#5SmartReads is a Webby-honored weekly news digest that amplifies underreported news and underrepresented perspectives. My goal is to help you stay informed without being overwhelmed, and to embrace nuance and reflection over picking a side.
The real problem with kids’ diets today (Vox) One of the culture wars’ most effective tools is the boogeyman approach. Pick a single issue within a greater problem (in the case of MAHA, seed oils and food additives), build a rallying cry around it, and flood the public square and media with this message. It’s the horrifyingly effective playbook of this administration and MAGA as a whole, and one that RFK Jr. has utilized successfully as he dismantles the Department of Health and Human Services from vital public health efforts. We’re seeing the widespread impact of these policies (the significant restricting of the new Covid vaccines, devastating cuts to SNAP and Medicaid). It’s also impacting how we parent, as Virginia Sole-Smith unpacks in this thoughtful interview. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t be concerned about ultra-processed foods and their role in rising obesity rates, or continue long-term research on certain additives in food. It’s this AND investing in life-saving programs to ensure everyone has enough to eat and can seek healthcare with minimal effort.
On a personal level, Sole-Smith’s perspective helped lighten my self-imposed stress and anxious feelings on how I parent my own kids. I spend a lot of time worrying about what my kids are eating, watching, and playing on a daily basis. Allowing my kids to make their own choices in these areas and building their own autonomy is just as important. ... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to hitha to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
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nuance in nutrition, drugs, and influence
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