The Food and Drug Administration is lobbying for the food industry to put more reader-friendly nutrition labels on packages and to have the labels moved to the front.
This is a great idea. And it's about time, too.
The amount of obese Americans has inflated to over 72 million people and associated heart disease and type II diabetes now kill more people than car accidents and cancer combined. It's about time for the government to swing into action.
The first problem is misleading nutrition labels. Not only are the labels placed on the back of the package where people hardly ever look, the layout is also too small and does not accurately portray the serving size.
The serving size, as set by the government, is supposed to represent the amount of food per serving the average American consumes during each meal. The problem here is this system was created in the 1990s based off surveys from the 1970s and 1980s.
Safe to say, it's outdated.
For instance, a serving of potato chips is approximately one ounce or 15 chips, which isn't a lot, especially for those who snack on half a bag while watching TV.
When eating from a bag of chips, the last thing I do is break out my scale and weigh out exactly two servings of chips. The same goes for lettuce, cereal, Gatorade, cheese, etc.
I will, however, give credit to the bags of chips in vending machines, which accurately state 'serving per bag.' The downside is that by the time I'm reading the information, it's too late. I've already paid for my vended meal and there are no returns.
Already, some companies have labeled the front of their packages with the highlights of nutritional information. Cereal is one example, labeling the amount of calories, vitamins and minerals on some boxes. But they fail in labeling fat content, carbohydrates and other unhealthy aspects. They also lack the actual serving size on the front of the box, misleading consumers into thinking it is a normal amount, when really it is not.
One cup of cereal with half a cup of skim milk is not the average breakfast of an American, yet on many cereal boxes this is the serving size. That's an awfully skimpy serving for what some experts call the most important meal of the day.
I would like to see every box, bag and bottle of food and drink highlight major points of nutritional information on the front label, whether it's good or bad. The amount of calories, each kind of fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, sugar, sodium and protein should be mandatory on each container, clearly labeled with an accurate serving size based on up to date consumption levels of Americans.
Restaurants also need more control. Already in NYC, the amount of calories per meal is displayed next to each menu item. This is a good start, but I think there needs to be more.
I don't expect a complete list of nutritional information next to every entrée, but at least a few others should be there, including fat, sodium and cholesterol.
All items should have these lists. Many restaurants provide bread prior to a meal, usually with something to dip the tasty dough in. What people may not realize is that each of these buttered up pieces of bread can contain up to 450 calories each. By the time you eat two rolls and your salad, you've almost hit the average caloric intake for one day – that's before your entrée enters the scene.
Ultimately, it's not up to the government to ensure that Americans are eating right. It's up to you. The labels may be confusing, but the FDA isn't about to show up and shove an apple in your mouth when you break open a bag of potato chips.
Its up to you to take control of your diet. Instead of a double Whopper meal, invest in a fresh deli sandwich or salad. People also need to trade in Twinkies for bananas and swap the TV remote and video game controllers for a set of dumbbells.
I'm not saying every American woman needs to look like a swimsuit model and every man needs to have a chiseled six-pack. But the fact remains that we are the fattest country in the world and it's killing us – literally. Something needs to happen, and the government can only do so much.
E-mail: matt.mosher@ubspectrum.com
