The CDC reported earlier this year that approximately 32% of US children were overweight, 16% were obese, and 11% were extremely obese. With concerns about weight on the minds of most Americans these days, many food companies have voluntarily began campaigns to combat the obesity epidemic by categorizing a certain amount of their products as “healthy alternatives.” But do these wellness initiatives truly have the consumer in mind? In a recent JAMA article pediatrician David Ludwig and Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, argues that makers of popular junk foods ultimately have obligations to their stockholders to encourage children to consume more, not less. In an interview with U.S. News they outlined the top 10 things that the food industry doesn’t want you to know, including the following:
- Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.
- Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.
- The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Read more of the top 10 list and Share you opinion.
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.