mikesbytes wrote:The general population wasn't obese in the 1950's. What did people eat in the 1950's?
It is an interesting way to approach the issue for potential solutions Mike.
In that era, food costs took up a higher % of the cost of living and was overwhelmingly unprocessed.
Today, food % of cost of living is lower but housing and transport is higher. i.e. car ownership was less, people lived within walking or cycling distance of work, cities were not as densely population, sprawled and disconnected from green space, unprocessed foods were more broadly available, and if not people had the time to grow their own (this was facilitated by families being larger and children doing more chores).
Cooking was a core skill taught in public and private skills to women in home economics.
The Australian diet was more homogenous, and not complicated by as many influence from other cultures (for better or worse!).
In this respect there was more cultural reinforcement of what constitutes a healthy balanced diet. There wasn't as much confusion as today.
I am generally a free market guy, but I do accept govt has a key role for setting and perpetuating cultural norms and base skills such as cooking (via schools). Nevertheless, this is a more convoluted task today due to the 'multicultural' nature of Australia. Can you imagine the drama some minorities will stir up when home ec classes are not inclusive of Halal, Kosher, Hindu, Buddhist traditions!
BTW, I am not saying people ate optimally back then. Generally they ate too much animal produce and not enough vege, though they ate more vege than now.
In short, diet has changed dramatically due to societal and cultural change - time pressures imposed by commuting, higher mortgages requiring two incomes to service, longer hours away from home, people suffering from higher levels of fatigue and not having the motivation to prepare home meals from scratch. The ever growing volume of science often conflicting also confounds clear dietary choice, as does the growing level of morbidity (autoimmune and endocrine disease)
Nevertheless, individuals with clear and firm life values and goals are not powerless to 'go with the flow'.
The thing we have today that our forebears didn't is CHOICE! It is up to every individual and parent to choose consciously, and not be swept along by "popular culture", whatever that is! There is a role for inspired government to facilitate the mainstreaming of good dietary information. But the will and creativity and foresight has been found wanting, imho.
So, as always, those with a clear and committed life mission are more likely to guide others....upwards or downwards!
Many these days don't seem to respect their individual agency to choose what they want from the market of ideas and services, and not just for diet.
They too easily accept the govt, this or that health or educational authority, or political ideology or religion knows best!
None of us would not benefit from more seriously contemplating life meaning, and living life resonant with that meaning.
