Presentation 28 July 2016 - Ethical Thought & Action, Bond University, Gold Coast - Effective Altruism meetup, Lentil as Anything, Newtown, Sydney

1. Battling the bulge:
an immodest proposal
Stephen S Holden
www.halfamind2.com
28 July 2016

2. 2
How big a problem
is obesity ?

3. 3http://www.oecd.org/health/Obesity-Update-2014.pdf

4. 4

5. VanBaaletal.(2008)“Lifetimemedicalcostsofobesity:
Preventionnocureforincreasinghealthexpenditure”
5

6. obesity kills…
–2.8 million people / yr
malnutrition kills…
–3.1 million people / yr
–most under 5 yrs of age !
6
http://easo.org/education-portal/obesity-facts-figures/
https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

7. 7
What is the cause
of obesity ?

8. 8

9. How effective is the
“marketing fix” ?
9

10. 10

11. Secrets of the food industry
The Science of Addictive Food, CBC, March 6, 2013

12. 12

13. Which one do you want ?
13

14. 14

15. The “secret” of marketing
More
bigger
tastier, shinier,
brighter, etc.
Less
$
effort
time
15
Consumers want …
for

16. “Convenience”
16
less effort & / or less time
fast-food
medicines (Olestra), diets,
trainers/classes
motorised transport
remote controls
Google, streaming, online videos

17. Conflicting desires …
17

18. Hyperbolic discounting
« on est plus longtemps mort
que vivant »
18
« YOLO ! »

19. Marshmallow test

20. Sleeping with the enemy
20

21. Make it “look” bigger
21

22. Make it “look” better
22
Rolls, Roe, Meengs 2006

23. Make it “look” better
23
Rolls, Roe, Meengs 2006

24. Smaller plates
24
Holden et al 2016

25. “Looks” bigger
25Holden 2014 “Use your illusion”

26. 26

27. Fat tax
27

28. Consumers want an “out”
• “[Our culture] simultaneously incentivizes
people to gain weight and stigmatizes them
when they do”
• “…and then offers the bullshit promise of
instant weight loss through some miracle diet
or incredible exercise secret.”
28
http://www.vox.com/2015/7/7/8877041/losing-100-pounds

29. Fat tax
29
Fast food Fasting

30. Immodest proposals
not a problem, do nothing !
sleeping with the enemy
fat tax
30

31. Battling the bulge:
an immodest proposal
Stephen S Holden
www.halfamind2.com
http://www.slideshare.net/StephenSHolden/