The Low Information Eating Epidemic

Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with what is and is not healthy. Food packaging and industry makes everything from very subtle to in your face claims about health. This information is propagated by the media, between individuals, and over time becomes unquestioned perceptions of fact.

I was examining the menu at local lunch spot the other day and asked about a couple different items.  The young girl looked at me and said, "this option is healthy because it comes with wheat bread", I looked at her and wanted to ask why exactly was wheat bread healthy and what made it that way.  Was it whole grain, whole wheat, etc, and how had she come to her conclusions. Instead I selected something more my speed and reflected on the moment.  I eventually thought about the state of our culture and its seemingly infinite capacity to accept ideas as fact.  These perceptions are established as the result of aggressive marketing, social media, and rapid news cycles vice investigation, sound information, science, and experience. I began asking family, friends, and co-workers the same questions I had wanted to ask the cashier that day. Why do you believe something is healthy? What are the roots of that belief?  One perception I ran into was that a particular food was "fattening" or not. What is fattening? Is it high calorie, something that causes the storage of fat, something high in fat? When confronted with these questions the vast majority of individuals respond with a very loose and subjective defense of their belief followed by a quick end to the conversation. Some walk away with the thought that maybe their thinking is flawed or at a minimum not well understood, a few enjoy a discussion on current understanding, science, and nutrition, but unfortunately a large number of individuals get defensive, irritated, and sometimes respond with thin attacks rooted in something they perceive is one of my beliefs. 

After reflecting on all these experiences an idea emerged in my mind and the "Low Information Eater" was born. While I don't tend to get too deeply into politics and certainly won't on this blog, I had heard the term Low Information Voter (LIV) in some of my previous dives into the political spectrum. LIVs are people who may vote, but who are generally poorly informed about politics. This idea was coined out of Samuel L. Popkin's use of the phrase "low-information signaling" in his book The Reasoning Voter: Communication and Persuasion in Presidential Campaigns.  Studies have shown that this type of phenomenon results in voter decision making that is inconsistent with the stated political beliefs.  The Low Information Eater is much the same.  The individual is poorly informed on nutrition and healthful eating choices as a result of dated science, marketing, and other sources of unsubstantiated information.  These beliefs are built over time and often conflict with the individuals stated intent of eating healthy.

What we eat and why we eat it is deeply embedded in our cultural, part of our identity, and in many cases is hard for people to address potential flaws.  These topics can be as sensitive and as hotly debated as politics and religion.  I am still trying to develop a strategy for positively engaging those that are most firmly planted in their beliefs and not willing to open up and challenge current norms.  In the mean time we should be sure that we don’t slip into the state of the Low Information Eater.  When you pick up that next food package ask yourself the key questions.

·         Why is this healthy or not?

·         What are my reasons for eating this food?

·         What are the ingredients and do I understand what each of them is?

·         How does this food affect my body?

·         What are the macro and micro nutrient composition of this food?

·         Are there more nutritionally beneficial alternatives?

·         Are any of my current beliefs dated and need re-examination?

If we take the time to ask ourselves these questions and stay open to evolving nutritional understanding then we can avoid the trap of the Low Information Eater.