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Moral Judgments of Obese People: Q&A Radio: 14 Apr 2013, Question 1
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Question: Is it right or wrong to condemn people for being obese? Obviously, obese and morbidly obese people have made mistakes in their lives. Are they morally culpable for those mistakes? How should other people judge their characters? If I see an obese person on the street, should I infer that he is lazy and unmotivated? Should I refuse to hire an obese person because I suspect he won't work as hard as a non-obese person? Is obesity a moral failing – or are there other considerations?
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Paleo for the Endurance Athlete: Radio Interview: 27 Feb 2013
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Subjects Discussed: * Nell's history with endurance competition and the paleo diet * Contacting Loren Cordain * The basics of paleo, including dairy * The benefits of eating a paleo diet * The pleasure of endurance training and competition * Finding physical activities that you enjoy * The standard advice for nutrition and what's wrong with it * Nutrition in preparing for competition * Nutrition during competition * The importance of timing during competition * The difference that paleo has made for Nell's performance in competitions * Training for endurance events * Nell's training schedule * Endurance and paleo * Recovering after competition * Paleo is not too hard * Nell's new book, "Paleoista" * Nutritional consulting and downloads * Plans in the works.
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Your Freedom to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Radio Interview: 13 Feb 2013
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Subjects Discussed: * The most common regulations and laws pertaining to food and drinks * Colorado's laws about grocery versus liquor stores * Federal versus state versus local regulations * The true purpose of these laws and regulations * The goal of Michelle's advocacy * Why we have more regulations today * Conservative "solutions" * Bad studies and sloppy journalism: the phony case against the egg * The accusations against Four Loko * Future trends, including appeals to children * The three-tier system of alcohol distribution * Bootleggers and Baptists * Not being in the pocket of "big business" * Advocating for freedom in this area * Economic versus moral arguments for freedom * Effective arguments * Maintaining integrity in public policy work * Whether to support or oppose mixed proposals * How to support Michelle's work.
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Veganism as Child Abuse: Radio Q&A: 18 Nov 2012, Question 3
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Question: Should it be considered child abuse to feed a child a vegan diet? Most experts agree that children need some of the nutrients found in meat and dairy products to develop properly. I've read lots of stories about children whose development is impaired or stunted due to being fed a vegan diet. Should it be considered child abuse to feed a child a strict vegan diet? If so, at which point should the state intervene and take legal recourse against the parents?
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The Paleo Solution: Radio Interview: 14 Nov 2012
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Subjects Discussed: * The basics of the paleo diet * Paleo versus low-carb diets * The benefits of paleo: not just weight loss * Easing into paleo * The evolutionary framework for nutrition and medicine * The state of modern medicine * The claimed health benefits of vegetarianism and veganism * Concerns for animal welfare * Debates and disputes in the paleo community * Wheat and gluten * Cheating on paleo * Paleo as life-transforming * Robb's political activism * Robb's podcast, book, and online resources.
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Deliberately Unhealthy Choices: Radio Q&A: 10 Jun 2012, Question 2
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Question: Is it moral to smoke, drink, or eat unhealthy foods if one recognizes the costs of doing so? Suppose a friend makes a deliberate decision to eat foods he know to be unhealthy (such as frequent sugary desserts). He knows that it might harm his health, but he says that the personal enjoyment and satisfaction outweigh the risk of shortened lifespan and possible future harmful health effects. In other words, he claims he is making a rational choice to maximize his overall happiness. Is that moral?
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Spousal Sabotage: Radio Q&A: 27 May 2012, Question 3
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Question: How can I stop my spouse from sabotaging my self-improvement? Over the course of my 15 years of marriage, I'd gained over 100 pounds. After feeling disgusted with myself for too long, I decided to change my habits. So I switched to a paleo-type diet and started lifting weights. So far, I've lost 40 pounds, as well as shed some health problems. My husband still eats what he pleases, and I don't pester him about that, although he needs to eat better too. However, he's constantly attempting to undermine my efforts – for example, by bringing home and encouraging me to eat doughnuts. I want him to celebrate and support my new-found success, but he seems to want me to be fat, unhealthy, and miserable. What should I do?
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Guilty Pleasures: Radio Chat: 16 May 2012
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Subjects Discussed: * The problem with guilty pleasures * Techniques for dealing with guilty pleasures * Sugar as my guilty pleasure * Asking for help when overwhelmed with a new baby * Staying up too late surfing the internet * Snapping at people when in a bad mood.
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Overfeeding a Child as Abuse: Webcast Q&A: 19 Feb 2012, Question 3
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Question: Is overfeeding a child a form of abuse? In November, county officials in Ohio placed a third-grade child into foster care on the grounds that he's over 200 pounds and his mother isn't doing enough to control his weight. (See
the news story.) The boy does not currently have any serious medical problems: he's merely at risk for developing diabetes, hypertension, etc. The county worked with the mother for a year before removing the child, and it claims that her actions constitute medical neglect. Now his mother is only permitted to see him once per week for two hours. Did the state overreach its proper authority in removing the child from his home?
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Giving Away Unhealthy Food: Webcast Q&A: 6 Nov 2011, Question 2
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Question: Is it immoral to give away food that you regard as unhealthy? Assuming that one believes (as I do) that candy and sweets are harmful to health (especially in quantity), is it immoral to participate in trick-or-treat by giving children candy when they come to your door? Or, is it immoral to "dispose" of an unwanted gift of, say, a rich chocolate cake by leaving it by the coffee machine at work to be quickly scarfed up by one's co-workers (as an alternative to simply discarding it)? Is the morality of these two cases different because in one case the recipients are children while in the other case they are adults?
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The Validity of Sustainable Agriculture: Webcast Q&A: 9 Oct 2011, Question 2
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Question: Is "sustainable agriculture" a legitimate concept? Many advocates of a paleo diet also advocate "sustainable agriculture," including Robb Wolf and Mat Lelonde. Is sustainable agriculture a valid concept? What does (or should) it entail? Should consumers be concerned that their food producers practice "sustainable agriculture"?
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Calls for Moderation: Webcast Q&A: 17 Jul 2011, Question 1
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Question: What's right or wrong about calls for "moderation"? Many things are black and white, but sometimes moderation seems like the right course. For example, you don't want to stuff yourself full of every food that strikes your fancy, nor deny yourself foods that you enjoy. So you should eat moderately. Similarly, you don't want to agree to or deny every favor asked by a friend, but rather do some moderate amount. Is moderation a good guide in some areas of life?
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The Morality of Eating Bread: Webcast Q&A: 6 Feb 2011, Question 6
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Question: Since eating wheat is purported to be unhealthy due to gluten (and other stuff), is it immoral to eat bread? (Analogous to smoking being purportedly bad for you.) Since one has to eat something, it would be better to ask, "Is eating bread immoral when other food sources are available?"
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Conflicts over Diet: Webcast Q&A: 21 Nov 2010, Question 1
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Question: I have a friend who is pretty hardcore paleo and is often very critical of other people's diets. Food is really important to her and I don't think she means to sound so disparaging. How do I kindly tell her to butt out of mine and my friends' eating habits?