In its fight against childhood obesity, The World Heart Federation has been negotiating in recent months with soft drink makers to get them to remove sugary beverages from schools.

Coca-Cola, the number one soft drink maker in the world, has also made some positive moves. This month they changed their global sales policy to not sell any of their drinks in primary schools around the world, unless parents or school districts ask. However, this policy does not apply to secondary schools.

Pepsi will now only sell water, fat-free or low-fat milk, and juice with no added sugar in primary schools. In secondary schools they will sell those same products, plus Diet Pepsi and other low-calorie soft drinks.

With the soft drink industry replacing sugary drinks with lower-calorie drinks in schools, sales of full-calorie soft drinks fell 95 percent in U.S. schools between fall 2004 and fall 2009, according to the American Beverage Association. This is only a gut reaction, with no cold hard facts to back it, but I find those numbers hard to swallow, especially since it’s coming from an association that represents the soft drink industry. But, I digress.

Pekka Puska, president of The World Heart Federation, says that this is just the first step in fighting childhood obesity. Kids need to also exercise more and eat healthier foods.

(via: ABC News)

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Pepsi Drops Sugary Drinks from Schools

CSPI is concerned about the fact that food marketers continue to aggressively target children with unhealthy foods, despite high obesity rates. That shouldn’t come as a surprise though, should it? Companies are built to make money, not think about what would help parents and their obese children. They are making their products cheaper (i.e. processed and unnatural), so they are cheap enough for average consumers to buy as much of it as possible.

Even though kids naturally gravitate more towards Lucky Charms than a bran cereal, there are sweet and healthier options for breakfast. But, back to the story at hand…

If you’re a parent and your kids are parked in front of the television watching their favorite Nickelodeon show, you can rest assured they will be seeing a commercial for some sort of rainbow-colored, sugar-filled breakfast food, not Fiber One. In 2008, the Federal Trade Commission found that companies spent $870 million to market food to children under 12. And, an additional $1 billion went to marketing to older kids.

“If companies were marketing bananas and broccoli, we wouldn’t be concerned. But instead, most of the marketing is for sugary cereals, fast food, snack foods, and candy. And this junk food marketing is a major contributor to childhood obesity,” says CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan.

You can find the entire report card at CSPI’s website. Besides the fact that the report is loaded with failing grades, there is one even more interesting shocker; one company stands above all the rest with a B+ — Mars, Inc. That’s right, the company that makes candy bars (Snickers) and other chocolate favorites (M&M’s) does the best job in not (overly) marketing their products to kids.

(via: WebMD)

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Kids’ Food Makers Get Failing Grades

According to the FDA, 22 products made by companies like Nestle, Diamond Foods and POM violate the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by using unauthorized words like “healthy” and “cholesterol free.” Using such words on product packaging requires that the item’s nutritional content must meet the FDA’s very strict definition of “healthy” or “cholesterol free.”

One of the products flagged is Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream for Nestle Drumsticks and Dibs. The products claims to have zero grams of trans-fat on their packages, but the FDA is calling out Dreyer’s, a subsidiary of Nestle, for violating labeling regulations. One serving of Dibs actually contains 17 grams of saturated fat and one Nestle vanilla Drumstick contains 11 grams of saturated fat. Federal guidelines recommend consuming no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day.

Other citations include Gerber baby food, Juicy Juice, POM pomegranate juice and Gorton’s fish fillets.

POM’s pomegranate juice is being cited for its claims that the beverage can help to prevent or cure diseases like cancer, hypertension and diabetes.

Nestlé Juicy Juice makes the claim that its children-targeted drinks come from a single fruit source rather than a flavored blend of juices, which they do in fact contain.

All in all, the FDA sent out 17 letters to companies representing the 22 red-flagged products. The companies have 15 days to respond explaining how they plan to correct the current food labels.

This is just one step taken by the FDA to clamp down on food manufacturing companies who make exaggerated health claims on their not-so-healthy products. Given the current state of obesity in the country, such unsubstantiated labels are an additional nail in the nation’s ever expanding coffin.

