02 Dec, 2010
“So do you want the good news, or the bad news?”
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life
That’s exactly what Dr. Freedhoff (of Weighty Matters fame) said when I picked up the phone. He was the reason why The National was at my house the other day. (First written about here, and in a frazzled post here.)
I hardly know where to begin.
I will summarize our conversation thusly: the good news is that our family is healthy. The bad news is that our family has been deemed too healthy for national news. I spoke to the producer of the segment this afternoon, who, in fact, told me we were all “skinny.” The story they’re illustrating is about how, as a society, we’re (a) eating more and (b) the stuff we’re eating isn’t that great. The story really isn’t “what Canadians are eating” as I had understood. If the story was truly about what Canadians are eating they’d also be talking to families in different socio-economic groups from each coast… from Iqaluit (caribou steaks and fries anyone?) as well as Vancouver and PEI and somewhere in the middle. I thought the story was going to follow three families and what they ate, and then Dr. Freedhoff was going to swoop in and assess.
We’re not perfect, far from it, but I would have liked to make a point (one that needs to be made!) that parents CAN cook healthy meals from scratch for their families. We CAN focus on whole foods instead of junk foods. We CAN do it and it doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. What we need to do is shift our priorities and focus on our health. Do you agree? Disagree?
I am not angry, just a little disappointed that we’ve ended up on the cutting room floor at this late stage in the game. But I do take comfort in the fact that we seem to be doing it right. Dr. Freedhoff has kindly agreed to look at our family food log anyway. I’m not sure what he’s going to say, because I’ve already been told it’s not very dramatic and won’t make for very good television. :)
Oy. When I think about all that time I spent measuring and weighing our food! And the time we spent with the cameraman and the reporter. AND MY POOR CLOSETS.
So. I have a digital kitchen scale to give away to one random Ottawa family. Who wants it? :)
