World Gone Mad

In a recent interview with BBC radio 4's Adam Shaw, the founder of an international pizza chain suggested that pizza was a "healthy" and "nutritious" when consumed in moderation.

The gentleman in question was John Schnatter, founder of Papa John's Pizza ... who stated in all sincerity that " You can't eat five or six slices but if you eat one or two slices it's very nutritious."

Predictably Twitter, the blogosphere and traditional media went mad ... a blunder ... too honest ... monumental PR screw-up ... flash of PR genius ... what about the shareholders ...

Here's my two cents:

- Pizza in any quantity hardly qualifies as "healthy" or "nutritious" ... let's get that out of the way right up front.

- However, there's no denying the pshychological benefits of a few slices once in a while for those that crave it.

Now here's where it gets interesting.

- to accuse Mr Schnatter of being "too honest" or making a "gaffe" is just plain insulting to everyones' intelligence ... or is it?

- Other businesses are expected to lie to us on a daily basis and we accept it numbly ... so come on Mr Pizza Man ... don't you know it's prudent to lie?

- Does anyone with an IQ surpassing an amoeba honestly believe that sales would have spiked if the main man had said that eating a full pie was the way to go?

- So why then is this ridiculous expectation still touted as expedient?

- Isn't someone just a little bit tired of being spoon-fed all this drivel?

- Conversely, to suggest that his comment was "responsible" in view of his interests is pushing it.

- I think the response was savvy because it didn't paint him as a total hypocrit.

- Or maybe pizza could be nutritious and I haven't yet grasped the benefits of processed flour, loads of saturated fat and non-raw, non-organic dairy?

Perhaps the most scary thing for me is that so many people thought the comment was inappropriate because he was who he was. Maybe one day we'll evolve to the point where we actually respect candour unembellished by diplomacy or "dumb corporate robot disease"?

Not in my lifetime. God that's sad!

The UK Food Standards agency is talking to business owners about the feasibility of food chains displaying calorie numbers on menus.

I'm just speculating here ... but isn't the reason most people have no idea how to eat healthy because everyone and his dog is so fixated on calories?

While the message is a) weak ... and b) limited to "calories", "weight" and "diet" ... obesity will get worse, not better.

Of course, by then there'll be a pill one can take.

Softly, Softly, Catch a Monkey.

Obesity can be defined very simply as excess body fat.

Notably "fat" not "weight" ... and this is really where the waters start to get muddy. Everyone is obsessed with weight loss, probably for one simple reason. Weight loss is simple to measure and the feedback is immediate. Fat loss, on the other hand, is a little harder to quantify. Immediate gratification versus a little bit of effort.

Determining the true extent of the real problem is worth it though ... because obese individuals risk a myriad of health problems including:

- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fats, cholesterol)
- type 2 diabetes ("adult onset" diabetes)
- coronary heart disease
- stroke
- gallbladder disease
- osteoarthritis
- sleep apnea (sleep disturbance)
- respiratory problems
- some cancers (colon, breast, endometrial)

And the list goes on ... glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, increased visceral fat tissue, hormonal imbalances, deep-vein thrombosis, kidney disease, psychological distress and more.

The solution appears simple. Consume less calories and expend more calories (aerobic exercise and resistance training), creating a caloric deficit. And do this without "unreasonable" calorie restriction. Softly, softly, catch a monkey. Incremental tweaking, if you will.

However, for the changes in this strategy to be sustainable you must enjoy both your eating plan and your exercise regime ... and be committed to a lifestyle change that is lifelong!

Not quite so easy!

If in doubt, please re-read the list above. Seems like a no-brainer to me.