FDA Health and Diet Survey Shows Consumers Reading Food Labels More!

On March 2nd, the FDA released findings from their 2008 Health and Diet telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults in every state and the District of Columbia.

 

Great news, the FDA reported that "more than half of consumers in the United States often read the food label when buying a product for the first time." According to the findings, this is a 10 percent increase from 2002. I can't tell you how often I am asked by clients, friends, family etc. how to read a nutrition label. It can be tricky. But I am thrilled to learn that people are more concerned with what they are consuming.

With regard to how diet can affect health, here are some key findings:

• More U.S. consumers know of the relationship between diet and heart disease. Ninety-one percent knew of this link, an 8 percent jump from 2002. In addition, 62 percent of consumers mentioned fats as a factor related to heart disease, compared to 53 percent in 2002.
• Eighty-one percent of consumers know that certain foods or drinks may help prevent heart disease or heart attacks. This result showed no change from 2002. While fruits and vegetables were most frequently linked with reducing heart disease, fewer people made this link in 2008 than in 2002.
• Consumers' awareness that trans fats in the diet may raise the risk of heart disease nearly doubled over just four years, from 32 percent in 2004 to 62 percent.
• Correct identification that omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of heart disease increased, from 31 percent in 2004, to 52 percent in 2008.
• Knowledge that saturated fat may raise the risk of heart disease was stable: it was 74 percent in 2004 and 73 percent in 2008.

With regard to food labels, some key findings include:

• More than half (54 percent) of consumers said they read a product's label the first time they buy the product. That's a 10 percent increase from 2002.
• Among those who in 2008 reported they read the nutrition label the first time they buy a product
• two-thirds use the label “often” to check how high or low a food is in calories and in substances such as salt, vitamins, and fat
• 55 percent “often” use the label to get a general idea of the food's nutritional content
• 46 percent “often” use the calorie information on the label. Thirty-four percent rarely or never use the calorie information
• Thirty-eight percent of consumers said they use nutrient content claims (such as “low-fat,” “high-fiber,” and “cholesterol-free”) “often”; 34 percent answered “sometimes.”
• When asked if they refer to the label claim of “0 grams of trans fat,” 31 percent said “often” and 36 percent said “sometimes.”

 

It also appears consumers are getting more savvy when it comes to label "claims" which I am happy to see. As I have shared in the past, some of these new "healthy" label endorsements are just false or sometimes paid advertisements! Remember the “Smart Choices” blog post I wrote back in October of 2009? In August of 2009 the FDA requested that the Smart Choices program be suspended because their claims were misleading consumers. If you did not get a chance to read that blog posting I recommend you check it out to see how easy it is to be tricked or misled by retailers in buying “healthy” food.

 

According to the findings:

• 41 percent of consumers believe that all or most of claims such as “low-fat,” “high-fiber,” or “cholesterol-free” are accurate, while 
• 56 percent believe that some or none of them are accurate.

Here are a few tips to help you get started should you be new to reading labels:

 

1. First look at the serving size. The product you are eating may contain fewer than 3 grams of sugar in its 1/2 cup serving, but not if you are eating double or triple that amount.

 

2. After you look at the serving size, see if it's "worth" the calories reported on the label; if not put it back on the shelf

 

3. Check how many grams of saturated fat there are in one serving. Total fat is worth checking out too, but sticking with the American Heart Association's recommendation that less that 7% of calories come from saturated fats is most important to heart health than total fat.

 

4. Look at the grams of fiber. If a product claims to be "high in fiber" there must be at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.

 

5. When looking at the % daily value on the far right of the label, keep in mind that these percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie/day diet. Everyone reading the label will have different needs so adjust these values accordingly

 

Let us know what you think? Do you read the label the first time you buy a new food?

