The Politics of Government Dietary Advice

The chapter “The Politics of Government Dietary Advice” talks about the history of political involvement in what the public chooses to eat. Over the past decade, the government in the U.S, Canada, and many other countries have released dietary guidelines to improve the health of their people. The initial movement encouraged people to eat less, but lobbying food industries found this a threat to their profit. Food is a huge money making sector and in the last decade, the country has been experiencing an immense increase in the food available. This means more calorie consumption per person, thus leading to health concerns. While the government tried to revise their guidelines for these changing eating trends, the food companies tried to corrupt the system in order to keep guidelines loosely define, so that they could continue expanding. This led to more complicated guidelines where the message conveyed by the government was indirect. One of the guidelines most drastic changes was the push for more exercise to balance out the increased calorie intake. This was one of the ways food companies sought to diverge from the “eat less” advice. The government plays a large role directly and indirectly in its’ countries’ eating trends.

                Although I believe the government should be involved in maintaining the public’s wellbeing, their current advice is more harmful than helpful. Having such ambiguous and confusing guidelines will cause people to either reason and continue their bad eating habits or ignoring the guidelines altogether. For example, I think the “my pyramid” plan is a good idea because it personalizes one’s recommended diet. However, the pyramid itself convoluted. If people need to read an entire book to understand what food belongs in each category and have to note all the little exceptions, they will most likely not follow the diet. I think the government should take charge of the problem at hand instead of talking in circles because they’re afraid of the food companies. Because the government has such a large influence of what we eat, we shouldn’t become dependent on corrupted dietary advice. It is up to each individual to seek out the best diet for themselves if they care about their healths.

Is there a solution that can satisfy the government, the food industry, nutritionist, and most importantly the public?

What should be the next step towards the health revolution?