Last week, we covered emerging science and real food success stories. This week, we'll look at longer reads and interesting articles about food and health, as well as everyone's favorite, the wall of shame...
Longer reads and interesting articles
- The NYT reports on a new comprehensive scientific review that found optimal protein levels for people over 40 trying to gain muscle mass are roughly twice our federal recommendations. And remember, many women do not even get the recommended level of ~46g/day.
- A concise opinion piece by Ben Greenfield in The Hill on why the dietary guidelines are failing Americans, and why Congress needs to act to change them to align with modern science. Case in point, a retired special ops combat controller asks, in an op-ed in The Dallas Morning News, why so many of our troops struggle with weight? It's not lack of exercise. His answer? It's the food... controlled by our dietary guidelines.
- Might this non-invasive continuous blood sugar monitoring wearable help regular people understand that the bagel they are eating is essentially pure glucose after 15 minutes in their digestive tract?
- Why fake meats, like Impossible brand, are not real food and not even proven safe for humans. And why grazing animals on grasslands is better for the environment. Plus, a review of a new study that shows well-managed grazing of cattle on pasture is a net carbon SINK.
- A new study out of Cornell University's Institute of Health Economics digs into the numbers and documents how obesity's share of total health care costs has escalated by 29% since 2000. The lead researcher explains, "We have, for the first time, estimated the percentage of health care spending that is devoted to obesity, using microdata for each state." Separately, a paper published in the Diabetes Care pegs global economic burden of diabetes at $2.1 trillion in 2030, even if global (improvement) targets are met.
Will the FDA's latest tweaks to the Nutrition Facts Label make a difference? Might the NYT's new guide (it's long; keep scrolling) help you cut back on sugar, with helpful reminders like "breakfast shouldn't taste like dessert"? Do soda taxes work to reduce obesity? (The Cato Institute says probably not.) What is Shape Magazine writing about a vegetarian keto diet and keto-friendly fat bombs? Why are coconut sales falling? Is lard good for you? (Of course!) What is the Pegan diet (hint: if paleo and vegan had a baby...)? Why is fat the best part, according to Deadspin? What does Kourtney Kardashian recommend for keeping up and keeping keto? Can this analysis of health and diet in Victorian England shed any light on healthful dietary patterns? Just how "vintage" is cooking, and did it enable the evolution of our big brains? ("When humans try to eat more like chimpanzees and other primates, we cannot extract enough calories to live healthily.")
From the wall of shame
- The NYT publishes yet another oblivious-bordering-on-insulting article scolding people to "eat less, exercise more." When will columnist Jane Brody give up "beating a dead horse" with this failed paradigm?
- BIG FOOD is at it again with illegal behavior in developing nations, marketing formula to new mothers with aggressive stealth tactics that thwart regulations. #shameful
- Kraft enters the breakfast space with a curious new product, Just Crack an Egg. Why don't we skip this expense and go ahead and, well... just crack an egg.
- Pepsi "health-washes" chips, offering up "chips for the curious." In spite of upscale, healthy looking packaging, main ingredient is rice flour; be ready for high glycemic response. #whybother
Want more?
Tune in next week!
About
This news gathering is from our collaborator Jennifer Calihan, who also blogs at Eat the Butter. Feel free to sign up for her weekly newsletter.