A Food Rating System

I’ve always been interested in the movie rating system. I know it’s been designed to inform and protect us. We go from a G rating that’s approved for everybody and then through PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, clear up to X, which is porn and good for nobody. I don’t always agree with the ratings, but they’re helpful when I want to know if a movie crosses certain lines of violence, coarse language, and obscenity where I don’t want to go.

When it comes to eating and nutrition, there’s a much less reliable rating system. In fact, we live in an age when we are faced regularly by what many now call FOOD PORN. What kind of image does that term conger up? It may not be what you think. It’s not scantily clad girls wrestling in chocolate pudding or nude food fights. It’s unhealthy, fattening, artery clogging, nutrient-empty foods that are glamorized in seductive magazine photos and TV commercials. They can make a plate of unhealthy crud look so mouthwatering, delicious, and healthy. Through the deceptive skills of professional photographers, they can use beautifully lit, air brushed, sensual props that make you feel hungrier than you are, leading you to overeat. It’s a clever trap, and many porn foods are addictive. They will certainly rob you of your health and eventually kill you.

No matter how enticing they make giant cinnamon buns dripping with frosting or a huge plate of chili cheese fries ready to be washed down with a tall can of chemicalled-up energy drink, try to remember that these are porn. Avoid them and other foods that you know aren’t really as good as they seem. For Academy Award winning health, have a G-rated diet with as many raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds as possible.