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From: colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.med
Subject: Re: the food groups vs. the chinese
Message-ID: <2790@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jan-86 13:06:17 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.2790
Posted: Tue Jan 28 13:06:17 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 31-Jan-86 23:51:31 EST
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Xref: watmath net.cooks:5875 net.med:3277

> I was always told as a child that if you did not eat a combination
> of foods from the "four groups" (meats, grains, veggies, and dairy
> products) that you just wouldn't be healthy.  Well, if the oriental
> races don't eat any dairy products to speak of, how can they stay
> healthy? ...
> Along the same lines, is the (apparently) bogus importance of dairy
> products just a bunch of simplistic propaganda promulgated by the
> dairy industry?

The concept of the "four groups" is indeed simplistic propaganda.
It's promoted by the "legitimate" food companies (and some of the
snack companies, notably Hershey's) and administered by schoolteachers
who find it easy to teach.  I remember when the schools taught not 4
but 7 "basic food groups." The old classification was more accurate,
but it probably proved too great a strain on the public memory.

The most reliable rule is still to eat what appeals to you.  The
easiest rule is still to eat what's at hand.


	"You saved my life, Captain Buffalo!  Have a CIGAR!"
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
BI: csdsicher@sunyabva