 

These findings appear on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products. Date Posted: March 2, 2010. To see the full survey results click on this link http://www.fda.gov/Food/ScienceResearch/ResearchAreas/ConsumerResearch/ucm193895.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End of Overeating…

Just last week, Mrs. Michelle Obama announced the launch of her new initiative “Let’s Move” aimed at revamping the way American children eat and play — reshaping school lunches, playgrounds and even medical checkups — with the goal of eliminating childhood obesity within a generation. I applaud her efforts, this is exactly the kind of initiative we need if we want to see change. But it can’t end here.
We find ourselves in a society where portions are out of control and convenience or access to poor choice foods is abundant. Here are the facts: More than 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta. I’m sure as you read this you find yourself just as disheartened as me.

Which is why I wanted to share an excellent read by Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler with you: “The End of Overeating?” I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it, although it is not a quick read.

If nothing else, be sure to check out the “Food Industry” chapter where he interviews experts in the field as well as former executives of major national food chains and provides some fantastic quotes and findings, like these:

• The secrets of Cinnabon … The buns are made with 3 different kinds of sugars, and salt to “bring up the flavor” and fat for the “creamy texture, elasticity and richness”. (p74)

• One interesting interview with an industry expert, when asked if the healthy options supplied in the menus were selling well, responded “who cares? ... You’re going to build your image” (p131)

Here is a brief summary provided by the publisher as posted on Amazon.com: “Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food when one slice of pizza turns into half a pie, or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag. But it’s harder to understand why we can't seem to stop eating even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food?

Dr. David Kessler, the dynamic former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry, now reveals how the food industry has hijacked the brains of millions of Americans. Dr. Kessler cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat, and salt.

Food manufacturers create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a nation of overeaters. The End of Overeating explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it s so easy to overindulge.

Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders. The End of Overeating uncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed a nation of overeaters from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises.

For the millions of people struggling with weight as well as for those of us who simply don't understand why we can't seem to stop eating our favorite foods, Dr. Kessler s cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and helpful tools to help us find a solution.

There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do. He talks about how our actions become habits which are embedded in our brains so it becomes easier to continue and harder to break from that pattern (like brushing your teeth without thinking about it or tying your shoelaces while carrying on a conversations OR driving home and picking up a coffee and muffin on the way OR having dessert every night). It all becomes easier and more repetitive and harder to change.”

Pick it up at the library or go to Amazon. Let me know what you think.

NYT: Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria

In case you didn’t catch or have a chance to read the article, Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria, in a York Times story from last November, I’ve included a link (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/health/policy/29diet.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper) and some interesting points, from the article, here.

1. Helping employees to adopt healthy eating habits can make a huge difference!

"....the potential for health care savings is huge. A study in the January-February 2009 issue of the journal Health Affairs concluded that 75 percent of the country’s $2.5 trillion in health care spending has to do with four increasingly prevalent chronic diseases: obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Most cases of these diseases, the report stated, are preventable because they are caused by behaviors like poor diets, inadequate exercise and smoking."

2. Employers and employees are feeling the pain of the “do nothing” strategy. Companies who are doing wellness well are managing these rising costs better. Several examples are cited in the article.

"....sticker shock is confronting all kinds of employers, which together provide 160 million Americans with health care coverage. But the cost of delivering that insurance has surged 31 percent over the last five years, representing the fastest-growing single corporate expense, according to Towers Perrin, the management consulting firm. Those costs take a huge bite out of the bottom line and hurt employees, many of whom see their paychecks shrink as employers pass along the extra costs."
3. Focus on obesity!
“Obesity alone threatens to overwhelm the system. In a recent study, Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy and management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, found that if trends continued, annual health care costs related to obesity would total $344 billion by 2018, or more than 20 percent of total health care spending. (It now accounts for 9 percent.)Dr. Thorpe also said that if the incidence of obesity fell to its 1987 level, it would free enough money to cover the nation’s uninsured population.”

