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On March 15, we celebrated World Consumer Rights Day, an occasion to promote freedom of choice and citizen autonomy. However, in Europe, consumers are increasingly treated as fragile individuals, incapable of making informed decisions without the intervention of the state and institutions.  

GOOD AND BAD 

This is especially true for food and lifestyle, which are crucial in combating obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the real pandemic of the century.  

Front-of-pack labels like Nutri-Score on cookies, cheese, and ham, warning labels on wine and beer, special taxes on soft drinks, incentives to reformulate traditional local products, and the subtle boycott of meat are just some of the tools governments use to steer consumers toward choices deemed “right.” The result? Less freedom, more dependence on institutions. 

WHY IT MATTERS 

An informed consumer with critical thinking skills acts in their own best interest and reduces undesirable consequences. However, without education and experience, they cannot develop autonomy. If everything is decided from above, citizens become accustomed to delegating and following directives without understanding why.   

This paternalistic mindset is not limited to food but permeates society as a whole. The more citizens are guided, the less capable they become of making their own choices. Overprotection leads to a standardized society that stifles freedom and diversity, slowing down innovation, growth, and well-being.  

CONTEMPORARY FEUDALISM 

The idea that consumers are incapable of making informed choices is rooted in a feudal mentality that we have never truly escaped. In the past, feudal lords, rulers, princes, and landowners, imposed rules on their subjects in the name of divine power.   

Today, power is no longer in the hands of nobility but of public institutions (officials) and organizations that, through regulations and directives, make decisions on behalf of citizens. The mechanism remains the same: rules are imposed from above, leaving no room for critical thinking or self-determination.

SCIENCE AS DOGMA

In the past, authority was based on religion; today, it is based on science, but not science as an experimental method. Instead, science is treated as an absolute and infallible truth used to justify policies that impose behavioral models. However, science is never definitive. It is a continuous and painstaking process of trial and error. Yet today, individual choices are regulated based on so-called certainties that are not actually definitive. 

Failure, which is the foundation of knowledge, is no longer accepted (in the logic of feudal infallibility) and is seen as a problem rather than an opportunity for learning. This perpetuates a society of increasingly passive individuals who depend on others to make decisions for them.   

CONSUMERS OR SUBJECTS?

Labels, taxes, and bans do not educate, they impose. The implicit message is clear: you are not capable of choosing for yourself. If people become accustomed to following rules without understanding their logic, how will they ever develop critical thinking and decision-making autonomy?

The problem is not just political but cultural. For years, schools and families have stopped teaching the ability to make choices and take responsibility. Children grow up in a system that rewards obedience rather than independent thinking.   

SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES NO LONGER TEACH 

At school, students learn about many things – except how to eat well and live in balance. They are taught abstract concepts about what is healthy and what is harmful but are not given the tools to understand metabolism, how the body works, the role of nutrients, and their interaction with the environment. 

The result? A citizen who relies on official recommendations instead of developing independent knowledge and the ability to make decisions based on personal needs. 

THE WAY OUT 

Teaching critical thinking is complex and requires time and effort. Imposing rules and labels is much easier and faster. Yet, the same people who talk about consumer empowerment promote policies that make individuals increasingly dependent on the state.   

We must move beyond this paternalistic mindset and build a model based on education, critical thinking, and experimentation. A consumer who learns by doing, adapting, and finding their own dietary balance becomes autonomous and aware. On the other hand, someone who is excessively guided becomes dependent on imposed rules and, when these rules disappear, is left disoriented and unable to make choices independently.   

WHAT TO DO 

We do not need more regulations; we need more education. Education means facilitating access to knowledge, developing critical thinking, and encouraging freedom of choice. Schools, families, and even social media must promote autonomy, not conformity.

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