Fast Food advertising

Obesity isn't rocket science

No according to Dr. Diane Finegood, obesity is more "complex" than rocket science. Surely that cant be right. If rocket science was less complex than eating a super sized fast food meal we would be seeing rockets being launched from every other backyard in the country. As it is, these backyards usually sit idle when they are not being inhabited by a bunch of fat people barbequing.

Dr. Finegood is the scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Researchs Institute for Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, which, on the off chance that you havent already guessed, is an agency of the government of Canada. Addressing a conference in Montreal last weekend, Dr. Finegood told the audience that the obesity that is plaguing Canada and other countries is more "complex" than rocket science. And naturally society is to blame for all the obese that walk among us. It seems that there is apparently just too much darn choice for Canadians and we just cant help ourselves. We are "bombarded" with junk food advertising by those bad, bad capitalists and its just so easy to pick up junk food rather than eat healthy meals.

Whatever credibility Dr. Finegood might otherwise have went out the window when she made her obesity vis á vis rocket science comparison. There is nothing complex about choosing to snack on carrot sticks rather than eat a bag of potato chips. Her reference to the complexity of obesity as far as it is caused by eating non healthy is a slam against the citizens of this country that hasnt been seen since, well, a couple of months ago when Paul Martins mouthpiece, Scott Reid criticized Stephen Harpers plan to give Canadian parents money for daycare because they would spend it all on "popcorn and beer". Even the dullest of the unwashed masses know that certain foods such as vegetables and fruits are healthier and less likely to cause obesity than such as chocolate bars and greasy hamburgers. Because it is "easier" to find junk food that healthy food and because people prefer fattening foods to something healthier does not make the choice "complex". Perhaps it makes the doctor feel better to think that her area of expertise encompasses the complexity of the ages, but her comparison to rocket science is simply laughable. It may be difficult for some people to forgo junk food but that does not make healthy eating an issue that involves complexity.

Dr. Finegoods views are typical of the operation of the nanny state. Since people are just way too dumb to solve this "complex problem on their own, the state will solve it for us. Hey, lets just ban all junk food. Its amazing how when governments discover complex problems, the first thing that they to is to suggest the simplest (ie. the least "complex") solution. Too many gun murders? Ban guns. Too many cancer deaths? Ban pesticides. It is so much easier to ban something than it is to allow people to make their own choices. Junk food is popular because it tastes good and people like it. If some overeat, thats their problem. You can try and educate people to the dangers of overeating, but hand wringing as a prelude to banning items like junk food and denying people a choice of what to eat is simply wrong in a free society.

Finegoods statements are a good illustration of how some, especially those on the left, view their fellow citizens. When given a choice, other than abortion of course, some people will make bad choices and therefore the solution is to take that choice away. There are those in society that would love to deprive the citizenry of any free will and have the government mandate everything that the population does. It would be one thing if Dr. Finegoods views were simply her views but they arent. In seeking employment with the government, she certainly has found her niche.

Perhaps the doctor would prefer to live in a society where the population is not "bombarded" with advertisements for Big Macs and Whoppers. Iraq might be a good place. There she would only be bombarded by rockets you know the things that were designed by those simple rocket scientists.

Arthur Weinreb is an author, columnist and Associate Editor of Toronto Free Press. His work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Men's News Daily, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck and The Rant. Arthur can be reached at: Columns 2006 '05 '04 '03 '02 '01 '00 1999 Media 2006 '05 '04 '03 '02 Toronto 2006 '05 '04