faceted pyramid that is custom-tailored to meet differing lifestyles and nutritional needs?
While some critics (ourselves included) might immediately question the logic of complicating a tool that has already failed to gain widespread cultural legitimacy, our own research suggests there is a more fundamental problem here. Namely, American consumers simply cannot and will not consistently eat according to a scientific formula, no matter how neatly it is packaged. In other words, it is not the content, packaging or marketing of the food pyramid that's the problem, it's the pyramid itself.

Likewise, we found surprising inspiration in a similar critique first published in July 2006:

We find that most proposed solutions, such as those offered in a 3,500 word polemic New York Times op-ed by Eleanor Randolph, fit neatly into the "teach" and "tinker" buckets. For example:

Strangely, we find that none of the 10 suggestions listed above begin to directly address the pink elephant hovering in the corner. The root problem, of course, is that we simply consume far, far, far too many calories for our own good.

Yes, you read that correctly: We eat way too much food.

But rather than tackle the problem head on, most in public policy circles appear satisfied to offer up suggestions of the teach and tinker variety, which only hint indirectly at our pathological tendency to over consume.

True, banning junk food sales in schools might help reduce the consumption of so-called empty calories. But if we replaced sodas and candy with juice, nuts and popcorn, our children are still consuming unnecessary calories, no? Might it make more sense to ask how and when it even became acceptable for children to snack in school? Why would we even have vending machines in schools, no matter what is inside them?

Read the article and download the white paper here ».

More Thoughts On Obesity

Oprah, Food and Us

Why eating together matters

Recently, Oprah sat down with Geneen Roth, author of Women, Food, and God. Roth has long been a fixture on the self-help scene, specifically in regards to eating practices and weight management. Watching Oprah vow to “never diet again” after discovering Roth’s eating guidelines, we were reminded of our own recommendations on understanding the obesity crisis outside of the usual tinkering and blaming.

Read the article here ».

Despite All of the Panels, Pictures, Symbols and Gold Stars… Ya Gotta Eat

By Harvey Hartman

Beyond that most primal of needs (eating), issues such as what we eat, how we eat and when we eat are up for grabs. While many cultures have historically enacted powerful norms regulating these concerns, consumers in the US have demonstrated little regard for such control.

Read the article here ».

Comment »

(Food) Pyramid Schemes and the Myth of Following Nutritional Guidelines

The government's latest attempt at curbing the obesity pandemic in America may be well intentioned, but, once again, the FDA fails to see that food is not the problem. "Playing dress up" doesn't make the food pyramid any more effective for kids than it does for adults. The media feeding frenzy surrounding childhood obesity issues has compelled the federal government to do something, anything to demonstrate its commitment to solving the problem, even if it is to put a new spin on a tired, unsuccessful polygonal chart.

Read the article here »