Top10 Worst Fast Food & Restaurant Foods in America
Source: Uploaded by psychetruth on Jun 2, 2010 to YouTube
Jessica counts down the 10 worst foods you could eat in America. Chances are if you eat an average American diet, you’ve ate one of these.
In a fast food nation, eating healthy food becomes difficult to do. Yet a poor diet contributes to low energy, obesity, stress, health problems and high medical bills.
If you eat better, you will feel better and this video discusses some of the foods you should avoid.
Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup vs. Sugar
Source: Published on Apr 20, 2012 by psychetruth to YouTube
This video explains everything what high fructose corn syrup and answers the following questions. Is high fructose corn syrup really natural? How do they make high fructose corn syrup? Is table sugar better than HFCS? Is HFCS unhealthy? Is there a link to HFCS and obesity? How much HFCS does the average American consume? How much sugar does average American consume.
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How Fast Food is Designed For Addiction & Obesity, Nutrition, Corrina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL_CmsPZ7Qk
Why is Junk Food Junk & Superfoods Super? Nutrition, Diet & Weight Loss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLFWiL-phT4
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Apple Cider Vinegar May Be A Potential Ally Against Diabetes, Studies Show
By: Edwin Bartolome
Apple cider vinegar has been in the health spotlight for the past several years as its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties have made it a popular home remedy for general well-being.
Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar that is made from fermented apple juice. It is produced by crushing apples and extracting the juice. After it undergoes a fermentation process, it yields a sour-tasting liquid that possesses a golden brown to amber shade of color.
Its potential impact in the fight against diabetes has increasingly become the subject of many studies and researches. As the evolution of modern lifestyles has led to a perceptible increase in the incidence of this dreaded disease, man has started to look for different ways to battle it. The sumptuous carbohydrate-rich diet of modern men consisting of bread, pasta, pizza and grains is said to be one of the major causes of the prevalence of diabetes.
This search for cures and preventatives has led to rediscovering the health benefits of such natural remedies as apple cider vinegar.
The healthy properties imparted by apple cider vinegar have been recorded throughout the ages. Hippocrates, known by many as ‘the father of modern medicine’, recommended this sour liquid for various ailments thought to be caused by bacteria such as coughs and colds. Military leaders have also prescribed applying vinegar to wounds for disinfection and cleaning.
In the modern world, diabetes has become one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Diabetes is an ailment where wayward elements of the body’s defense mechanisms attack the pancreas. As the pancreas produces the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, any attack renders it incapable of defending against sugars that normally accumulate in the system. If blood sugar levels increase at a rapid pace and remain unregulated, these can damage blood vessels and vital organs like the brain. Once these vital parts are damaged, secondary diseases and ailments may develop and these are typically considered as ‘diabetes complications’.
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is also called ‘juvenile diabetes’ and is the case where the pancreas is not able to produce adequate amounts of insulin. It is normally treated via insulin management. Type 2 diabetes is also called adult onset diabetes and is the case wherein the body is no longer responsive to insulin produced by the pancreas. It is treated in a variety of ways.
Preliminary studies conducted in the United States have found that taking apple cider vinegar may help lower the rise in blood glucose levels after food intake. It is said that the high acetic acid content in apple cider vinegar may help slow the digestion of starch thereby reducing the glycemic or glucose index of starchy foods.
Indeed, a small study made by Arizona State University researchers and published in the Diabetes Care journal showed that people who took apple cider vinegar with their food before bedtime showed remarkably reduced glucose levels in the morning.
Advocates of taking apple cider vinegar to help in the efforts against diabetes reminded people to look for the raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized version, as opposed to processed ones that are normally available in big stores and supermarkets.
Analysts also say that vinegar dietary supplements in capsule or tablet form may not be as effective for managing blood glucose increases after meals as they don’t contain acetic acid, the primary agent for controlling it. It is still best to use the raw vinegar for this purpose.
People who use the apple cider vinegar to control diabetes say that it is best to start on the regimen slowly and gradually work their way up. The typical way of consuming this home remedy is to pour two teaspoonfuls of the vinegar in a tall glass of room temperature water and then drink before meals. This is said to help control the sugar spike when food is taken in.
