Comments on: Counting Calories http://www.sneaker.org/2009/01/counting-calories/ Manu Kumar | California | U.S.A Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:26:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: sneaker http://www.sneaker.org/2009/01/counting-calories/comment-page-1/#comment-2559 sneaker Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:44:46 +0000 http://www.sneaker.org/?p=487#comment-2559 Daniel, I agree with you that "informed consent" should be enough. However, there are so many forces -- those of advertising, marketing for the most part -- that are working to manipulate us everyday, that I actually welcome a law that requires companies (restaurants) to make the information we need to make decisions more explicit. The very same menu that I perused yesterday also had on it full color glossy images of scrumptious looking food with equally tempting descriptions of the food. So if you can advertise food with full color images and grandiose language (as most restaurants do -- Mindless Eating has a great study on this as well!) then that too is manipulating us. The small-print that contained the nutrition information is fighting an uphill battle for our attention on this menu. The meta-point is that persuasion and manipulation of human behavior happens around us every day in so many forms that most of the time we don't even know when we are being manipulated. And in an environment where we are being bombarded by information mostly for corporate profit, I am pleased to see any small attempts that encourage us to think for ourselves by making the information more accessible and visible. Daniel, I agree with you that “informed consent” should be enough.

However, there are so many forces — those of advertising, marketing for the most part — that are working to manipulate us everyday, that I actually welcome a law that requires companies (restaurants) to make the information we need to make decisions more explicit.

The very same menu that I perused yesterday also had on it full color glossy images of scrumptious looking food with equally tempting descriptions of the food. So if you can advertise food with full color images and grandiose language (as most restaurants do — Mindless Eating has a great study on this as well!) then that too is manipulating us. The small-print that contained the nutrition information is fighting an uphill battle for our attention on this menu.

The meta-point is that persuasion and manipulation of human behavior happens around us every day in so many forms that most of the time we don’t even know when we are being manipulated. And in an environment where we are being bombarded by information mostly for corporate profit, I am pleased to see any small attempts that encourage us to think for ourselves by making the information more accessible and visible.

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://www.sneaker.org/2009/01/counting-calories/comment-page-1/#comment-2557 Daniel Tunkelang Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:37:27 +0000 http://www.sneaker.org/?p=487#comment-2557 I have mixed feelings about these sorts of benign paternalism efforts. While I applaud efforts to educate people in order to persuade them to make better decisions, this is a bit too much like, say, laws mandating particular counseling materials for women seeking abortions. Once I know that my Big Mac has 540 calories, do I need to be reminded of that every time I order one? Isn't informed consent enough? But of course, as you point out, the goal is not just to inform the consumer, but also to manipulate. And that strikes me as government overstepping the bounds of liberty. That it's for our own good doesn't excuse the violation. I have mixed feelings about these sorts of benign paternalism efforts. While I applaud efforts to educate people in order to persuade them to make better decisions, this is a bit too much like, say, laws mandating particular counseling materials for women seeking abortions.

Once I know that my Big Mac has 540 calories, do I need to be reminded of that every time I order one? Isn’t informed consent enough? But of course, as you point out, the goal is not just to inform the consumer, but also to manipulate. And that strikes me as government overstepping the bounds of liberty. That it’s for our own good doesn’t excuse the violation.

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