Stop watching those calories!

Watching TV can be likened to consuming calories. Too much of either can be bad for you.
Just like there are different kinds of foods, there are different sources of ‘calories’ on TV:

‘Vitamins’: They have little entertainment value (‘calories’) but pack a lot of useful information and/or inspiration (‘nutrients’). In other words, they are good for you. Examples include boring educational programs (as seen on many public freely accessible stations), boring news programs (like some on CSPAN), boring religious programs, etc.

‘Fruits and Veggies’: They manage to pack in some entertainment value and are very good for you. These include funny educational programs (eg the ‘For Dummies series’…ok make that educational programs that try to be funny), interesting news programs, engaging religious programs, and exercise videos.

‘Foody Foods’: Since vitamins like to call themselves food, we had to make some kind of distinction. These provide pure entertainment just like food is meant to provide…you know…food. You may not get too much education except learning valuable life lessons. These are your run-of-the-mill foods, ranging from proteins to carbohydrates to fat: a range representing the spectrum of increasing brainlessness. The flicks (chick flicks and guy flicks), many cartoons, and few reality shows belong to this group.

‘Baby Food’: These programs have all the ‘nutrients’ and ‘calories’ you will ever need but are not made for you (at least not when other people are around). They are meant for your baby. Examples include Sesame Street.

‘Candies’: Pure mindless entertainment, no healthy nutritional value whatsoever. Examples include America’s Funniest Videos, World’s Dumbest Criminals, and a host of viral videos. I guess they can cure your 'hunger' or 'energy low' (boredom), but the tendency is for one to consume too much, and usually at the expense of proper nutrition.

‘Alcohol’: These have nothing but calories, yet are highly addictive, and reach toxic blood levels at a far less concentration than the other food groups! I guess you could put porn and mondo films in this category.

There you have it…some food pyramid of sorts. Now you can make informed choices towards healthy living, as far as a ‘balanced diet’ is concerned.

DrAW!