A NASTY LITTLE FACT

“The great tragedy of Science: the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact” - Thomas Huxley (1825-1895)

Both Liberal and Conservative political ideologies rely to a great extent on the Enlightenment belief that we can reason our way to a better life. The problem is that's simply not true enough:

Calorie counts don’t change most people’s dining-out habits, experts say
By Michael S. Rosenwald, Published: July 6
Washington Post

“There is a great concern among many of the people who study calorie labeling that the policy has moved way beyond the science and that it would be beneficial to slow down,” said George Loewenstein, a behavioral economist at Carnegie Mellon University who studies calorie labeling. In a recent editorial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, he asked: “Given the lack of evidence that calorie posting reduces calorie intake, why is the enthusiasm for the policy so pervasive?”

Experts say that for most diners, the issue is not about having information but about lacking self-control. Behavioral economists have for years zeroed in on a logical hiccup: We are unable to balance short-term gains with long-term costs.