Diabetes patients need to inform their doctors if they plan to use apple cider vinegar as a way to help control their ailment. There might be some medications that have been prescribed by their doctors which might have counteracting effects with the vinegar.
There are also debates raging as to whether the long-term use of apple cider vinegar is healthy for people’s bones. The vinegar reportedly drains calcium stores in the body and this result in brittle bones in the long run. Advocates of apple cider vinegar answer that it comes already with calcium and so it doesn’t need to “drain” the body of this trace mineral. More research is needed in order for this question to be fully resolved.
Suffice to say that it appears many of the answers to the ailments and diseases afflicting the citizens of the modern world can be found in natural remedies used throughout the centuries. The wisdom of the ages appears to still be highly relevant in today’s world and it is all up to us whether we choose to heed all the valuable knowledge found therein.
About the Author:
Health benefits of apple cider vinegar are discussed at HealthFoodBenefits.com
It is a comprehensive source of information on the various foods, vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are beneficial to maintenance of good health.
Learn about bitter melon health benefits, another natural diabetes remedy.
Source: Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com
Have a Sugar Addiction? About Obesity, Nutrition, Diabetes
Source: Uploaded by psychetruth on Mar 24, 2008 to YouTube
Have a Sugar Addiction? About Nutrition, Wellness, Diabetes
Because of the American fast food diet, of soda, sugar is consumed in toxic amounts and acts like a drug in the body. This causes hunger, cravings and massive blood sugar fluctuations.
This causes health problems, leads to diabetes, obesity, organ damage and early death.
Minimizing sugar in your diet is a huge secret to effective weight loss and improve your fitness.
TEDxSanAntonio – Robert Trevino – Preventing Diabetes Targeting High Risk Children
Uploaded by TEDxTalks on Dec 27, 2010 to YouTube
Speaker: Robert Treviño, M.D.
Title of talk: Preventing Diabetes: Targeting High-Risk Children Living in Poverty
About this talk: Did you know that infant taste buds can be influenced during gestation by the diet of the mother? As a result, children can be programmed to like healthy foods, like broccoli, before they’re even born. Dr. Treviño cites this fact and others to prove that conquering diabetes doesn’t have to be about expensive drugs, but about simple, teachable everyday habits.
About Robert Treviño: A primary care physician, Treviño works in the poor and underserved areas of San Antonio. He is the director of the Social and Health Research Center and the founder of Bienestar — a program which combats early-age obesity and type 2 diabetes using school-based, preventative health programs.
For more information on Treviño: http://www.sahrc.org
@Katiecouric: Americans and Food
There is a discussion in this video on how food choices changes children’s brain chemistry and the long-range effects of these changes.
FoodSpook.
Source: Uploaded by KatieCouric on Feb 16, 2010 to YouTube
What we eat, why we eat so much of it, and what it means for our health. Katie Couric talks food with with former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler and “Fast Food Nation” author Eric Schlosser
TEDx Sydney Conference – Katherine Samaras – Starve to Survive
Source: Uploaded by TEDxTalks on Jun 14, 2011 to YouTube
Katherine Samaras is a senior staff specialist in endocrinology and metabolism at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and group leader in Clinical Diabetes and Obesity at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
Katherine’s everyday clinical medicine and research revolves around diabetes and obesity. In her clinical role, she actively engages obese patients with major illness in weight reduction, as a core means of achieving better health.
Katherine’s research is helping to unravel the mysteries of fat tissue and how it affects our health, particularly how inflammation promotes different diseases, including diabetes, heart failure, cognition and dementia.
A major project is focused on reversing diabetes through diet change and weight loss.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Diet, Reducing Inflammation, Lessening Pain with Deborah Norville
The information shared in this video about nutrition is very germane to the prevention or even the reversal of type 2 diabetes.
FoodSpook / publisher of DiabetesResourceSpot.com
COOKING CAN BE FUN!
