Wednesday, January 03, 2007

On Cheese, TV, and the Nanny State

Story: "Much to the disgust of its makers, cheese is to be regarded in the same light as crisps, sugary cereals and cheeseburgers.

In fact, under the criteria used by the Food Standards Agency to determine junk foods, such products are actually regarded as healthier than cheese.

The ban follows evidence that TV commercials have an indirect influence on what children eat and are contributing to obesity in the young.

The Food Standards Agency model assesses the fat, sugar and salt content in a 100g or 100ml serving of food or drink.

But the British Cheese Board points out that a typical portion of cheese was 30 to 40g - not the 100g used in the agency's model.

Most cheese would be exempt from the ban if a typical portion had been used in the calculations, according to the board.

It pointed out that cheese was one of the most 'nutritionally complete' foods.

The National Farmers' Union described the decision as ' nannying gone mad'.

'To suggest there is anything inherently harmful about cheese is absurd,' spokesman Anthony Gibson said."

Cheese! How on earth cheese can be considered un-healthy, I don't know. Anyone ever have those string cheese sticks when you were little? I loved them, and they're healthy!
This is just a government interviening based on indirect evidence that TV ads make people fatter, which is just absurd. People get fat because they eat to much, or don't burn the calories they put it. TV commercials have nothing to do with that.

What else has been banned?
"Marmite, Flora Lite, half-fat cheddar, Dairylea triangles, bran flakes, camembert, sugar-coated puffed wheat, instant hot oat cereal, Jaffa cakes, reduced calorie mayonnaise, multi-grain hoop cereal, half-fat creme fraiche, takeaway chicken nuggets, potato waffles, Greek yoghurt (from sheep's milk), ham, sausages, bacon rashers, low-fat spreads, peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachio-nuts, peanut butter, raisins, sultanas, currants, low-fat potato crisps, olive oil, butter, pizza, hamburgers, tomato ketchup, chocolate, brown sauce, cola and lemonade."

Dude... Way to suck all the joy out of a childs life, if they're being told Oatmeal, Ham, Peanut Butter, and Lemonade(!) is unhealthy for them.
Matt, maybe you can help with this. What is a bacon rasher?

And in any case, this story was a good excuse to put a picture of Wallace, eating cheese, on the site.

4 comments:

Matthew Celestine said...

Cheese is quite rich in fat.

Some forms of processed cheese that are popular with children are particularly unhealthy.

Cheese can be part of a balanced diet, but if you want to lose weight, it is something you will have to cut down on.

I hate the stuff. But I do love pork rinds, sausages, Black pudding and pork pies. Which are all unhealthy.

Every Blessing in Christ

Matt

Solameanie said...

Look at it this way. Britain (and much of Europe) is a good example of the nanny state that they are trying to foist upon us here in the good old USA.

They can find a thousand reasons to try and justify it, but God forbid. It's like the stupid seat belt laws in most states.

RobertDWood said...

Cheese like on Doritos is probably not good for you, but I still think the whole concept of bannishment is wrong.

Sola, I agree compleatly.
Although seatbelt laws are a new concept to me, I've grown up with them.

Solameanie said...

The seatbelt issue is one of those "personal freedom" issues. One can understand a law to help protect other people from injury, but a decision on whether or not to wear a seatbelt hurts no one but the individual in the event of an accident. I don't mind strapping a seatbelt on for a short trip, but when one has to drive across country, it can become horribly confining.