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#17934 02/01/01 06:09 PM
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What's with "healthful"? Until several years ago, we were talking about "healthy eating", "healthy lifestyles". Now all the American magazines talk about "healthful eating" and so on. Why, oh why? It's awkward to say and there already was a perfectly good, very similar word!!!!!!!!!!

(And don't get me started on their abuse of every day/everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)


#17935 02/01/01 07:20 PM
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I don't think I have ever heard "healthful" being used in the UK, but I have definitely heard it from American friends. It seems to me that they make a difference between that which is "healthy", meaning free of disease and ailments, and "healthful", meaning wholesome and very good for you. Does that sound right?



#17936 02/01/01 08:13 PM
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Frankly, no. My take is that they mean the same thing. I agree that "healthful" is a recent invention, doubtless by some marketing type, to incorporate the word "full" with "health". There's a lot of that kind of smoke and mirrors. Then you get this stuff cluttering up vocabularies and dictionaries.


#17937 02/01/01 08:34 PM
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#17938 02/02/01 01:27 PM
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Thanks, Jackie!

Not that it makes me feel much better - I still dislike the word "healthful" - and I think I also agree that this sudden increase in use is a marketing thing. Something "health-full" just sounds so much better than something which is "health-y", or so they must think!


#17939 02/02/01 01:42 PM
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Something "health-full" just sounds so much better than something which is "health-y", or so they must think!

Perhaps they are correct? Though I instinctively dislike the word, I can sense a possible divergence of meaning that can be valid: say, a fish which is swimming along in fine health but may be against the interests of our health to eat...


#17940 02/04/01 12:12 PM
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Hmm. In-tree-ging. As far as I can tell, this bastardisation hasn't made it to Oz yet. Well, at least not to W.A. - mind you though, I'm often convinced that "W.A." does stand for "wait awhile"!!

stales


#17941 02/05/01 10:45 AM
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mind you though, I'm often convinced that "W.A." does stand for "wait awhile"!!

world apart!


#17942 02/05/01 01:13 PM
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Waiting anxiously perhaps?

'healthful' goes in my 'modern fitness jargon' bag along with 'wellness', and is heaved to the back of my modest closet of vocabulary.


#17943 02/06/01 12:11 AM
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re "my modest closet of vocabulary".

So, I guess signing up at AWAD was a step towards coming out of the closet??

stales



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