Source: Uploaded by CreakyJointsInc on Jan 11, 2012 to YouTube
CreakyJoints — http://creakyjoints.org — was proud to help sponsor a video series examining ways to improve one’s life despite a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
RA is unlike the more commonly known osteoarthritis, a deterioration of joints due to wear-and-tear. RA is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks itself, primarily in joints, and can strike at any age. The pain is excruciating, and the bodily deformations caused can be debilitating.
Did you know what you eat can help reduce inflammation? In this segment, Deborah Norville interviews culinary expert and registered dietician Ellie Krieger.
Stop Prediabetes Now
GET YOUR KIDS INTO THE KITCHEN!
Source: Uploaded by healthhunter1 on Sep 15, 2011 to YouTube
Blood-sugar problems are a sign of prediabetes, and they’re often central in a variety of health problems, including being overweight, heart disease, mood disorders, and many other diseases. With the release of their new book, Dr. Ron and Jack discuss the nature of prediabetes from the perspective of physician, patient, and co-authors, and provide advice on how to overcome it with better eating habits and supplements.
———-
Presenters:
Ron Hunninghake, M.D. and Jack Challem
Super Foods for Diabetics
GET YOUR KIDS INTO THE KITCHEN!
Source: Uploaded by lachlanlilly13 on May 5, 2011 to Youtube
Super Foods for Diabetics
Does Green Tea Lower Blood Sugar and Increase Insulin Activity?
Want to avoid metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes? It is possible to prevent both of these conditions if you take control of your eating habits and exercise. No expensive prescription drugs or complicated exercises are required. It could be as simple as drinking four cups of green tea a day and walking for 30 minutes, four or five times a week.
Metabolic syndrome is probably not on your radar screen, yet one in five people are affected in the U.S. Risk factors include extra weight around the waist, insulin resistance, aging, genes, hormone changes, and lack of exercise, which are all harbingers to both cardiovascular disease and (the focus of this article) type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is characterized by insufficient secretion or improper functioning of insulin.
Obesity is a primary risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. It is closely associated with little or no exercise and poor diet choices, and creates conditions in your body such as:
- High blood sugar levels
- Reduced insulin levels and activity
- High blood pressure
- Oxidative stress
- Increase in free radicals that damage cells and DNA (aging process)
- High LDL (bad) cholesterol
- And a host of other damages to the heart, kidneys, liver, and pancreas
How can or does green tea lower blood sugar? Green tea is produced by wilting, steaming, and drying the leaves without fermentation. This process retains the potent antioxidant catechin compounds, unlike the process used for black or oolong tea. It appears these catechins are responsible for green tea’s blood sugar-lowering properties.
I am listing the answer to, does green tea lower blood sugar and increase insulin activity, along with many other health benefits it provides:
- Yes, it lowers blood sugar levels
- Increases insulin activity
- Promotes glucose metabolism in healthy individuals
- Suppresses glucose transfer from the intestine to the blood stream
- Reduces the enzyme amylase that helps convert starch to sugar
- Does not lower the blood sugar levels in a healthy person
- Polysaccharides are also present in the leaves and have the same ability to regulate blood sugar as insulin does
- Could forestall or alleviate the risk of metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes
- Importantly could control or prevent type 2 diabetes
Does green tea lower blood sugar and increase insulin activity is answered with a resounding yes. There are still a few important facts you should know before you consider drinking this healthful beverage.
- The antioxidant activity of green tea is almost six times that of black
- Caffeine does not help in lowering blood sugar and can have an adverse effect on blood sugar
- Drinking unsweetened decaffeinated green tea might be more beneficial
- Green tea extract pills and nutritional supplements are primarily made from extracts of the decaffeinated leaves.
- Milk in tea does not reduce the increase of insulin activity in humans, but don’t add sugar
- Instant, herbal, and other commercially prepared teas do not show increased insulin activity in studies conducted by the USDA
Does green tea lower blood sugar and increase insulin activity? I have included a lot of supporting information that I hope is helpful and the answer is still yes.
Do yourself a favor and consider the many health benefits to be obtained with regular exercise, a healthful diet, and consumption of the potent green leaf antioxidant compounds.
Think of how much enjoyment there is to be gained by being healthy.
If you try the beverage and don’t care for the taste, try taking a nutritional supplement containing the antioxidant compounds plus many other health benefitting vitamins and nutrients.
