Food Nutrition Labels Must Be Made Simpler, Experts Say

Food Nutrition Labels

THURSDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) — U.S. agencies should revamp the labels on the front of food and beverage packages to make it as simple as possible for consumers to figure out how nutritious a product really is, a new Institute of Medicine report concludes.

“There are a lot of different [rating] systems out there,” said Ellen Wartella, chair of the IOM committee that wrote the report, and director of the Center on Media and Human Development at Northwestern University. “But no one system has all the features we think are most helpful. Our goal is to say no one has to be a nutrition scientist to discern whether a packaged food is healthy or not healthy.”

“We want something that’s readily identifiable, easily understood and that cues the consumer that this is a healthy product,” Wartella added.

The report suggests creating a rating system that uses symbols to convey calorie counts by serving size, and a point system that tells consumers whether the levels of saturated fats, trans fats, sodium and sugar in the products are more or less healthy than recommended.

Front-package labels have grown in popularity over the last decade, but because there are so many different nutrition symbols and rating systems, many shoppers have just become confused, Wartella said.

The IOM committee recommends that front packaging labels be standardized and, at the same time, motivate food and beverage companies to reformulate products to be healthier and get food stores to prominently display products that meet healthier standards.

The committee’s concept is for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop and test labels that are visual and easy to understand. The idea is that government food labels can serve the same purpose as the government’s Energy Star program, which rates appliances by their energy efficiency.

The label should also be located in the same spot on all products, and reflect the current healthy dietary recommendations from the USDA and other groups.

A single system would let consumers quickly compare choices within a variety of food categories, the report said.

Determining whether or not a product can carry a healthy food package label would be done on a point system based on how much sugar, salt and fat it contained. These were picked because they are linked to obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other illnesses.

To be eligible for a “healthy” label, the product would have to have limited amounts of sugar, salt and trans fats, the IOM committee said.

“For example, 100 percent whole-wheat bread could earn all three points; graham crackers could earn two points for fats and sodium; and an oat-and-peanut butter bar could earn one point for sodium,” the committee noted.

Items with the most points would signal to consumers that these are the healthiest choices.

Samantha Heller, clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., said that “one of the reasons nutrition labels are so confusing is that nutrition is very complicated.

“In fact, the current labeling system is so confounding to consumers that as part of a series of adult nutrition classes, I devote a one-hour class to reading and understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel,” she added.

Simplifying front package labeling so consumers can make healthier choices is a great idea if the IOM can make it work, Heller said. “It is a huge undertaking and fraught with difficulties on many levels, from the food companies push-back to consumer understanding and education,” she said.

It is difficult to apply the same standards to all foods, Heller said. “Some healthy foods may come up short and some less-than-healthy foods may end up getting more checks than they really deserve,” she noted. “All this said, we do need an easy guidance system of some kind that will encourage consumers to make informed decisions about their food choices. The real question is, will a ratings system ultimately affect peoples buying habits or their health?” she added.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association has already come up with its own labeling system.

“In January, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute launched Facts Up Front, a fact-based, front-of-pack nutrition labeling system to help busy consumers — especially parents — make informed decisions when they shop,” said association spokesman Brian Kennedy.

The IOM report is an addition to the national dialogue about such nutrition labeling, Kennedy said.

“However, it is largely an academic exercise, like many before it. The point-based system recommended by the IOM is unproven, complex and therefore likely to be confusing. It would also fail to provide consumers with the simple and clear facts they want,” he added. “Meanwhile, food and beverage companies have developed a real-world program that delivers real value to consumers in real time.”

More information

For more information on healthy diets, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Food Nutrition Labels

What healthy foods will make me stay awake at night?

I am a security officer and I work the graveyard 11pm-7am shift. I do whatever I can to stay up at night, but sitting down all night can shut down the body as well. I want to know what healthy foods, snacks, and drinks I can eat to help me stay up? I sleep during the day on my workdays but only sleep bout 5 hours sometimes less, so I am changing my dieting to eat healthy foods that will help me sleep better. And Off days I sleep at night.apples and coffee

Are You Modeling Healthy Habits For Your Kids?

Much of the way children behave is dependent on what they see and hear from their family. They tend to pick up on good habits demonstrated by their parents, as well as some less desirable behaviors. Stopping to self-evaluate the following three areas will go a long way in helping guide children toward better health.

Are you preparing and eating healthy foods?
Do you plan what you and your family will eat before you go to the store? Having a plan for healthy eating is important. This way you ensure you included the essential fruits and vegetables, protein food, and some grains in your meals. Your shopping will not be centered around processed foods and soft drinks. When you serve healthy, wholesome foods, your children will know this is what is important. It will form a solid foundation for their dietary needs.

