Answer: Healthy vs. Healthful

[chomiji]

neiths_arrow would like to know the difference between healthy and healthful.

In many cases nowadays, these two words can be used interchangeably. Some of the blame (or praise) for this situation can be laid at the feet of advertisers. It's not surprising, given the modern concern with proper diet, that the idea of foods that are good for one's health comes up often in commercials. These ads tend to use the word healthy in its third-choice definition from Webster's: "conducive to health."

However, the primary definition of this word is "enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit":

"Here you go, sir," said Willikins. "Porridge — a healthy breakfast."

Sir Samuel Vimes looked dubiously at the bowl of gray goo. "Willikins, that's not my idea of breakfast. For one thing, it doesn't have any crunchy brown bits in it."

"Lady Sybil is trying to keep you healthy, sir."

"That takes fried eggs and streaky bacon, Willikins, not a bowlful of glue."

So where does that leave healthful, which is defined as "beneficial to health of body or mind"?

Actually, Vimes' butler could have said "healthful" instead:

"Here you go, sir," said Willikins. "Porridge — a healthful breakfast."

In fact, you could make the argument that Willikins, who uses formal, slightly stuffy diction, would be more likely to use healthful in this case. It's the more educated and less casual choice.

Advertisers, however, aren't aiming to sound formal or educated, especially when they're trying to persuade a television audience to try a new snack product or frozen dinner. Neither, presumably, would Ankh-Morpork's most famous salesman:

"Step right up for a very, very special sausage-inna-bun, guaranteed no rat!" crowed Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler. "You won't find a bite more healthy than this, nowhere!"

In summation, then: use healthful to mean "leading to good health" when your writing is formal or when you're writing dialog or viewpoint for a character who would be likely to choose words carefully. Use healthy for a more casual sound or when you mean the condition of someone's mind, body, or spirit.

 

Comments

[sid]

*adds Pratchett to list for next library trip* :-)

[chomiji]

Pratchett is excellent fun!

[sid]

Oh, I know! But my last library only had a handful of his books. Maybe my new library has more! *g*

[campylobacter.livejournal.com]

"Is not the nutritional quality of broccoli more healthful than pie, O'Neill?"

"C'mon T, live it up a little. Besides, fruit filling's gotta be healthy. You know... it's fruit."

"Gentlemen," interrupted Dr. Fraiser, "no solid food for another 24 hours, or I'm confining you to the infirmary." She instructed the commissary server to ladle broth into bowls for them. "Someone must look after your health if you don't."

[chomiji]

Fortunately, I have good Google-Fu! I don't watch much video, and when I do, it's usually movies, not television. So this is Stargate SG-1, yes?

[campylobacter.livejournal.com]

Indeed!

It is. :-D I didn't recognize the 'verse of your examples, so I made some Stargate SG-1 for the other nerds.

[neiths-arrow.livejournal.com]

Hey! I resemble that.

[neiths-arrow.livejournal.com]

Thank you Chomiji,
I remember a grade school teacher ranting on about this subject, and then the world turned upside down for the word 'healthful.' It wasn't used anymore. Your explanation summed it up well.

Because I believe we need to be an example to readers, I will continue to use 'healthful' when referring to food that brings health.

Neith

Thank you!

[batter strewn (from livejournal.com)]

I'm a grammar nazi as well, and have tried undoing this overuse of healthy with my EFL students to no avail.

The example I like to use is with plants, or fruits and vegetables:

That is one healthy tomato!
Tomatoes are healthful food choices.