If we talk about disclosing in Spain, it is important to bear in mind that we are targeting a population with high rates of obesity and overweight, both in adults and children. It is also a population with access to food, which is not hungry.
A population whose consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts is low, while white bread, pastries, and meats are the leading sources of energy in the diet.
A population that is heavily bombarded by advertising and messages from the food industry encouraging it to consume unhealthy products. And that not only does not have in its National Health Service a reference professional in food issues, but even medical and/or scientific societies extend the hand to profit in exchange for giving their logo in deplorable products from the nutritional point of view.
In that context, giving messages recommending moderate consumption of unhealthy foods (cookies, alcohol, pastries, biscuits, sugary dairy products, refined cereals, sausages and highly processed products in general) is totally counterproductive. First, because the meaning of "moderation" is unclear. Is it three times a week or once a month? One unhealthy product or several?
Secondly, because the population already consumes too much of these products, without the need for us to strengthen them as sanitary products. Those who already consume these foods in moderation, if they stop using our message, will improve their diet. And whoever makes excessive consumption
or, he will not find in it an excuse to keep him disguised as moderation, risk that if we run with the sweetest message.
But aren't we getting too radical?
When we fight against an industry that invests real fortunes in spreading its message, we cannot afford to let the few times they let us talk, the idea go astray.
Every time we recommend "wine in moderation" we are missing the opportunity to recommend drinking water.
With each "cookies in moderation" that comes out of our mouths we no longer recommend increasing fruit consumption.
When the message is "ham is healthy" we are wasting the opportunity to recommend healthier and more sustainable sources of protein such as legume, to reinforce the consumption of processed meat, which is already high in itself, while legume does not reach the minimum.
With each accusation of "Taliban" against comrades who give a message with less "restraint" than ours, we are missing the opportunity to reinforce impeccable advice from the point of view of public health.
We are the only voice that faces a powerful giant, we are the David in this fight. We cannot afford the wrong messages or the slightest truce to the already overwhelming food problem we have in place.