Posts Tagged ‘nutrition’

Researchers from Tufts University are concerned that some nutritional labels may be underestimating the caloric content of their respective products. After evaluating 29 commercially-prepared restaurant foods and 10 frozen meals which are found throughout US, researchers discovered that the sit-down restaurant foods averaged 18% more calories than stated and the frozen meals averaged 8% more calories than advertised. The authors note that the US Food and Drug Administration allows up to 20% excess energy content but weight must be no less than 99% of the stated value. This might lead manufacturers to add more food to insure compliance with the weight standards and thereby exceed the stated energy content. However, it’s the allowable 20% caloric excess that is appalling. As the researchers note – a positive energy balance of just 5% per day for an individual requiring 2,000 kcal/day could lead to a 10-lb weight gain in a single year. [via Science Daily]

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Research from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity shows that cereals which are most aggressively marketed to children are also the least healthy, as measured by an Oxford University nutrition scoring system. The researchers also found that none of the cereals targeted to children in the US meets the nutrition standards required to advertise to children in the UK. Among other findings, cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults. Even more shocking, (but perhaps should not be a surprise) is that all cereals marketed directly to U.S. children meet the cereal industry’s own nutrition standard for “better-for-you” foods. These include: Cocoa Puffs (44% sugar), Cap’n Crunch (44% sugar), Froot Loops (41% sugar), Lucky Charms (41% sugar) and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (32% sugar). Cereal companies spend nearly $156 million dollars annually on marketing their cereals to children on television. [via Medical News Today]

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Michigan State University researchers are suggesting that improper dieting may result in a weakened immune system that can increase your chances of getting hit hard by the flu. When looking at mice receiving adequate nutrition versus a lower calorie diet, those on the diet were not able to produce the amount of immune cells needed to fight an infection, despite consuming adequate quantities of vitamins and minerals. Although this was a mouse study, we probably didn’t need it to tell us why the results make sense on a human scale. Our bodies need energy in order to fight infections, and although vitamins and minerals are necessary, they do not provide the majority of energy we need to fuel our bodies – that role is reserved for carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This is why I always tell my patients to eat well and sleep well during flu season. Therefore, don’t believe the old saying telling you to “starve a fever.” It simply is not true.

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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.

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Trans fats are once again in the news after governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a ban on the use of trans fats by California restaurants. Trans fat is produced by the food industry to increase the shelf life of food products by making oil solid at room temperature. The problem with trans fats is that they have severe adverse effects on cholesterol levels which increases coronary heart disease risk. But, is selecting foods labeled as containing zero grams of trans fats enough to avoid it? As it turns out, trans fat does not have to be listed if the total fat in a food is less than 0.5 gram per serving (source: FDA). For now, the only reliable way of reducing your trans fat intake is to eat unprocessed foods or follow some of these practical tips from the FDA.

Did you know that the rate of food inflation is currently double that of overall inflation? The US Department of Agriculture estimates the rate will be between 3% to 4% this year, the highest since the early 1990s. Figures show milk, beans, peas and lentils up 17%, cheese up 15%, bread up 12%, and eggs up 25% – all within this past year. In fact, the price of the world’s main grains – rice, corn, wheat – have all more than doubled. This may leave some to worry that fresh food choices may give way to less healthy alternatives. However, there are ways to eat healthy in the midst of rising food costs and lower budgets. Local farmers markets or co-operatives can be good sources of cheaper, fresh produce. And if you feel more industrious, planting your own produce, especially herbs, can save a you a great deal at the check out line. As well, the majority of flash-frozen vegetables actually retain most of their nutritional value, even after freezing. A tighter budget may even be an opportunity to eat healthier by cutting out expensive, fatty meats in favor of legumes as sources of protein. Read about more ways to cut food costs here.