To learn more about the supplements my family and I take, please visit my website.
Take a minute to visit now at http://nutritional-vitamin.com/
J. Peter Crane is an advocate of living a better life through better nutrition. Since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, he’d rather spend money on good food and nutritional supplements than medical bills.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Peter_Crane
GTF Chromium and Diabetes
Source: Uploaded by UtopiaSilverSupp on Jul 18, 2010 to YouTube
Chromium is the most important mineral in the body’s assimilation of sugars.
Raw Food Recipes (3) – Zucchini Pasta with Marinara Sauce – A Raw Diet & Raw Recipe
GET YOUR KIDS INTO THE KITCHEN!
Source: Uploaded by LarryCook333 on Oct 9, 2008 to YouTube
http://www.learnrawfood.com Raw food author and chef Jennifer Cornbleet shows you to make delicious gluten-free raw pasta out of zucchini, which is topped with raw marinara sauce. From her DVD, Raw Food Made Easy.
Michael Pollan’s – Food for Thought Festival – Keynote Address
Source: Uploaded by REAPFood on Nov 2, 2009 to YouTube
Michael Pollan was the keynote speaker for the 11th annual Food for Thought Festival held on September 26, 2009 in Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. Pollan is introduced by Claire Strader, who was elected to serve as the “White House Farmer” in a popular online poll.
The annual Food for Thought Festival is a fun, festive forum that explores and celebrates our many opportunities to eat more pleasurably, healthfully and sustainably.
Past festival speakers include Alice Waters, Mollie Katzen, José Bové, Frances Moore Lappé and several other accomplished cooks, writers and advocates for a sustainable food system.
Are We Fattened Up Like Farm Animals?
Source: Uploaded by psychetruth on Jan 30, 2012 to YouTube
Are We Fattened Up Like Farm Animals? Psychetruth Weight Loss, Diet & Nutrition
Corrina talks about the average American diet is fattening us up the same way they fatten up farm animals. Corn, wheat and soy are used to make pigs, cows and chickens fat for the slaughter, so should we be surprised that we’re getting fatter, too?
Michael Pollan: Twinkie vs. Carrot
Source: Uploaded by NourishLife on Aug 24, 2010 to YouTube
Visit http://nourishlife.org. Have you ever wondered why a bunch of carrots costs more than a package of Twinkies? Food journalist Michael Pollan connects the dots between food policy, high-fructose corn syrup, and our health.
Aspartame & Diabetes – Dr. Betty Martini – Parts 1, 2 & 3 (Radio) 31:22 min.
Part 1
Source: Uploaded by HealthNewsUpdate on Nov 13, 2011 to YouYube
First hour guest, Dr. Betty Martini shared updates on health problems associated with the artificial sweetener aspartame. She reported that aspartame consumption is linked to diabetes, and can exacerbate the problem. “Doctors have no idea that they’re not dealing with an additive,” she said of aspartame– “they’re dealing with an addictive, excitoneurotoxic, carcinogenic, genetically engineered drug.
Part 2
Part 3
Bio: Dr. Betty Martini
Dr. Betty Martini is the founder of the global volunteer force, Mission Possible International, which is committed to removing the deadly chemical aspartame from our food.
She has been doing this for 14 years with operations in most states and over 30 countries of the world. She works with the world experts who write the reports you will find on their web pages. She spent 22 years in the medical field before this, and created the first health delivery system in the US. She can be seen in the aspartame documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World.
Correct Aspirin Dose May Be Key Helping Diabetic Patients Avoid A Second Cardiovascular Event
By: John Beecher
A recent study suggests a higher daily dose of aspirin may significantly reduce by 23 percent the risk of death from a second heart attack or stroke by patients with Diabetes.
The operative word is may. The life-saving potential may be real, but there’s that word may again.
Unfortunately, no matter what you read in the tabloids the evidence is not strong enough for most people including adults with diabetes to rush out and start taking daily doses of full strength aspirin even if they have had one heart attack or stroke and want to prevent another.
