The recently updated Dietary Guidelines by the government, called MyPlate, were designed with simplicity and user-friendliness in mind. To a certain extent this has been achieved, although the jury is still out whether it will make Americans finally change their eating habits. So far, there is little evidence of that.
Critics say, the new concept graphically represented by a dinner plate divided in four segments for different food groups and a smaller container for dairy products on the side may be easier to understand than its predecessors (Food Pyramid and MyPyramid), but it may also oversimplify the intricacies of a healthy, balanced diet. People may be getting the message eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and get less protein from animal food products but they still dont know what to look for once they navigate the supermarket aisles.
In Europe, and especially in Great Britain, governments have taken a different approach. Its called Traffic Light Labelling (sic), and its just as intuitive and self-evident as it sounds. Processed and pre-packaged foods are labeled in ways that tell consumers at a glance about fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt content. Obviously, red means high, yellow means medium and green stands for low percentages of these ingredients. The more red indicators show up on a package, the less healthy the product is deemed to be, and, visa versa, more green means its a healthier choice.
Nutrition experts and consumer advocates have generally welcomed the traffic-light label approach and have called for making it the standard information system for nutrition facts.
Regretfully, the European Parliaments food safety committee decided earlier this year that labeling food items with color codes should not be made mandatory for member states in the European Union (EU). Color symbols have not got any scientific background and the limits and thresholds would be purely arbitrary. Sugar-free coke, for example, would get the green light as it has no sugar. Natural apple juice, however, would get the red light as it contains glucose, said Renate Sommer, the lead author of the committee report.
Consumer and health groups expressed deep disappointment over the watering down of the traffic-lights labeling requirements by making them optional for food manufacturers to apply. They say an inconsistent labeling system will produce a patchwork of policies and guidelines that will confuse consumers even more.
Regardless of the EUs decision, consumer advocacy groups keep pushing for more regulations. In response to an anti-obesity campaign by the British government, named Call to Action, activists say that much more needs to be done to curb the obesity crisis, which has reached proportions in Britain similar to the United States.
Simply telling people what they already know that they need to eat less and move more is a complete cop-out, said Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef and campaigner for the nutritional improvement of school lunch programs in both the U.K. and the U.S. The countrys bill of health is shocking and the governments strategy to turn that around is woefully inadequate, he added.
Our research along with independent studies testing the various food information labelling (sic) schemes indicate that consumers across the board not just the better educated ones find the traffic light approach the easiest to understand, said Sue Davis, a policy advisor for the consumer advocacy group Which?
An easy to understand and unified labeling system would certainly be helpful for making better dietary decisions, regardless in what country. Our current system in the U.S. obviously doesnt work. We have more information available than ever, but we also seem to be more confused and helpless than ever before. Our current nutrition label system requires us to decipher the meaning of numbers, percentages, scientific terminology and illogical apportionments. Interpreting mathematical values or comparing chemical compounds is not what people usually do when they try to find something to eat.
The focus on nutrients is probably inevitable but it distracts from the real issue, which is whether youre getting real food or not, said Michael Pollan, author of bestselling books, including The Omnivores Dilemma.
Eating right to stay healthy and fit should not be so complicated, in fact it should not be complicated at all more like understanding the meaning of a traffic light.
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book The Healthy Diner How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun, which is available on her blog, Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D. A fat loss overview can help you produce a clear describe of what you require to focus on to complete your fat reduction objective if you're a rookie; or serve as a reminder for these who are at an advanced or more enhance step of their weight loss program. Applying are seven steps that can serve as guidelines for your special weight loss plan. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not the same. Many weight loss plans have fooled people into wondering that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss programs only work by causing a person's body to lose more muscle flesh and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.
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