As I sometimes say to my dawdling children when we are trying to get a lot accomplished in a short period of time (i.e. getting dressed, brushing teeth, putting on shoes and a jacket before running to the bus stop) “let’s focus!” Here, too, I think we need to focus on tackling obesity. I have often said that if we can help employees lose weight, learn to eat well and live a balanced life, their rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions would diminish as well. In turn, health care spending will decrease! It’s been proven time and again! The data is there!

Bottom line, the “do nothing “strategy isn’t working for anyone. Companies and organizations need to figure ways to bring wellness to the workplace because they are already paying the high price of an unhealthy employee population. And with decades of research documenting real ROI, wellness is a real solution for organizations.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this article now.
Source: New York Times: Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria. November 29, 2009.

Check this out -- ME on TV!

Hello friends...

Happy new year! I hope you all had a great holiday season and were able to take some time off and are now facing 2010 completely rejuvenated!

If you are lactose intolerant, you may want to check out a new TV commercial talking about Valio's Real Goodness lactose-free milk, featuring...ME! Me in my new kitchen!

I hope you will check it out even if you don't drink milk. Reps from CBS (WBZ-TV) contacted me because they were looking for a nutritionist in the Boston area to help them with the promotion as Valio (a division of Finlandia Cheese) is making a debut in New England and the US.

The commercial (Link here) has been airing during the last several weeks on WBZ, during the morning news, Jeopardy, Judge Judy and The Office (Steve Carell, if you're listening... I'm a big fan).

Let me know what you think! 

-Debra

Check out our client, Putnam Investments, featured in a high-profile BCBSMA advertising campaign

We have more great news to share!

As many of you already know, we have been working alongside Putnam Investments, for the past three years, to assist them in the development of an organizational wellness program. In addition to winning an award from the NEEBC (New England Employee Benefits Council), the forward thinking company is now being featured in a high-profile Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts advertising campaign.

The campaign features Putnam Investments and extols the benefits of their wellness program. The campaign is currently featured on http://www.boston.com/, the most highly-trafficked website for news in Massachusetts and is airing during Monday Night Football, several morning and evening news programs and many popular TV shows.

As a result of the worksite wellness program, Putnam is saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and has become a better place to work according to Bob Reynolds, the CEO, and others, interviewed in the ads. (See screen shots of BCBS ads on http://www.boston.com/)

To find out how your organization can get results like Putnam Investments, please email Debra Wein, President of Sensible Nutrition, Inc. and Wellness Workdays, Inc. at debra@wellnessworkdays.com

Contact: Kim Panton, Sousa Communications, 617.510.5690, kim@sousacommunications.com

PS Thanks to those of you who already let me know that you caught our letterhead in the commercial!

Children's nutrition and the influence of schools

I had the pleasure of presenting, last night, to the Duxbury Special Education Parent Advisory Council on meeting the nutritional needs of growing children. We discussed how nutrition plays a vital role in children’s behavior and day to day success, body mass index and childhood obesity, food allergies, the confusing claims on labels, including, “all natural”, “organic”, “low sugar”, and some simple strategies to use when teaching your child about healthy food choices.


We had an outstanding group of moms, dads, physicians, and school committee members that asked a lot of great questions! I presented my topic but we had lots of great interaction, suggestions and sharing from all who came!

One of the areas we spoke about was the role that the school plays in providing healthy lunches, snacks and guidance for our children. I wanted to share this interesting article that I just read on this very topic! Enjoy…

USDA Backs Rewarding Schools Serving Healthy Food
Link: http://abcnews.go.com/http://abcnews.go.com/

By Christopher Doering, Reuters

WASHINGTON Schools that serve more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to pupils should see higher federal support rates than those serving less-healthier meals loaded with high fats and sugar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Tuesday.

Child nutrition programs, which include school lunch and breakfast, are due for an overhaul but Congress is not expected to act before 2010. The government has targeted improving the nutritional quality and access to school meals amid rising child obesity rates.

"It is important for us to reward top performers," Vilsack told the Senate Agriculture Committee. "We would encourage this committee and the Congress to take a look at reimbursement rates that would be linked directly to increased nutritional values."

