Bad advice

The following was excerpted from an email message that was sent out with the intent of promoting better health. It was copied directly, minus pictures, to avoid any mistakes. The orange highlighting is my custom for setting off something that I find objectionable.

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WEEK 2: MIND WHAT YOU EAT.

Studies have shown that mindfulness can help improve mood and psychological well-being. Paying attention while eating assures full digestion and nutritional benefits.

QUICK TIPS FOR MINDFUL DAILY ACTIVITIES Don’t eat standing, walking or driving. While multitasking can be good for some activities, it takes away from mindful eating. Sit down or pull the car over, and take some time to enjoy your food. Eat without distraction. Focusing on food is challenging when you are watching television or sitting at your desk surrounded by clutter. First, choose to eat at the dining room or kitchen table. Next, clear everything off the table except for your food. Finally, sit down and enjoy your meal! If you don’t really enjoy the food, don’t eat it! There’s no reason to waste calories. If you don’t enjoy the food you’re eating, stop eating it and find something else.

Most of these suggestions are reasonable, but to promote an association between diet and entertainment is misguided. The purpose of diet is to provide the best possible balance of nutrients (that includes quantity in balance) to fuel the mechanism. I’m all for paying attention. I just think that improper eating is most often a result of seeking pleasure, and this message is only encouraging the problem.

At first glance this message might seem harmless, but this kind of misleading idea snuck into our conversations leads to it becoming accepted only for familiarity though it has no credibility. The fact that words can be arranged in a sentence doesn’t mean they convey anything legitimate, and when the idea is put forth from one that poses as authoritative, the damage can be extensive.