[Strangler Lewis]

I don't know much about conspiracies, but I do find mixed messages in the OP. It argues the wisdom of moderation and the occasional treat using the tone of, for instance, guilt-free, f***-the-crazies-drill-baby-drill-anti-environmentalists.

The problem with the premise is that McDonald's and Coke, for instance, do not promote their products as a How-to-eat-like-a-French-woman occasional indulgence. McDonald's wants you to have lunch there every day and then bring home dinner to the kids. Coke wants you to hit the store every night for a six pack along with your Funyuns and pint of Baccardi. Unlike with cigarettes and alcohol, there are no frank--if forced--acknowledgments that this sh*t'll kill ya. There's no French lady caveat that if you indulge, you might want to walk a couple of blocks afterwards.

I'm no scientist, but I know my body. If I eat sweets or junk food or drink my calories in what many people might view as moderation--a latte in the morning, a nightly glass of wine--I gain weight, especially when my exercise level is not where it should be. Doing so doesn't make me a bad person, but it does not leave me where I want to be.