The operative phrase in the above paragraph is full strength aspirin. According to the 2011 Standards of Care from the American Diabetes Association, high risk people with diabetes and any cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as hypertension (high blood pressure) or high cholesterol or triglycerides (hyperlipidemia) and any diabetes patient with previous heart attacks or stroke (who thus are at high risk for second heart attacks or stroke) may want to talk to their physician about doubling the widely recommended daily baby aspirin dose of 82 mg.
The ADAs 2011 Standards of Care put it this way: Consider aspirin therapy (75162 mg/day) as a primary prevention strategy in those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes at increased cardiovascular risk (10-year risk 10%). This includes most men 50 years of age or women 60 years of age who have at least one additional major risk factor (family history of CVD, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia, or albuminuria).
This time the operative phrase in the above paragraph is high risk. Aspirin is no longer recommended for those at low risk for CVD. Low risk individuals include women under age 60 and men under age 50 with no major CVD risk factors such as family history or a prior heart attack or stroke or with hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia.
Figures from the University of Alberta’s meta-analysis (an analysis of previously published studies) also showed that diabetes patients who took aspirin (at any dose) were less likely to have second heart attacks than diabetes patients who took no aspirin at all. That reinforces that diabetes patient, especially with a family history of cardiovascular problems or any of the above mentioned risk factors should definitely be on an aspirin regimen, but that finding isn’t new, says Todd Marcy, a professor of pharmacy at the University of Oklahoma.
Older studies already indicate that smaller doses of aspirin reduce the chances of a person with diabetes from having a stroke or heart attack in the first place. That is important information because adults with diabetes are at the same risk of heart attack or stroke as someone who already has had a heart attack or stroke. Another way of putting it is that diabetes patients are two to four times more likely to die of a heart attack than people without diabetes.
The new meta-analysis, conducted by the University of Alberta (UA) in Canada, found that daily aspirin doses of 325 milligrams or more reduced by 23 percent the chances of a person with type 2 diabetes dying from a second heart attack or stroke.
However, diabetes patients who have had heart attacks or stroke shouldn’t rush to increase their aspirin doses just yet because there’s a downside to taking aspirin, especially full-strength 325 mg aspirin.
There was a significant amount of variation amongst the studies, so at this point, the observed associations should be considered hypothesis-generating and not strong evidence to change practice, says one of the UA’s study’s lead researchers, Scot Simpson, PharmD, an associate professor of pharmacology at UA, Edmonton. (A hypothesis (hi pot thesis) is a proposed explanation for a specific set of facts. Every quantitative study (a study that measures) starts out to examine at least one hypothesis to determine if it really explains what the hypothesis says it does). But there is another factor: Is taking that much aspirin on a daily basis safe for people for people with diabetes?
In our meta-analysis of previous research there were only two big studies, the Physicians Health Study and the United Kingdoms Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Trials that looked at people with diabetes taking fairly large doses of aspirin. Unfortunately, there were fewer than 600 people with diabetes taking aspirin in those trials.
Because of the safety issue, that’s too small of a group on which to make recommendations to patients, However, we have identified a gap in the literature and it is our hope that some organization will fund a large and long enough, at least five year, prospective study upon which we can recommend the best doses of aspirin to prevent second heart attacks or strokes for people with diabetes without significantly increasing the chances of bleeding in the stomach or elsewhere in the body.
Aspirin works by making platelets in the blood less likely to stick to one another, lowering the risk of clots that can cause heart attack and stroke. Researchers have suggested that people with diabetes are more resistant to aspirins effects than non-diabetic people, leading to the hypothesis that higher doses might be better than lower ones. According to current research, however, the dose of aspirin taken by patients is less important than aspirins mere presence in the bloodstream.
Individuals with diabetes and heart disease should take at least some dose of aspirin, says Cara East, a cardiovascular doctor and director of the Soltero Cardiovascular Research Center at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Science has not yet told us that one dose of aspirin is better than the other.