The FDA “soon will propose guidance regarding calorie and nutrient labeling on the front of food packages.” The agency “plans to work collaboratively with the food industry to design and implement innovative approaches to front-of-package labeling that can help consumers choose healthy diets.”

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FDA Urges for New Food and Beverage Labels

“Clearly times are still hard and everyday we’re all looking for ways to stretch hard-earned dollars farther and farther,” said John Dillon, Vice President Marketing, Denny’s Corporation. “By offering unlimited refills on not just one but two favorite items, we are able to provide even more everyday value on items our guests love. Who doesn’t want seconds of pancakes and fries… especially when they’re free?”

Repeat after me – free is not always good. And often free comes with a non-monetary price tag.

A serving of Denny’s Original pancakes consists of three pancakes at 510 calories. The misleading Hearty Wheat pancakes are not much better, at three for 460 calories. One five-ounce serving of French fries contains 425 calories and 23 grams of fat. An entree ranges from 370-1000 calories. So, one entree, plus two servings each of pancakes and fries – more than tw day’s worth of calories. In one MEAL.

Don’t be swayed by the marketing. If you really want pancakes, make them at home. This recipe for Better Blueberry Pancakes contains only 140 calories per serving. As for fries, bake them; try these baked sweet potato fries.

Also Read:

Denny’s Free Grand Slam Breakfast Nutrition Facts

Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants

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Denny’s Endless Pancakes and Fries Not a Healthy Idea

So why is this an issue? Well, if you haven’t heard there’s an obesity epidemic going on in the United States. We don’t get enough exercise. We don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. We sit too much. We eat too much food we don’t bother to make ourselves. We eat a lot of stuff out of boxes and packages. Probably most important, many Americans don’t really know how to nourish ourselves and balance out our eating.

Weight management is multifaceted. But when it comes to the purpose of nutrition facts labels, it’s all about educating the consumer about how much food, calories, and nutrients are in a realistic serving. So recently, the FDA has said they need to look at what they can do to help people manage how much they eat and make sure they aren’t confused by the information provided.

Recently, Barbara O. Schneeman, director of the F.D.A. office that oversees nutrition labels was quoted in the New York Times on this topic as saying:

“We are actively looking at serving size and evaluating what steps we need to take. Ultimately, the purpose of nutrition labeling is to help consumers make healthier choices, make improvements in their diet, and we want to make sure we achieve that goal.”

Right now they are considering doing two things: bringing the serving size more in line with what people actually eat and then moving key information to the front of the package. The front-of-package initiative is part of the bigger issue of all the “spots, checks, marks” and other labels that food manufacturers use to give packaged foods a “health halo.” I think this is an important step for the FDA to get involved. The manufacturers’ front-of-package labeling is nothing more than snazzy marketing designed to make people put the package in the cart. If the FDA can oversee a single system for front of package labels that brings some key information to the front (like 120 calories per serving, 2.5 servings per container) this may help bring awareness to how much they are actually taking in if they consume half or the entire container.

The FDA says the front of package label would be voluntary for companies, but what they are considering is regulations that would prevent companies from promoting “benefits” on the front, while downplaying any “downsides” to the foods. I think this step is crucial. The more messages you have, the more potential for confusion. There’s only so much space on the package.

It’s not like this is the first time the FDA has tried to step in and tell companies that they should accurately portray the amount in the package on the nutrition label. Here’s a warning letter they issued back in 2004 (yep, about six years ago):

FDA also recognizes that there is a growing trend in the marketplace for jumbo or super-sized servings. When such products are intended to be consumed by one individual in one eating occasion, the nutrition information should be based on the entire contents of food in the container. We recognize that the current serving size regulations allow for such products to be sold as either one, or more than one, serving even if they are usually consumed at one time. FDA intends to re-evaluate this aspect of the serving size regulations. In the meantime, we encourage manufacturers to provide the most accurate and useful nutrition information to consumers by taking advantage of the flexibility in current regulations on serving sizes and label food packages as containing a single-serving if the entire contents of the package can reasonably be consumed at a single-eating occasion.

