Advice - aka attempted bullying - about what we should or shouldn't eat, is just another example of Big Brother bullying and control: mostly ignored, I believe, by most people.

Poor old left of centre Steve is struggling under the auspices of his fellow kind. Sigh.

I see what the author is getting at, however, I think he has left out some important historical influences when it comes to diet.

Cotton seed oil was once used as an adulteration in animal fats. Procter and Gamble were able to hydrogenate cottonseed oil and develop a substance that closely resembled lard.

It was less expensive than lard but was it healthier? It was once regarded as an insecticide for agricultural use.

In 2015, the FDA released a determination that Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs), which include partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, are not Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

One only has to look at the increase in obesity levels in the USA and Australia, since the introduction of the food pyramid, to show that advice from doctors and dieticians is discontented from the overall health of the public.

The Australian food pyramid recommends a high intake of fruits, vegetables and grains while recommending limiting added sugar.

The fact that fruits contain fructose and grains are digested into sugars just goes to show something is terribly wrong with dietary advice.

The food industry is dominated by enormously influential corporations to the detriment of consumers.

It is somewhat ironic that when I opened this piece the page contained a large ad for a fad diet – “14-day Mediterranean Challenge to lose 25 lbs”.

The author makes some good points, especially about commonplace foods and drinks shifting regularly between the “good” and “bad” lists, and the lack of certainty and precision in the supposed science behind claims. Unfortunately, diet has become yet another way for the not-very-scrupulous to profit from our anxieties

Nice article but Steven Schwartz's inside track on the lingo is ironic.