Is a Flurry of Fads Shaping Economic Development Policy?
May 1, 2023
“Would you be willing to try this new diet with me?” The question came from my wife one early spring day in March a couple of years ago. “It’s a thing that keeps popping up on my social media and it is supposed to help you get healthy in two weeks!”
I asked her what sort of “diet” we were talking about and she showed me the vegetable soup diet. I later learned that this diet surfaces every 9–12 months on social media and becomes popular for a few months before fading away again. The diet consists of a make-ahead and portion-out-for-the-week vegetable soup that is supplemented by a protein option. Feeling supportive, I agreed to give it a try. She lasted three days; I lasted five.