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The Forum > Article Comments > The Heart Foundation’s Tick deals with reality > Comments

The Heart Foundation’s Tick deals with reality : Comments

By Susan Anderson, published 31/3/2008

Finger wagging about what to eat is easy, but it's totally out of touch with reality.

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Hi Susan

I am not sure how the tick works - do foods in the fast food sector have to conform to the same standards of salt, sugar and fat content to achieve the tick? If the answer is yes and the tick on a pizza means that it is as healthy a choice as a fresh chicken salad then there is no problem. The problem is if the standard is lowered to allow the pizza to get over the line even if it might be the healthiest pizza on the market.

I understand the thrust of your argument about the reality of what people are choosing to eat and if they are opting for fast food at least the tick might encourage the "less unhealthy" options. But shouldn't we also be asking why people are opting for the fast food fix. Might have something to do with our rushed lives - endeavouring to be super parents juggling work, children and play. Goes back to the way our economic system is structured but that is a whole other issue but not one that should be ignored in the health debate.

Why do you use the term "food snobbery" in the article? Surely the aim (as a dietician) is to encourage people to healthier food choices. This is not snobbery. We can't change the rules on what constitutes healthy just to adapt to the way people are choosing to eat.

In fact the current trendy term 'slow food' is a bit of a misnomer in that healthy choices don't have to be slow to prepare. The Heart Foundation could do worse than to put out a booklet on quick to prepare healthy meals that can be prepared at home (or maybe you have).

People can become sceptical when money changes hands - paying for ticks means that there are many healthy options out there without a tick and the only way to really know is to read the labels which is our responsibility as consumers if we are concerned about content.
Posted by pelican, Monday, 31 March 2008 9:20:03 AM
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