Posted on 06/28/2012 8:22:20 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
British government officials said they are considering a program of having supermarkets use customer loyalty card data to offer tailored advice on better diets.
David Halpern, the head of the Behavioral Insights Team, part of the prime minister's team known as the "nudge unit" -- which applies behavioral science insights to policy problems -- said supermarkets have more data than doctors have on their customers, and this information should be used for healthier eating, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The program involves shoppers who buy large amounts of snack food, alcohol or unhealthy products being identified and offered advice on healthier options or changes in their diet.
Richard Thaler, of Chicago, who is credited with developing the concept, met with David Cameron, prime minister, and other ministers this month, the Telegraph said.
Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, has said he would rule out government involvement in this type of program and other officials said they are wary of "big brother" accusations.
While it appeared to be understood that supermarkets would offer the "nudges," some in the retail trade said they feared customers might not appreciate the nudging, the Telegraph added.
Cameron had already advocated for homeowners and renters to compare their energy bills with those of their neighbors to evaluate whether they were using natural gas and electricity efficiently -- a program already implemented by some utilities in the United States
First they nudge, then they push, then they shove you at the point of a gun.
If the king has to pay the bills for anything that goes wrong with your health, than why wouldn't it also have a right to tell you what to do about all the other factors affecting health? That's having all the responsibility with no authority. I assure you, for example, if I'm paying your bills, I'm going to want to know what you're doing. That's only normal.
I'm not saying it's right for government to act like your mother and father. I'm just saying that's the end result. It's wrong for government to control free citizens like this, but free citizens don't dependent on government for every need. It's a two-way street.
Unfortunately, the wannabe serfs vote, and the rest of us are taken along for the ride.
I have one for my groceries, but I have never, ever filled out a form to get them, and I always pay cash when I use it. No information get tied to me personally.
No disagreement. Cattle love ranchers. Hey, look at all this free food. What, wait, there’s a catch? Why didn’t you tell me before?
I refuse to carry someone else’s card with me to allow me to buy their *ing crap! I will go somewhere else if a card is pushed on me. I always pay cash.
Unless you’re a lady with a purse, capable of holding 2 cubic feet of “stuff”, who wants to carry a “loyalty card” for every stinking store you walk into?
I hate those damn things!
And don’t tell me about...”just enter your phone #”...
I refuse to complete the paperwork necessary to allow them to track my every purchase!
Vince Ferrer: “Cattle love ranchers. Hey, look at all this free food.”
Seems like an apt analogy to me. Unfortunately, cattle that prefer to roam free are corralled along with those who eagerly accept the yoke, to the same inevitable end. It doesn’t matter if some see what’s coming and don’t want to be steak. If one is going to be dinner no matter what, one could argue it’s probably better to go along, eat well, and enjoy whatever one has while it lasts.
Personally? That goes against my nature. I can’t help but care as I see Americans piss away what we once had and will likely never see again as they fight to reach the feeding trough (oblivious to what comes next).
Thank you for sayint this, I thought I was the only one.
I hate being sheep
...if only they’d stop at waving the gun in your face. But it never stops there with totalitarians.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.