Another Label Spat…

As we discussed in the infancy of my blog, Smart Choices is/was a quite controversial new food labeling program. Shortly after it hit the market, Smart Choices was shelved—most likely due to legal issues.

This incident seemed to tear open the top (and apparently the sides) of the chip bag. Since then, health advocates have been openly sharing their feelings about label claims. Marion Nestle and Dr. David Ludwig recently published a commentary about this topic in the Journal of the American Medical Association proposing that all front-of-package nutrition claims be banned.

Nestle and Ludwig believe that no processed foods can possibly be as nutritious as natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. No fight from me there, but it’s unlikely that all Americans will eat a solely unprocessed diet. The pair also wrote that it is misleading for packaged foods to be marketed based on one quality alone (for example, sugary cereals fortified with nutrients). I can see that.

But is it really the government’s place to regulate how food manufacturers do business? What a perplexing situation! With the way some label zealots are leaning, soon foods may be sold in nearly blank boxes and bags. America is dealing with an obesity issue of epic proportions, increasing health care costs and possibly placing a burden on the medical infrastructure. So the government is affected by the nation’s collective expanding waistlines, but is targeting food labeling the best place to focus energy in the bulge battle?

How do you feel about package-front labels? Do they impact what lands in your grocery cart?

(Cartoon from Team VA Fitness—a bit exaggerated but fitting to the commentary ;) )

Up in Smoke

In a health-related version of the classic “chicken or egg” situation, a new Israeli study found that non-smokers had an higher average intelligence quotient than their smoking peers. And the more you smoke, the more your IQ numbers drop (even after accounting for socioeconomic status variability) . But does the smoking cause a decrease in intelligence or are people who begin with lower IQs more likely to take up smoking? Hard to say…

The researchers looked at more than 20,000 young men enlisted in the military. Twenty eight percent smoked at least one cigarette per day and about 68 percent had never taken a drag. Non-smokers average IQ was approximately 101. Soldiers who smoked one to five cigarettes each day was about 98. How about those who smoked a pack or more? They averaged IQs around 90.

After comparing intelligence levels of 70 pairs brothers in the service and the study, one who smoked and one who abstained, the researchers still noted a higher IQ among the non-smokers. “The findings suggest that lower IQ individuals are more likely to choose to smoke, rather than that smoking makes people less intelligent, Weiser and his team conclude (Reuters, 2010.”

Which do you believe came first, the smoke or the shortsightedness?

(Image from Contempster)

Hey, is that Sarah Palin’s hand? Get it? The palm writing? :D Just kidding of course.

By the way, this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. If you heard my first interview on the Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy show, you know that this cause is close to my heart. If not, here’s a story I was interviewed for that aired on a local TV station for NEDAwareness week a few years ago. If you would like more information or need guidance, click on over.
(Image from NationalEatingDisorders.org)

Water cooler conversation starter: As the 2010 Olympics wrap up, my mind wanders to the next games. Others are thinking ahead as well—petitioning a new “sport” to join the summer Olympic events. What’s the new proposed competition? Pole Dancing! Thoughts?