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Friday, September 26, 2008
Do health claims influence your eating habits?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After reading about the debunking of the “good food myths” in a recent review of “The Healthy Skeptic” (University of California Press, $21.95) in the AJC, I was reminded of my friend, Rosemary.
Rosemary, not the most disciplined person, had read that drinking Fiji brand bottled water had great health benefits. So instead of worrying about watching her weight or exercising, she made sure she drank 2 liters of it a day (about a $5 a day habit). When she flew into visit me, our first outing was to Whole Foods to buy enough for her stay.
While most of us could have clued her in on the lapses in her logic, “The Healthy Skeptic” drills holes in a lot of other common misconceptions, most sadly that eating dark chocolate has major health benefits. While that one was more than I could have hoped for, it also shoots down the “super food” status of blueberries, vitamins and red wine. While blueberries are to still in the “good-for-you” fruit and veggie category and a glass of red wine in moderation can’t hurt, according to the book, neither is destined to lead you to fountain of youth. While I wouldn’t eat something I really didn’t like just because it was good for me, I might have chosen these ingredients over others in an effort to ward off future ailments.
Do health claims factor in what you eat? Are you willing to spend more money for items that claim to have health benefits?
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