The government of New Zealand has recognized a problem: obesity, caused by sugar. Health Minister Dr. David Clark has said that obesity rates and diabetes are a “serious issue,” and that he expects the food industry in New Zealand to respond to the crisis. To clarify “serious”: New Zealand has the third highest rate of [...]
However reluctantly, it seems the U.S. public is finally beginning to acknowledge the sugary diet at the core of its obesity epidemic. Faced with unsustainably high rates of overweight and obese people, federal agencies have been slow to react, and local regulations and sugar taxes have been few and far between. Out of necessity, people [...]
A 2016 study found that 60 percent of the calories in the average American diet come from “ultra-processed” foods.1 These foods include sugary cereals, sodas, frozen pizzas, packaged snacks, and other products loaded to the brim with added sugar, and exceptionally high in calories and sodium. Though most people haven’t maintained any illusions, we may [...]
On its website’s homepage, the Sugar Association (a trade group) calls itself the “scientific voice” of the sugar industry, determined to increase consumer confidence in “the role that sugar plays in a nutritious, balanced, and enjoyable diet."1 Recently uncovered documents reveal just how true to its word the association has been. In the 1960s, the [...]
Soda and junk food taxes have been introduced around the world in recent years, often tentatively. Like taxes on tobacco, these measures are designed to combat a perceived threat to public health – in this case, the general overconsumption of sugar that has led to skyrocketing rates of obesity in the last couple decades. In [...]
By July of this year, it is expected that the Food and Drug Administration’s new Nutrition Facts labels will be required on most common grocery store items. The big change? A new “added sugar” line below the product’s total sugar content, one which major food associations (including the American Bakers Association, American Beverage Association, and [...]
For years now, as consumers and governments have become increasingly aware of the dangerous amount of sugar and carbs in the modern diet, the big-name soda brands and other food industry giants have been scrambling to meet new regulations and a demand for healthier options. The unprecedented pushback against these products have been born out [...]
Chile has finally cracked down on sugary foods. The government has passed new regulations that place warning labels on everyday groceries, ban the Trix rabbit and other iconic characters from sugary cereal boxes, and stifle advertising in general for the junk food industry. Faced with one of the worst rates of obesity in the world, [...]
The most challenging part of a successful keto diet is getting over that first hump and becoming “fat-adapted.” A fat-adapted body has accustomed itself to burning stored fat, instead of carbs, for energy. This transition period can be accompanied by the much-feared “keto flu,” and is generally what wards off potential dieters. However, fatigue and [...]
The benefits of a ketogenic diet for epileptic patients have been established for some time, and this diet is often used in conjunction with medication to reduce the frequency of seizures. Over the last several years, however, experts have branched out to explore the effects of this diet on the body’s aging process and in [...]
