Developing A Taste To Beat Our Selfish Genes

Sir, John Kay ("When your body says call for a pizza, trust your brain", January 10) repeats the argument that "[e]volution programmed us to find appetising the things that are good for us". Even casual readers of The Selfish Gene will remember that the gene is after its own welfare, not nature's, not the species', not even the individual's. Our genes in reality programme us to find appetising the things that will keep us alive through our reproductive years (give or take a few years to look after the offspring). So, if Mr Kay is happy to live until 55-60, he should well keep those pizzas coming. If he wants to beat his selfish genes and try to live well into his 70s-80s, he may want to place a few more orders for fruits and vegetables.