Are you getting outside in the sun and exercising? Exercising shouldn’t only be for children, nor should it only be done outdoors. It can be any type of physical activity either inside or out. But a little sun definitely lifts the mood and spirit and your body craves the healthful rays. If your children see you sitting on the sofa, they, too, will think this is appropriate for them. The attitude you have toward any physical activity will be reflected back to them.

Do you take time to play and interact with your children? Are you always too busy or too tired? If you’re too tired when you get home, perhaps sitting and reading the newspaper to small children, or listening to their day will help you connect. This is time well spent. And do you really listen to them? With your eyes as well as your ears? Children want and need to know they are important to you. By paying attention to what they say, act, and do, you will be transmitting care and concern for them.

Good parenting means meeting many responsibilities. Proper food and sufficient exercise are necessary for all members of the family. What you do or don’t do is modeled by your children. Get them on the right track by practicing good habits they will want to emulate. Spending quality time with your children will not go unnoticed by them. Studies show that physical care, love and concern are important for children’s proper growth and development. Be generous in your love and attention.

For more food, children, and parenting information, go to http://www.CookingandKids.com and sign up for our FREE giveaway- 10 Food Activities using the five senses. This is a fun way to interact with kids and help expand their problem-solving skills.

Healthy Foods – Complex Carbohydrates Chemistry

An important key to controlling the way you want your body to look is to have a clear understanding of the simple chemistry of any food that you consume. Learning and understanding on how food can affect the body will help you to reprogram your body’s metabolism and keep your ideal body weight at any level you desire for the rest of your days. To do this there are three categories of foods and each plays an integral role in helping your body to effectively lose weight.

*Carbohydrates will break down to sugar and provide fuel for the body, muscles and this group includes fruits, vegetables and grains. These grains are regularly found in bread and pasta.

*Protein is an important factor for regular maintenance of muscle tissue, hair and the vital organs in your body. The proteins needed for your body can be found in fish, meat and poultry.

*Fat is essential to controlling your metabolic rate and vital systems in your body and this can be found in nuts, dairy and animal fat such as beef, poultry and pork products.

The above mentioned play an important role in a weight loss program and so you must try to understand what each category can and will do in keeping your body fit and healthy. In this article we will focus our attention on carbohydrates as these are often misunderstood and the information will clearly detail the benefits and the role carbohydrates play in a weight loss program.

Simple carbohydrates are foods that will increase your weight, add inches to your belly and waist. These are foods laced with sugar such as fruit juice, soft drinks or any other product labeled as being fat-free. These sugars will often cause a spike to your insulin levels and tells your body to store the calories you consume instead of burning them as energy. This spike can often slow your metabolism and may lead to stopping your body from burning the fat and prevent any weight loss.

Complex carbohydrates on the other hand are beneficial in weight loss and the list of foods are potatoes, rice and oatmeal. The opposite can be said for beans, corn and pastas.

It is important that you include the right carbohydrates to lose weight and include the right food groups in your weight loss plan. If you ignore the body’s needs for carbohydrates, your body will essentially turn to its muscle tissue for energy and you will lose muscle instead of the fat. When the body feeds off from the muscle it is called catabolism and may cause the body to shut down.

Carbohydrates are vital to keeping the body functioning and is what fuels the muscles, body and help you to lose weight. The best choice for losing weight is the complex carbohydrates and should include an exercise program to go hand in hand with your diet plan.

What ever plan you decide to follow in losing weight be sure that you clearly understand what each category plays in your healthy weight loss plan and be sure to visit your physician before attempting any weight loss or exercise program.

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Article By: Alex D Tom

How is it possible that healthy people can get cancer?

Despite healthy people eating the right and healthy foods with good exercise, how is it possible that these people who take good care of themselves get cancer?But isn't it suppose to be the other way around? In other words, I mean that people who don't take care of their health and eat fatty, unhealthy foods get cancer. I doesn't make sense when healthy people like healthy non-smoking, healthy people get lung cancer.I know the causes of cancer is to eat unhealthy foods and not do many healthy activities.But my question is..What is the cause of lung cancer for people who are non-smokers and take good care of their health? The wife the actor Christopher Reeve(Dana Reeve) died from lung cancer even though she was a non-smoker and a very healthy person.When you choose to answer my question, don't answer with that's how life is or that's the way it is or life is unfair. Please give a specific and elaborate answer to my question.Is nature responsible?Yes. A very good friend of mine, who took great care of himself had picked up Pancreatic Cancer. He lasted only a few months. I do not have an answer, except that in spite of what we do, we can't control the hidden destiny. Smokers can live to old age, and the good die young. Another friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and given just days to live. 25 years later, he is totally cured. He has a very unusual look at life today.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060725113742AANX1yq

Healthy Weight Loss – How to Lose Weight Healthily

There are a number of people who are so desperate to shed few pounds quickly that they resort to unhealthy methods like starvation because they know it works but this not a healthy approach to weight loss and should be avoided at all costs. They insist that only healthy weight loss diets are recommended, given the fact that excesses tend to leave the body weaker and almost defenseless when facing illness.