Current standards of care suggest that aspirin may help prevent a first heart attack or stroke in high-risk individuals including men 50 and older, and women 60 and older, who in addition to diabetes also have other heart disease risk factors such those previously mentioned as well as smoking or diabetes itself. The American Diabetes Association recommends that anyone with diabetes who already has increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk or those who already have had a heart attack or stroke take aspirin at doses of 75-162 mg on a daily basis but NOT the large 325 mg aspirin because of the increased risk of bleeding that accompanies aspirin therapy.
See your physician to determine your CVD risk before taking any aspirin on a regular basis.
Diabetes patients also have other ways to lower the risk of heart attack. Patients should aim to lower their blood pressure to 130/80 less than the general populations goal of 140/90 and keep their LDL cholesterol levels to less than 100 milligrams. Hemoglobin A1C tests, which measure the amount of glucose in your blood over time, should also reveal A1C levels of 7 percent or less. These goals can be reached by altering lifestyle habits (such as reducing ones intake of fats and sugars by being aware of the nutritional content of foods you eat), through taking prescribed medications, or both.
Editors Note: Jennifer Acosta Scott contributed to this story
2011 Sanare LLC, published on BrightSky.com Diabetes Management. Reprinted with permission. This article can be used on your website provided all the links in the article are complete and active and the actual article is run as provided with no additions.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
John Beecher – I like reading and writing about emerging topics related to Health, Medical, Diabetes, technology, search engines, gadgets and travel.
Benefits Of Omega 3 For Type 2 Diabetes
By: Sandy Sachs
You should be aware that you could fall in the high risk category for type 2 diabetes if you are obese, prone to having high blood pressure or are a lazy couch potato. It is estimated that 9 out of 100 people that are over the age of 20 will develop type 2 diabetes. There has been new research done on the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids from cold water fish. The research indicates that addition of omega 3 to the diet could indeed be helpful in warding off diabetes 2. The EPA and DHA present in fish oil could possibly show positive results within 7 months.
In medical terminology, presence of excessive sugar in the blood is known as diabetes. It’s a disease related to carbohydrates. Type 2 is the more common type of diabetes. A person with type 2 diabetes does have insulin but it can’t process the sugar to convert it into energy.
A person with diabetes has a higher risk factor of having a heart attack. It is 6 times more than the people who do not have diabetes. They also have a risk of developing heart disease which is 3 to 8 times higher than someone with out diabetes. If they include omega 3 in their diets, it could be very helpful in maintaining their healthier heart.
Cardiovascular mortality could be reduced by over 30%, if just 1 gram of omega 3 is included in the diet either by eating the food rich in omega 3 or through omega 3 supplements. That could be reducing the risk of a heart attack by 45%.
The omega 3 fatty acids are present in fish such as tuna, salmon, rainbow trout, mackerel and sardines. They are the fatty fish. This type of fish are loaded with polyunsaturated fatty acids that are helpful in lowering your triglycerides. They will also help you maintain a healthy heart rhythm, reduce your blood pressure by small decreases and help with blood clotting. Taking omega 3 fish oil or other supplements may also be helpful for the statin drugs you may already be taking for cholesterol to do an even better job.
As with most diseases, doctors first advise you to change your lifestyle such as your diet and adding exercise in your daily regimen. Normally weight loss is an important factor. 80% of people who have diabetes are obese. Loosing weight will also help you control your blood pressure. Exercising on a regular basis will help improve with glucose control, blood lipid levels,helps the flowing of your blood, helps you to remain physically fit and can reduce your chance of heart disease. Shedding extra flab also will reduce your chances of catching diabetes.
People living in Alaska and Greenland have healthier hearts as compared to Americans and also have fewer cases of diabetes. They consume a lot of fatty fish that contain omega 3 fatty acids. The Japanese too consume large amounts of fish and also have lesser cases of heart disease and diabetes.
Getting omega 3 in your diet if you are a diabetic may help you live a healthier and longer life. Lower your risk of dying of heart disease by eating fish twice a week or getting a daily amount of omega 3 in your diet.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
Come visit www.whatsomega3goodfor.com for more information on Omega 3 Benefits
Food Matters: front-of-package labels again
by Marion Nestle
Currently browsing posts about: IOM (Institute of Medicine)
Nov 6, 2011
My monthly (first Sunday) Food Matters column in the San Francisco Chronicle appears today. This time, it’s about the fuss over front-of-package labels.