If FDA has addressed this in 2004 and warning letters to companies have not inspired any positive change in nutrition labels, then maybe it is high time they set tougher regulations. It does not appear that self-regulation is working.

I’m not so sure how changing the serving size standards to reflect what people actually eat would work because we eat too much now. How do you determine the “real” size people eat? It’s better to show the real size people should eat, but the problem with that is it depends on age, gender, weight, and amount of exercise. It’s hard to give a “one size” serving to fit all Americans.

Let’s take cereal. Toasted oats serving size is usually one cup. Other sugary cereals usually have a serving size of 3/4 cup. I don’t think it should be permissible for companies to choose 3/4 cup to make their products look nutritionally comparable to other cereals (calories and sugar look lower because the serving size is smaller). But what do you choose as the new standard? Even if “two cups” is more like what people actually eat, is it more than they should eat? Maybe for a 50-year-old overweight female, but maybe not for a 17-year-old high school track star. I would love to hear your comments below with good suggestions for how this would pan out in a realistic way.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provides food and nutrition advice for anyone over age two, gives custom recommendations for servings of foods. Anyone can get a custom recommendation and track their intake for free online. So that’s a place to start. Educate yourself on what you should eat. Buy fewer packaged foods in general. Eat smaller portions. Only eat when you are hungry. All these things will help you in your “healthy weight” journey.

What do you think the FDA should do to educate consumers on food packages?

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Serving Sizes, Packaged Food Nutrition Labels May Get a Makeover per the FDA

While the meal might not cost you anything, your body will pay dearly.

Made of 2 pancakes, 2 sausage links, 2 strips of bacon and 2 fried eggs, the original Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast has:

• 795 Calories
• 50g Fat (daily recommendation is 65g total)
• 460mg Cholesterol (more than the 300mg/day recommendation)
• 2237mg Sodium (more than the 2200mg/day recommendation)
• 65g Carbs
• 2g Dietary Fiber
• 4g Sugar
• 34g Protein

More than 50 percent of this meal’s calories come from fat, 56.6 percent to be exact. And this doesn’t account for syrup, butter, salt or other condiments added to the meal once it arrives at your table.

No such thing as a free meal? Like we said, you’ll pay for this one in fat, calories and sodium.

Make your own Grand Slam Breakfast at home:

You can make a much more nutritious version of this classic breakfast right in your own kitchen.

• Try whole grain pancakes. You can even buy a mix at the store. Add blueberries and top with honey instead of syrup.
• Try scrambled egg whites, or one whole egg with two whites. Add your favorite veggies for extra flavor and nutrition.
• Try turkey sausage or turkey bacon, but not both.

Also See:

Most Unhealthy Fast Food Menu Items

Chef Rocco’s Recipes for Fast Food Alternatives

Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants Revealed by Zagat

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Denny’s Free Grand Slam Breakfast Nutrition Facts

Unfortunately, marketers are in stiff competition to make their product stand out in your eyes. This food label glossary will help you translate the marketing fluff into meaningful information. You’ll see that just because something is labeled “free,” “reduced,” “low” or “light” that it doesn’t always mean a healthier food item.

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Food Label Glossary Decodes Package Marketing

Cocoa Krispies were labeled, until last week, with a splashy logo touting a 25% daily value of antioxidants and nutrients – Vitamins A, B, C and E. To this mom, it seemed to capitalize on the H1N1/Swine Flu hype that has been ongoing. How will we protect our children? What can we do to keep them safe?

Hint: the answer is definitely not “Feed them Cocoa Krispies.”

Sugar is the top ingredient in this cereal, listed three times – as sugar, as an ingredient in the chocolate, and as high fructose corn syrup. The label also lists partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (translation, trans fats!), and artificial flavoring.