If you want to lose weight healthily then you will need to follow a nutritional diet plan that provides the body with everything it requires but without too many calories. It is also important to have a good night sleep in addition to daily activities that ensure additional calories from the fat deposits most of us have, are burned off.

Often it is the women’s magazines which are too blame for promoting crazy diets based on little scientific fact expecting the overweight person to live on a specific type of food and then expect them to believe that this is a healthy weight loss plan. For instance eat only boiled vegetables with chicken, fruit and salads and although the basic starting idea is not wrong, a truly healthy weight loss diet needs to include other nutrients as well, that are not present in boiled vegetables for instance.

 

We are not meant to have such restrictive diets and a consequence we rebel against them, even if they are healthy as it is almost impossible to live on just a few types of food for very long. We all need to vary what we eat but if we avoid foods that are very high in calories (unless you are an athlete or have a highly physical job) and improve your daily activities plus have a regular sleep you will be most of the way to losing weight healthily.

Sleep is an amazingly important part of our lives, something which medical science is only just starting to understand but it is common amongst people with weight problems to feast during the night, often not remembering they have done it. Many overweight people also suffer from stress which physical activity is known to eliminate and by eating healthily, calories will be lost but all this will go to waste if you are getting up in the night to eat.

Healthy weight loss plans are known to help people with their sleep, levels of energy and as a consequence their health and wellbeing. Don’t demand to much from yourself as healthy weight loss takes time and the one thing that will slow it down or stop it altogether is the way you treat yourself so be positive. Don’t fall into the trap of expecting more than your body is able to give and try to vary exercises and routines as when we become bored with a diet this is when we stop and all the good work we have done goes to waste. Well, a healthy weight loss plan involves taking small safe steps so start by brisk walks before you actually jog for example, or go to the swimming pool before you visit the gym. Remember to listen to your body and not overexert yourself and lose weight healthily.

Fight Stress With Healthy Eating

Whenever we get too busy or stressed, we all tend to make poor food choices that will actually increase stress and cause other problems. To get the most of your healthy eating and avoid stress, follow these simple tips.

Always eat breakfast
Even though you may think you aren’t hungry, you need to eat something. Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain the proper blood and sugar levels during the day, so you should always eat something.

Carry a snack
Keeping some protein rich snacks in your car, office, or pocket book will help you avoid blood sugar level dips, the accompanying mood swings, and the fatigue. Trail mix, granola bars, and energy bars all have the nutrients you need.

Healthy munchies
If you like to munch when you’re stressed out, you can replace chips or other non healthy foods with carrot sticks, celery sticks, or even sunflower seeds.

Bring your lunch
Although a lot of people prefer to eat fast food for lunch, you can save a lot of money and actually eat healthier if you take a few minutes and pack a lunch at home. Even if you only do this a few times a week, you’ll see a much better improvement over eating out.

Stock your home
As important as it is to get the bad food out of your house, it’s even more important to get the good food in! The best way to do this is to plan a menu of healthy meals at snacks at the beginning of the week, list the ingredients you need, then go shop for it. This way, you’ll know what you want when you need it and you won’t have to stress over what to eat.

Kids Eating Healthy

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days, making it very hard to teach a child how he or she should eat healthy. The cheapest and easiest foods are those that are normally the least healthy. If you give your child the choice between healthy food and junk food, you normally won’t like the results.

Even though it isn’t possible to get a child to like all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your child to try and hopefully like at least a few of them. You can be as creative as you like, as getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than you may think.

- Sneak the healthy food in. Even though it would be great if your kid understood the importance of fruits and vegetables, this isn’t always possible. If you can’t get them to eat good food willingly, there are ways to sneak them in, such as making muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with spinach on it.

- Call fruits and vegetables by funny names. You can refer to broccoli as “trees”, making them more fun to eat. There are many different names you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up your own if you prefer. Most kids prefer to eat foods that sound fun.

- Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great topping for celery. There are several combinations for vegetables that can make them taste much better. You can let your child pick a topping for a vegetable, even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally like yourself.

- Dress the vegetables up. Just as much as calling them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them look funny also helps. You can do this by making funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to look like people. Although some parents don’t like their kids playing with their food, sometimes it helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to be fun as well. This isn’t always an easy task, because kids normally don’t like foods that are good for them. It can however, be done with a bit of creativity. Hopefully, doing this will help your child develop a love of healthy foods for the
rest of their lives.

Making Healthy Food Choices