He did not suggest how large the bonus should be. Schools get $2.88 in cash and Agriculture Department-provided food for each lunch meal served for free to poor children this school year.

School meal programs provide an estimated 40 million meals daily and more than half the student's food intake during the school day. Students can receive free or subsidized meals if their family's income is low enough.

Some $16.9 billion was allotted for child nutrition in the fiscal year that opened on October 1, up $1.9 million from fiscal 2008.

Obesity rates among U.S. children have doubled in the last 20 years, and almost a third of American children are either overweight or obese. The epidemic of obesity is linked to a host of health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln told Vilsack she was willing to pay more to serve healthier foods.

"I'm certainly sympathetic to the concept of higher reimbursement rates. Common sense does tell us that as we improve that quality it also increases the cost," she said.

Officials at the USDA are updating the nutrition and meal requirements used for school meals. The framework, last updated in 1995, sets standards that must be met by school programs to qualify for cash reimbursements and food from the government.

A report from the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academies, recommended last month children should get more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in their school meals.

USDA oversees the contents of school lunches and bars the sale of foods with minimal nutritional value, such as soda, in the lunchroom. It does not control food sold in a la carte lines or school stores.

Vilsack and lawmakers on the committee said more attention must be paid to the nutritional content of these other venues.

"The concern is that we can do everything we need to do on the school lunch line and it could be counteracted by what we do or what we don't do in reference to vending machines and things that are sold in the school during the school day," he said.

(Editing by Jim Marshall)

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

The newest addition to our WORK family!

This week, I would just like to let you know about the newest addition to our WORK family! Yes, please read that carefully…

Mary Kate Keyes, MS, RD, LDN, has been involved in the nutrition field for over nine years and is a welcome addition to the Sensible Nutrition / Wellness Workdays team. As one of our nutritionists, Mary Kate will be providing individual nutrition counseling on weight management, sport nutrition, cholesterol and other disease management issues, body composition and metabolism measures, personal health assessments and seminars, lectures and screenings for our corporate clients.

Prior to joining Sensible Nutrition, Mary Kate most recently launched a special eight week program called “Smell it, Touch it, Taste it” for the South Boston Catholic Academy to encourage children to smell, touch and taste foods that were new to them. She developed classroom curriculum and created brochures targeted to the parents to help them encourage their children to try nutritious foods.

Prior to that she was at Brigham and Women’s Hospital serving as a dietetic intern. She worked independently as part of a multidisciplinary team and counseled and motivated a diverse population of patients to eat more healthfully. In addition, she assessed the nutrition needs of critically ill patients, determined the patient’s nutrition risk, and recommended appropriate medical nutrition therapy. She has also worked for Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts University Health and Sciences School, and with the USDA / HNRCA at Tufts University.

Mary Kate has written several articles for Aetna InteliHealth, one of the leading online health information companies in the world featuring Harvard Medical School's consumer health information.

She is a registered dietitian with a Master of Science degree in Nutrition Communication from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition. She earned her undergraduate degree at Merrimack College graduating Cum Laude. Most recently she finished a dietetic intern program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an intensive program that meets the requirements for becoming a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) as established by the Commission on Dietetic Registration and qualifies individuals to sit for the national exam. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the Massachusetts Dietetic Association.

In her free time, Mary Kate enjoys running. This passion began in 2004 when she ran the Kona Marathon in Hawaii. Since then Mary Kate has run three more marathons including Vermont City and Boston. Mary Kate’s knees asked her to stop running such distances, and while running is still a big part of her life, she has most recently participated in local 10Ks and half marathons. In addition to running, Mary Kate enjoys good laughs with friends and family.
Welcome Mary Kate! Hopefully you will all have a chance to meet her at an upcoming lecture, screening or 1-1 session.


-Debra


* Key to Credentials Abbreviations

MS- Master of Science, Applied Physiology and Nutrition
RD – Registered Dietitian
LDN- Licensed Dietitian / Nutritionist