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Community Corner

Separation of Food and State

A look at politics, potatoes and product labeling gone wrong.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that walnuts are dangerous.  The FDA wrote to nut producers Blue Diamond that, “Your walnut products are drugs” — and “new drugs” at that — and, therefore, “they may not legally be marketed … in the United States without an approved new drug application.”

 Blue Diamond made claims that walnuts have health benefits because of the Omega 3 fatty acids they contain, and several studies back this up.   But even so, the FDA told Diamond that its product is “misbranded” and that “[it] bears health claims that are not authorized by the FDA.”

 But not all products are getting letters from the FDA.  Take potato chips as one example.  William Faloon of Life Extension Magazine points out Frito-Lay is permitted to make all kinds of claims about its products, like calling Lay’s potato chips “heart healthy”.  Faloon says junk food manufactures spend a lot of time lobbying the federal government for favorable treatment.  He believes junk food doesn’t undergo the same scrutiny, so Americans are more likely to consume unhealthy foods. 

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In the long run, people who make poor choices are eventually going to have to turn to FDA-approved drugs to reverse the problems caused by their diets.

 Those claims may sound like a government conspiracy to keep the pockets of junk food manufactures nice and full, but the seemingly unfair back lash against walnuts may be tied to a study that was released about a month ago.

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 The Harvard School of Public Health released an article that bashed potatoes and elevated nuts to super food status.  It followed 120,000 Americans over 20 years, noting what snacks people reached for and the effect those choices had on weight.

Basically, the more potatoes people ate, the more weight they gain.  If someone was more apt to snack on nuts, they did not gain weight; in fact, they prevented a half-pound gain.  The study looked at other foods, but chips and nuts were the focus.

 Obviously potato chips and french fries aren’t diet friendly fare. But there was also speculation that a broiled baked potato triggered too much insulin release, thus also contributing to the weight gain.  In theory, nuts, which are calorically, would pack on pounds.  But since that wasn’t the case, researchers called into question the whole “calorie in, calorie out theory.”

 Critics pointed out that serving sizes were not regulated.  And you can’t isolate a food or group of foods that causes weight gain or one that magically makes pounds fall off. 

As much as people don’t want to hear, it is about eating a well balanced diet with consistency and doing all those other “good for you” things like logging eight hours of sleep, exercising, and keeping stress to a minimum. 

But, several health and fitness blogs used the opportunity to denounce spuds in every incarnation.  It makes for a good headline, but one that probably put a pretty big dent in the potato industry.

 The scoreboard seems tied now that the FDA is putting walnuts in the same category as a drug.   So, what’s a hungry consumer to do?  Do you believe the government or the school funded study?  Is it OK to eat potato chips?  What about a plain baked potato? And are nuts really dangerous?   

 The law of thermodynamics still exists and the caloric balance equation still holds true.  Yes, certain things affect it on a daily basis, such as meal composition, lack of exercise and even the climate you are in, but to a very basic degree counting calories will work.

 You can include nuts in your diet (exercising portion control, of course) and every now and then have a bag of potato chips.  Or, if salty isn’t your thing, maybe you can indulge in an ice cream cone.  You want to avoid trans fatty acids on a regular basis and try to incorporate more poly- and mono-saturated fatty acids.  Eating vegetables is always a win-win situation, and grabbing a piece of fruit is much better than a candy bar.

 It sounds pretty basic, but thousands (maybe millions) of dollars are being wasted on studying why so many Americans are obese and pinpointing what’s OK for us to eat.  If you are still confused, seek out your family doctor, who may have some ideas, and it’s always a good idea to consult a registered dietician.

 FDA Letter: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm202825.htm

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