Imagine going into a home appliance story in search of your dream washer and dryer. You know you want one that’s bright orange, stackable and energy efficient. You’re prepared to spend your entire Saturday on a scavenger hunt; however you walk down aisle 6 and there is it! An orange, stackable washer and dryer with the Energy Star label front and center. The hunt is over. You pay for your purchase and go home day dreaming about fabric softener. Scenario number two, you head to the grocery store to grab some vittles for the family. You love them dearly and only want the best for them. Each item you grab you read the label, trying to calculate the fat versus total grams of fat, sodium, calories and Tran’s fats. By the time you make it to the checkout line you have an equation that would stomp Albert Einstein. Sadly, that’s the reality for many Americans at grocery stores and restaurants. Trying to determine the healthiest choices can be as daunting as the SATs.
In October, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report calling for less complicated nutrition facts on food items. The report recommended placing the nutrition information on the front of the package instead of the back, that it show the number of calories per serving and that it includes stars as health check marks. Three stars would be considered a healthy food while zero starts would be considered a food high in fats, sodium and added sugars. Foods high in fat, sodium and sugar typically correlate with obesity and other morbidly factors. The report was compiled at the request of Congress to submit to the FDA, CDC and Department of Agriculture.
The information was a step toward replacing the existing nutrition labels which are dominated by numbers that are often difficult to decipher. The star system would make it easy to read and understand. Three stars = healthy! Zero star= bad. The details are still being worked out but at least we know Congress is looking for ways to reduce obesity and help us make healthier choices.
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