Structural vs. Choice in Heart Healthy Diets

Yesterday’s mention of regulatory control over people’s food choices and the possible effect on obesity and heart disease reminded me of a post public health blog Effect Measure made last year – Weighing in on obesity. Revere discusses the difference between “structural” and “choice” issues.

Ordinary people don’t know they are now carrying around substantial body burdens of these chemicals and don’t like it when they find out. They immediately identify it as a “structural” issue, not a “choice” issue. There is a great deal of opportunity here to focus attention to agribusiness and the failing family farm and good groups working on it. We can bring in agribusiness’s role as risk factors in obesity, attacking inadequate labeling laws (the “Right to Know” touches a core value and is a powerful lever we should use more), juices that have no juice in them or blueberry muffins that have no blueberries, trans fatty acids that aren’t there because consumers want them but because it makes it easier for food processors. People would not willingly choose these things. We can make it work for us. People are forced to choose them by a structure beyond their control.

How often do you read the labels when grocery shopping? I’m ashamed to say I rarely do.