Q: I’m completely confused by all of the little check marks and squares on food packages telling me they are healthy. Do they mean anything?
A: The Food and Drug Administration feels your pain. It sponsored two studies by the Institute of Medicine to rationalize front-of-package nutrition ranking systems.
The institute released its second report last month; it advises the FDA to allow front-of-package labels to state nothing but calories and nutrients to avoid: saturated and trans fat, sodium and sugar (go to sfg.ly/sUptQR).
The institute’s proposal gives products one point for not containing too much of each of these nutrients. It suggests displaying the points like Energy Stars on home appliances with zero to three stars, depending on how well the product meets nutritional criteria.
This is a simple system, instantly understandable. I think it is courageous. The institute’s proposal benefits consumers. It does not help companies sell junk food.
Selling or educating?
No food company wants to display nutrients to avoid. For the food industry, the entire point of front-of-package labels is to market products as healthy or “better for you” no matter what they contain. Front-of-package labels are a tool for selling, not buying. They make highly processed foods look healthier.
Will companies accept a voluntary labeling scheme that makes foods seem worse? Doubtful.
Nutrition ranking symbols began appearing on food packages in the mid-1990s, when the American Heart Association got companies to pay for displaying its HeartCheck.
Food companies then established their own systems for identifying “better-for-you” products. PepsiCo, for example, developed its own nutritional standards and proclaimed hundreds of its snacks and drinks as “Smart Choices Made Easy.”
In an attempt to bring order to this chaos, food companies banded together to develop an industry-wide system. Unfortunately, their joint Smart Choices checkmark appeared first on Froot Loops and other sugary cereals. The ensuing ridicule and legal challenges forced the program to be withdrawn.
At that point, the FDA, backed by Congress and other federal agencies, asked the Institute of Medicine for help.
The institute released its first report last year. It revealed inconsistencies in the 20 existing ranking schemes from private agencies, food companies and supermarket chains. Toasted oat cereal, for example, earned two stars in one system, a score of 84 (on a scale of 100) in another, and a score of 37 in a third.
The report said labels should display only calories and to-be-avoided nutrients. Labels should not display “good-for-you” nutrients – protein, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals – because these would only confuse consumers and encourage companies to unnecessarily add nutrients to products for marketing purposes.
Although the FDA was waiting for the second institute report before taking action, the food industry wasted no time. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute introduced their own system.
Complicated approach
They got their members to agree to a more complicated system, “Nutrition Keys,” based on nutrients to avoid but also including up to two “good-for-you” nutrients.
Food companies immediately put Nutrition Keys’ symbols – well established to be difficult for consumers to understand – on package labels where you can see them today. Now called Facts Up Front, the symbols are backed by a $50 million “public education” campaign.
The reasons for the industry’s preemptive strike are obvious. The second Institute of Medicine report gives examples of products that qualify for stars – toasted oat cereal, oatmeal, orange juice, peanut butter and canned tomatoes, among them.
It also lists the kinds of products that would not qualify for stars, including animal crackers, breakfast bars, sweetened yogurt and chocolate milk.
So the industry argues that consumers “want simple and easy to use information and should be trusted to make decisions for themselves and their families … rather than have government tell them what they should and should not eat.”
But why, you ask, does any of this matter? I view front-of-package labels as a test of the FDA’s authority to regulate and set limits on any kind of food industry behavior. If the FDA cannot insist that food labels help the public choose healthier foods, it means the public has little recourse against any kind of corporate power.
Perhaps Facts Up Front will arouse the interest of attorneys general – just as the Smart Choices program did.
In the meantime, the industry’s pre-emption of FDA labeling initiatives is evidence that voluntary schemes don’t work. Labeling rules need to be mandatory.
Let’s hope the FDA takes the Institute of Medicine’s advice and starts rule-making right away.
Marion Nestle is the author of “Food Politics” and “What to Eat,” among other books, and is a professor in the nutrition, food studies and public health department at New York University. E-mail comments to food@sfchronicle.com.
Source: Marion Nestle from her blog ‘Food Politics’
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