From Mr Richard Reid
Sir, - Canon Angela Tilby's commentary on our eating habits over
the years (Comment, 24 April)
makes interesting and nostalgic reading, but I would invoke Occam's
razor in response to her conclusion that a reluctance to
participate in surveys on eating habits arises from fragmentation
and a decline in hospitality.
A much simpler and, in my view, adequate explanation is that, in
the face of the torrent of official advice on eating - advice
ranging from the reasonable to the frankly quixotic - many people
will fear, possibly with justification, that their survey responses
will lead to destructive criticism and a deluge of junk mail and
calls.
I know many people, generous in their hospitality in their
church communities and in their private lives, who would give short
shrift to any such intrusion. A further column musing on our
responsibility to share our secrets, and how far a generous spirit
should go in verifying the questioner's credentials, would be
welcome.
RICHARD REID
Fern Cottage, The Green
Stalham, Norwich NR12 9PU