I have an Amazon student account not because I need good rates on textbooks anymore, but because sometimes it's nice to get free two-day shipping on that Doctor Who DVD I can't seem to find at my local record store. In theory, Amazon is one of those companies I really should hate, but can't help using; they've probably killed many a good local business in their wake, but they're also a great tool for getting almost anything cheaply delivered to your house. They're like one of those swords with two sides and both are sharp. 

 

Because I'm an active customer, Amazon likes to email me. A lot. I guess they figure I appreciate the topical updates on their latest reduced prices. I do enjoy when they tell me when they're selling very inexpensive mp3 albums that I've been meaning to pick up anyway, but sometimes their product guides leave me a little baffled. For example, they just sent me a cheery little new year's note reminding me that I probably made a resolution to be less of a disgusting, unhealthy American this year. And they have just the products to help me realize my goal.

 

While I can't really argue too much with the "healthier habits" list they've put together--a book on the paleo diet? Right on! P90X kit? Sure, probably should!--their "healthier diet" section seems misguided to the point of dangerous misinformation. You'd think that someone preparing to eat healthier in the new year would want to stock up on fruits, veggies, and other fresh plant matter. Trouble is, Amazon doesn't sell that stuff. They can't actually profit off of people eating things that are actually better for them, so they're trying to swindle us by faking it. Their "diet store" new year's special includes a 20% discount off of all things Special K--that Kellogg's line of products that advocates a weight loss strategy of consuming daily amounts of sugar and other empty calories. 

 

Special K supposedly works because when you're eating 90 calories of pure sugar in place of 300 calories of actual, real food, you will theoretically lose weight. Because you'll be starving yourself. A bowl of cereal does  not a meal make. Straight calorie reduction may help some people shed pounds, but it certainly isn't helping them get any healthier. Denying yourself both the calories and the nutrients you need isn't a way to start off a new year with a "new you", as Amazon has pitched it. It's a way to buy into damaging eating habits that benefit nobody except the companies selling you their sub-par products.