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Comments on: Food and obesity http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2013/10/01/food-and-obesity/ The Visible Hand in Economics Tue, 01 Oct 2013 01:47:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Matt Nolan http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2013/10/01/food-and-obesity/#comment-42256 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 01:47:00 +0000 http://www.tvhe.co.nz/?p=9948#comment-42256 In reply to Peter.

Interesting stuff cheers.

The article I linked to mentioned how much corporate are trying to come to terms with the issue – they aren’t trying to kill people after all, and if information considerations are good then their own interest in profitability is a useful thing.

Nutrition is tough, all policy areas are tough but this is especially tough given the magnitude of the information issues and the importance of it. The economic method is useful here, which is why I find some of the comment in the piece I linked to in the note annoying 🙂

Like all these things, there are trade-offs. And people may well be willing to trade-off some of their life in the future for certain enjoyments now. We have to learn to allow people to be heterogeneous – and making sure we accept that rather than constantly calling anything that doesn’t meet our view of “what is right” is a good first step on looking at the nutrition issue clearly!

]]> By: Peter http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2013/10/01/food-and-obesity/#comment-42255 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:02:00 +0000 http://www.tvhe.co.nz/?p=9948#comment-42255 While some of it may be cosmetic bumpf, there are signs of increasing corporate responsibility in this space. Steinlager today (?) has launched a new campaign: http://www.steinlager.com/Whats-Happening/Be-the-artist/About-the-campaign (realise not core to your nutritional focus, but related). I think Eric Crampton has written skeptically (his strength) about social responsibility initiatives undertaken by corporates, but it strikes me (assertion) that there there is a strengthening drift toward moral consumerism and, associated, stronger morality in business, commensurate with a real long-term value focus. Check out this from Tesco: http://www.tescoplc.com/files/pdf/reports/tesco_and_society_2013_ipad.pdf This nutritional stuff is a mighty tricky policy area; one person’s pain (too much XX) is another’s pleasure. How bad is bad enough to tax a-la ciggies & booze? And what impact for those that can least afford? What is MSD doing in this space? (worth a look). Government promotion? A good sink for cash, and what incremental value over Gareth and other groups? Behavioural change is tough, and it requires genuine ownership by the changers – not finger wagging. Interesting topic to dig more into. Hope the thoughts help in some way.

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