TemkuT – you have a point, but you do not extend it far enough. There are very few bad things that happen to us that are completely out of our control. Genetic illnesses (including some forms of cancer) and being killed by a meteorite are a few. But let the person who never speeds, who never drinks, who manages their stress well, who stays out of dangerous situations cast the first stone.
There are some who would argue that quick cooking oatmeal (not instant – rolled) for breakfast is not the best choice in terms of it’s glycemic index. I ate it for years (and grape nuts) thinking these were very healthy (now I eat Old Fashioned Oats or eggs). Maybe these choices will end up harming me and costing you money (you seem to have an issue with eggs. . . .) But my guess is that you wouldn’t be resentful because my heart was in the right place. Does that make sense? Here’s another example – a friend of mine had a patient that almost died of liver failure due to some herbal tea she drank for a few months. That was a terrible choice – but probably her level of intelligence played into it (not smart to eat something from an unregulated source). The intelligence of our choices is largely influenced by our intelligence, which is largely genetic.
I feel like food morality is becoming the new religion. Obesity is indeed a problem – I thank my lucky stars that I have managed to avoid it. I know the food industry plays a part – but I’m not sure we know what the answer is. For years people thought ulcers were caused by stress alone. Now we know that they are caused by a bacterial infection. There is some evidence that gut bacteria play a part in obesity. Maybe all of our antimicrobial efforts are coming back to haunt us . . . .[/quote]
Totally concur with you on this, njtosd. I’ve seen too many situations where people who’ve always taken care of their health were stricken with cancer, heart attacks, strokes, etc. while others who’ve smoked, drank, and eaten junk all their lives managed to make it into their 80s relatively unscathed. I think we like to attribute health problems to a person’s lack of discipline because we all want to believe that we have far more control over our lives than we really do.
I, for one, acknowledge our lack of control where health and death are concerned; and I have no problem paying for someone else’s healthcare because I know that I could just as easily be in their shoes. Anyone who thinks that we are in control needs to spend some time in a chemo room to see how many “fat” people who “deserve it” get cancer (very few chemo patients are obese, at least based on what I’ve seen).
We all need to be a bit more compassionate because what we are all guilty of doing things that might compromise our heath and well-being in some way; and that includes those who participate in various diet and exercise regimes.