Fathead: Policy vs. Education

Fathead: Policy vs. Education

My wife had me watching this editorial film (recall from a previous post that I do not believe these sorts of films should be called “documentaries”) entitled “Fathead” last night, which I am looking forward to finishing SOON. In initially it was going to be an expose' on how public health agencies are largely erroneous about the dangers of high fat diets, but instead this film is for the most part a reasoned answer to Morgan Spurlock's “Super Size Me.”

Now, similar to what I had to say about “Food, Inc” I felt that Spurlock's film had SOME good points, but also some bad points...some VERY bad points. Such as the not quite overt proposition that evil tyrannical food corporations are systematically killing their customer base and therefore there is a great need for government (Our savior!) to come and rescue the helpless victims of the obestiy/fast food genocide. (Or something like that.) On it's face this is absurd and Tom Naughton's answers Spurlock on point by point, handily. (In my mind of course, this is like shooting fish in a barrel...but others may find themselves enlightened by “Fathead”'s message.)

Now “Fathead” was obviously made on a VERY tight budget, but what it lacks in media sophistication, it easily makes up for with it's IDEAS and well-reasoned points. (Thus far...I'm about half-way through the film.) Look, there are PLENTY of good reasons to generally avoid fast food, but “evil corporations bent on killing you to make a profit” isn't one of them. I think we all know that fast food is cheap precisely because of how it is produced and it's overall quality and as Naughton aptly demonstrates, no one is really being fooled with regard to the extent with which these foods are calorie rich. I thought the brief little (poorly made) animation of the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest - an absolute tyrannical organization wholly devoted to regulating you into "health." I even noticed they have an article at top of their website claiming that "'self-regulation proving insufficient'") superhero sweeping in to save a hapless consumer of fast food was a perfect example, because it demonstrated how regulation and taxation can be used to absolutely steal YOUR personal liberty.



Public Health Science is an interesting field in which more and more people are earning their advanced degrees. However, I am concerned with the extent to which people are exiting these programs with a sense of mission. A mission, not to educate the public with their research findings, but rather to set public (i.e. GOVERNMENT) policy. The difference between these two missions is that the former treats humans as individuals capable of ingesting (pun intended) information and deciding for themselves, while the latter mission treats humans as a herd in need of management. Just like the CPSI guy, PHS superheros will lobby the government to intervene on our hapless behalf and protect us from the evils inflicted upon us, since we have absolutely no means of protecting ourselves (e.g. with our “fully functioning brains.”). So the government, responding to the “emergency” of the obesity “crisis” jacks up the price of McNuggets via a “fatty food tax” (they'll have a far more clever name) and then they'll regulate (i.e. FORCE) the fast food corporation to carry a government subsidized product they will call McCarrots, which will cost a fraction of their actual value. And viola! We've cured the obesity epidemic, because as “Food Inc” told us: most people who are fat, are fat because they cannot afford healthy food and now that they can get cheap subsidized McCarrots and can no longer afford highly taxed McNuggets, their previous lack of freewill and common sense will mysteriously return to them and they will suddenly make the RIGHT dietary choice out of necessity. Thank God the government was there to save us poor people!

“Fathead” also does a great job of explaining the rather sudden arrival of the “obesity” epidemic. Instead of the shrill voices that warn of impending doom, they rationally explain how the “sudden” rise of obesity can be easily explained simply by how public health agencies have decided to define “overweight” and “obese.” This is not, of course, suggesting that there's nothing wrong with obesity, but rather simply to suggest that many people considered to be obese by PHS folk probably shouldn't be losing any sleep over the matter. I write as one who absolutely is obese, but hardly EVER passes through the doors of a fast food restaurant. So, alas, my lawsuit against them won't go far.

I may say more about the film after I finish it, but thus far I heartily recommend it. Have some buttered and salted popcorn while you watch.