MORE FOOD POLICE NONSENSE

This morning I was watching a TV program and here comes the “food police.” She was a gorgeous twenty-something hard body whose task it was to teach me the evils of sugar. According to her most of the food we eat in this country is poisonous and we are all doomed unless we change our ways. She proffered that the sugar content in virtually everything was just too high and that eating these foods would kill us. It was just a matter of time. It’s a good thing she was pretty otherwise I would have tuned her out immediately.

Last week some young man, again very young, was talking about that fatal food, fat. His thesis was that virtually all of the foods we eat are loaded with fat and it was going to kill us. Both of the young food police people were passionate about their positions. I am sure that in their heart of hearts they believe what they are saying.

In the very recent past the Mayor of New York City launched a campaign to curtail the consumption of salt. He also signed into law an edict that regulates the type of cooking oil that can be used by restaurants. It would seem there is no area of our freedom of choice that is immune from the long arm of the “do gooders” and those who believe they know best.

Well I have some thoughts for them. My father recently died at the ripe old age of 92. He was born and raised in the south. He ate the southern diet from the time he was born until his death. What is the southern diet? Have you heard of Paula Deen? The southern diet consists of a lot of pork, both the meat and the fat. Often the fat is used to make gravy. Mostly that gravy is poured over biscuits and mashed potatoes. Vegetables are cooked in bacon grease. I mean all vegetables. Butter is a common condiment. Other meats are seemingly always fried. You have to do that so you will have some grease left over to make the gravy.

I myself am a son of the south. I love the southern diet. My wife, on the other hand, is a little more picky about what she eats. Oh well, you can’t please everybody. If someone told me that I would have to stop eating the foods I love and change to boiled meat, steamed vegetables, no gravy, no biscuits and no butter or else, I think I would have to take or else. There are some things that are worse than death. For example steamed vegetables, boiled meat, etc. My father had a good life. He lived it on his terms and I assure you, he never once concerned himself with the fat or sugar content of the foods he ate.

I truly understand one’s food choices are very personal. There are mayonnaise people and there are mustard people, and you know who you are. For that reason, I promise never to criticize  your choices. I will never make fun of you for destroying perfectly good food by trying to satisfy the food police. Chicken needs to be fried. Mashed potatoes need gravy. Biscuits need butter. For me to deny these truths is a choice with which I would not be comfortable.

Oh and by the way, the young hard bellies who feel the need to lecture me on food choices will, if they are lucky, grow old and their hard bodies will sag, and their tight skin will show the years like the rest of us. And who knows, they might even become fortunate enough some day to taste real food before they die. I can only hope they will be so lucky. If they ever do, they will quickly turn in their food police badges.

Ron Scarbro April 18, 2012