A serving size of this cereal is listed as a three-quarter cup, and that amount contains more than three teaspoons, or more than 39% of the weight. In my book, I would look no further. This cereal is not a healthy choice for a growing child. The vitamins that are listed are sprayed onto the cereal bits, and when you add milk to the bowl, they wash off. If your child does not drink the milk, there are no immune-boosting vitamins ingested. Even if your child drinks the milk, or eats the cereal dry, the amount of the touted vitamins is minimal, and some schools of thought indicate that sprayed-on vitamin supplements are poorly absorbed.

On the recommendation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Kellogg’s is voluntarily discontinuing this product label.

A far better way to boost the immune system is a healthy intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, adequate rest and exercise, and frequent hand washing, as well as avoidance of those who are ill. Don’t be swayed by flashy labeling that preys on your fears – take the time to read the label and make an informed choice.

Also read: Four Ways to Make Breakfast Cereal a Winner

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Kellogg’s Ends Deceptive Cereal Labeling

NWA's new flight attendant dresses, designed by Richard Tyler. Photo via Washington Post.

There has been controversy over weight issues with airline passengers in recent years. But now the issues are coming from within as employees of Northwest Airlines (now owned by Delta) are getting a bit perturbed by the uniform design approved by their employers.

Delta Airlines hired fashion designer Richard Tyler to design their flight attendants’ red dress uniforms. Tyler wanted them to “look sexy.” The problem is, some workers are complaining that they are too small.

The Northwest chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA has filed a grievance against Delta. They would like to see the company offer the red dress up to size 28. Currently, the uniform is only offered up to a size 18.

“I think red is an eye-popping color and it’s not subtle, and to me by not offering it in a size over 18, Delta is saying, ‘We don’t want you wearing that if you are over size 18,’” says Reller, who handles grievances for the union’s executive committee. “But the job isn’t about being sexy. It’s about safety.”

Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin responded:

“The majority of pre-merger Northwest flight attendants have given us very positive feedback about the Richard Tyler Collection,” she says. “The sizing of our red dress has not been an issue with Delta flight attendants since the program’s inception three years ago. This is AFA hype leading up to the election.”

When Delta announced plans for new uniforms, they said the decision would boost morale among employees and increase the airline’s bottom line.

What do you think?

(via: Yahoo)

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NWA Flight Attendants Demand Size 28 Red Dress

The REALIZE Band is an adjustable gastric band that is surgically implanted in the stomach in order to significantly reduce food intake.

Here is DietsInReview’s evaluation of the REALIZE Band. Similar to the popular LAP Band, the REALIZE Band features a comprehensive program that includes fitness and diet tools and now real life stories from REALIZE users who are chronicling their weight loss journey via the device’s website.

From Viki, a former obese mother who shares how the online REALIZE food journal teaches her accountability, to Garry who candidly discusses how the REALIZE Band has allowed him to enjoy food for the first time in his life, these videos are able to give potential patients a sneak peek into the real lives of those who are using this device and having success with it. In addition to each user’s testimonial videos are blog entries, their progress stats (including what their starting weight was and where it is today) and before and during photos.

Taking a cue from the success of reality television and infomercials, companies like the makers of REALIZE are leading the way in a whole new era of marketing and product communication. What’s really got people talking is the new REALIZE YouTube channel. It’s the first time a consumer marketing move like this has been done for a medical device. It’s allowing potential patients to gain first-hand knowledge of the benefits, concerns, results and process in a way that feels personal.While anyone who is interested in using the REALIZE Band will without a doubt benefit from seeing these personal portfolios of similar folks, you do have to ask yourself if there is a flip-side to using the REALIZE Band?

Fortunately, available to view are videos which highlight a REALIZE user’s fear of surgery and complications. Just as important as it is to see the benefits of this device, or any weight loss device for that matter, it is also necessary to understand the risks associated with it. The REALIZE website does a good job of discussing the concerns and lifelong dietary restrictions and also features dialogue from professionals like a psychologist and a registered dietitian. They clearly go out of their way to answer not just all of your questions, but they also appeal to our love of  video, an easy and extremely accessible mode of communication and learning.

Learn more about weight loss surgery.

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Realize Band Users Chronicle Weight Loss Stories Online