White House Opposes UN Report on Obesity

[zimv20]

link (http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20040116/D8041TU00.html)


The Bush administration is challenging a World Health Organization report that outlines steps for nations to take to reduce obesity.

In a letter to the United Nations agency that is meeting next week, Health and Human Services official William Steiger questioned the organization's findings, said they were based on faulty science, and called for changes to the report.

The WHO report recommends eating more fruits and vegetables and limiting fats and salt.

(more)


is there a War on Fruits and Vegetables with which i'm not familiar?

[pseudobrit]

How could they possibly be opposed to a healthy diet and lifestyle?

[Stelliform]

Anyone heard the phrase "Fat and Happy."? Well they can recommend until they are blue in the face, pass the Big Macs please. ;) :D

[zimv20]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
How could they possibly be opposed to a healthy diet and lifestyle?

beef industry, perhaps?

[IJ Reilly]

This must be satire. It is joke, isn't it? Please, please, make it a joke.

[Sun Baked]

Beef Industry...

Fast Food...

Sugar Water...

Donuts...

Fries...

Ice Cream...

Candy...

Coffee...

Chips...

etc.

---

The U.S. economy is built on high calorie foods and meals (even if they are low fat/salt).

Telling Americans to eat less/healthier would collapse the economy.

[Desertrat]

Whomever is responsible for that denial obviously doesn't go out much in public. :D Definitely doesn't shop at Wally World.

"Fat and happy" is all well and good until you get on a scale and a voice complains, "One at a time, please!" I get a bit fed up with the two-ton Tonys who take up an entire aisle in a store...

To get halfway serious--and I'm in accord as to a healthy diet--it's less a matter of what is eaten than it is how much is eaten. This is particularly true for those who shun exercise and/or physical work. "Will", if you will.

'Rat

[pseudobrit]

It's quite simple actually, and it ultimately comes down to simple willpower.

Consume less calories per day than you use per day and you will slowly lose weight and be healthy.

The problems arise when people start trying to eat healthy -- they're bombarded by lose-weight-quick schemes and "low fat" food choices.

Of course, the crap that has "low fat" plastered all over the packaging is usually loaded with carbohydrates to the tune of 90% sugars (this is a big reason why Atkins works so well -- it forces people to cut the sugar, and therefore calories, out of their diet).

[Rower_CPU]

Only problem with Atkins is the extra strain you put on your kidneys when they process all the extra protein. Much of the initial weight loss there is water weight.

It might be good as a kickstart, but, personally, I don't think it's a good long-term option.

[zimv20]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU

It might be good as a kickstart, but, personally, I don't think it's a good long-term option.

i have a fundamental problem w/ any diet that advises avoiding fruit

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU
Only problem with Atkins is the extra strain you put on your kidneys when they process all the extra protein. Much of the initial weight loss there is water weight.

It might be good as a kickstart, but, personally, I don't think it's a good long-term option.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no Atkins supporter. I should have made that clearer.

I was just using it as an example of how our diet can be modified effectively using a psychological approach.

It does produce results, but not for the right reasons. The challenge is to find a simple & effective way to get people to eat a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and fats while keeping vitamins, minerals, sugars, sodium, saturated fats and calories at the proper levels.

It's easier for most people to just cut carbs out of their diet than to actually read & interpret the whole Nutrition Facts label and plan healthy homecooked meals.

[Rower_CPU]

I was just adding fuel to the fire. I didn't take you for an Atkin's guy. ;)

Like you said before, it's a simple equation (calories in < calories out). Cutting complex carbs is definitely an easy way to do it. Cutting natural carbs (fruits, veggies) robs the body of all kinds of good vitamins, fiber, etc.

[IJ Reilly]

Getting back to the topic for a moment, I had to track this back to the source because honestly it seemed like this story was just too strange to be true. Turns out it is, more or less.

