Forbes ran a great article last week about the politics behind the “Smart Choices” food program. This is the food industry’s program that allows everything from diet soda to Froot Loops to be labeled as a smart choice.
Richard Kahn, Ph.D, a panel participant and now an independent consultant serving on the board of trustees, said the guidelines were designed to help people who are currently making “terrible, terrible choices” with their diets.
“If you get someone who has diabetes and they’re eating doughnuts for breakfast,” he said, “anything down the ladder is a better choice.”
Sounds reasonable. But what’s deceitful and idiotic is to prominently label these crappy foods as Smart Choices. Since this program makes allusions to intelligence, why not give participating foods a letter grade: that way Froot Loops can get a D-, canned vegetable soup a B-, and fresh broccoli an A+? Calling Froot Loops a Smart Choice plainly does far more harm than good. Link.
