Healthy eating is not the road to virtuousness or perdition. The whole issue boils down to quality vs. quantity of life and there is no right or wrong answer because it is a matter of personal choice. First of all, none of us know whether avoiding fat and worshiping the treadmill will buy us more time. Any of us could get hit by that proverbial bus or perish from a non-diet related disease. But for the sake of argument, let’s assume a restrictive diet will stall your fatal heart attack for a number of years. People still have a right to choose whether it’s worth the cost. Moreover, there’s no eternal yardstick for measuring that. The “right” choice is the one consonant with your beliefs and values. Each of us has to decide how much comfort we are willing to sacrifice for our waistline and our arteries.

I assume most of us reconcile the quandary with moderation; that elusive balance whereby we endeavor to serve two masters. So get your butt to the gym and make a hearty beef stew for dinner.