This week Congress begins hearings on the 2012 farm bill, the massive piece of legislation that gets updated about every five years and undergirds America’s entire food supply, but that few mortals can even understand. As nutrition professor Marion Nestle recently lamented, “no one has any idea what the farm bill is about. It’s …
CDC: Too Much Sodium in Most U.S. Diets
Nine in 10 U.S. adults consume much more sodium than they should, putting them at risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s newest “Vital Signs” report.
Most of the sodium comes from 10 types of foods, which are responsible for more than 40 percent of people’s sodium …
The New Study of Protein and Weight Gain: Calories Count!
I was intrigued by the new study from the Pennington Research Center concluding that weight gain depends on calories, not how much protein you eat.
The idea that the protein, fat, or carbohydrate content of your diet matters more to weight than how many calories you eat persists despite much evidence to the contrary.
This …
MN Won't Prevent Obese Consumer Lawsuits
Minnesota’s “Cheeseburger Bill,” which would have prevented obese consumers from suing food companies for causing them to gain weight, is officially toast.
The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act was vetoed Friday by Governor Mark Dayton, who said the law granted too much leeway to manufacturers.
The act, introduced by Rep. Dean Urdahl, was intended …
Price Nearly as Important as Taste in Grocery Poll
When it comes to choosing what to eat, taste still takes the cake as the deciding factor for Americans; however price is edging up in importance, and health is still a top concern, according to a new survey.
The opinion poll, released Thursday by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, provides a window …
New Study Shakes Medical Advice on Low-Salt Diets
Salt is commonly viewed as the enemy of a healthy diet. However, liberal use of the salt shaker might actually be more of a cure than a curse when it comes to human health, according to new research.
The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), followed health trends…
Added Sugar in Diet Parallels Weight Trends
As added sugar intake has increased over the past 27 years, so has body weight, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.
Researchers examined trends in the height, weight and diet of adults in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and found that an upswing in the amount of added sugars consumed corresponded…
Potential Dangers of Dietary Supplements
As the physical fitness and health craze hits the nation, more and more consumers are looking towards dietary supplements to help shed the extra pounds, get the extra energy, and try the new hottest supplement. Young athletes are looking for supplements to give them an edge over the competition. However, many consumers know very little …
Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet Not a Diet
Taco Bell is advertising a new campaign called the Drive Thru Diet with a spokesperson, Christine Dougherty, who claims to have lost over 50 pounds of weight by eating the lower calorie “fresco” options available on the Taco Bell menu.
Fresco is merely an elimination of cheese, which is substituted with pico de gallo (salsa)…