I located Steiger's letter to the WHO here (http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/steigerltr.pdf). It's 30 pages in length, but you can get the gist of it in the first ten (the balance are technical responses to specific pages in the WHO report and appendixes). My (non-scientific) conclusion is that the administration's objections are mainly nit-picky and obfuscatory. I mean, how much evidence to you need to connect fat and sugar consumption to obesity? You can argue quantities, and the other factor involved, but certainly these connections have been supported by decades of research.

I can see the hand of the prepared foods industry in this response, and in my reading on this topic, I find the industry lobbying the WHO to change their findings with respect to recommended foods consumption. It would hardly be unusual to find the Bush administration bearing water for industry; in fact, it would be exceptional to find them doing otherwise.

[wwworry]

I think there are new studies linking long term obesity to inactivity in children as young as 3 years old. Also, children that watch a lot of television are more likely to have poorer eating habits. Bad habits start early.

edit: if I drink beer I gain weight. If I drink gin I maintain my weight.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally posted by wwworry
edit: if I drink beer I gain weight. If I drink gin I maintain my weight.

Tough choice. :)

[Sun Baked]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
It's easier for most people to just cut carbs out of their diet than to actually read & interpret the whole Nutrition Facts label and plan healthy homecooked meals. Yes it takes basic math and reading comprehension skills to read those Nutrition Facts labels.

Plus, they really don't want to know how many calories are in that big bag of chips they're getting at Subway when they multiply servings by calories/fat (but at least it does say low fat). :p

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU
Cutting natural carbs (fruits, veggies) robs the body of all kinds of good vitamins, fiber, etc.

Unless it's grapes or raisins, which are not quite as good for you as you'd think.

[Taft]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
Unless it's grapes or raisins, which are not quite as good for you as you'd think.

Hmmm? Why is that??

Taft

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by Taft
Hmmm? Why is that??

Taft

They're very high in calories for fruit, and almost all of it comes from straight sugar.

Grape juice is awful stuff; it's got about twice the calories of other fruit juices.

[Taft]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
They're very high in calories for fruit, and almost all of it comes from straight sugar.

Grape juice is awful stuff; it's got about twice the calories of other fruit juices.

They are relatively high in sugar and simple carbs, compared to other fruits.

But considering a single serving of raisins has around 10% of your daily dietary fiber (ie. they have complex carbs, too), I'd say they are a pretty dang good snack. Compared to other sweets, or even compared to other fruits, it is a very healthy alternative.

Unless you eat a lot of stocky or leafy green vegetables or unprocessed grain products, you are likely not getting nearly enough dietary fiber. And rather than get "good" carbs (complex carbs), you are filling up on the "bad" carbs (simple carbs). I'm not saying simple carbs aren't necessary, but America is basically eating too much over-processed, fiber-free food and not enough natural grain fiber-rich food.

I'd recommend a bowl of raisin bran over a bowl of Cap'n Crunch any day (heck, even over life or any of the other low-sugar/low-fiber cereals out there). I'd also recommend a box of raisins over just about any processed snacks and even over some fruits.

Someone once tried to sell me on the idea that bananas were bad for you. The basis of his argument was that, compared to other fruits, it had a fairly high level of carbs. Well, yes thats true, but it also has healthy levels of fiber, vitamin c, protein, iron and potassium. And it has less carbs that a bag of chips, a sandwich, a candy bar, or just about any other snack you can think of.

I will agree with you on juice though. That about as bad for you as soda, except without the carbonation. I use juice as a fruit substitute in "gotta run" kind of scenarios, but thats about it.

And I totally agree with the posters here that a good diet is all about moderation and exercise. With just a little thought, its easy to look at your diet and see what needs to change to eat more healthily.

Taft

[Desertrat]

Wellllllll, needin' about another ten or fifteen pounds to get my weight back where it oughta be...

Grapejuice! Nanners! Real ice cream! And all that other healthy stuff, too! More beer!

:D, 'Rat

[zimv20]

Originally posted by Desertrat
More beer!


i'll drink to that