MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'food policy'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:37:45 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172127&cid=t_114723_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fnews-about-the-captured-situation-of-food-policy%2F From the New York Times: Domino’s Pizza was hurting early last year. Domestic sales had fallen, and a survey of big pizza chain customers left the company tied for the worst tasting pies. Then help arrived from an organization called Dairy Management. It teamed up with Domino’s to develop a new line of pizzas with 40 percent more cheese, and proceeded to devise and pay for a $12 million marketing campaign. Consumers devoured the cheesier pizza, and sales soared by double digits. “This partnership is clearly working,” Brandon Solano, the Domino’s vice president for brand innovation, said in a statement to The New York Times. But as healthy as this pizza has been for Domino’s, one slice contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat, which... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172127 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:01:16 +0100 4172127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570575&cid=t_114723_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F03%2Fthe-situation-of-food-the-movie%2F From Michael Phillips’ Chicago Tribune review: Several things — too many, probably — are going on in “Food, Inc.,” all connected. Kenner begins by tracing the impact of 20th Century American fast food on industrialized food production, and notes that when McDonald’s brought factory assembly-line strategies into practice, everything changed. McDonald’s became a universe of beef-purchasing power unto itself. Their cows, like so many millions of other feedlot residents, consume corn instead of grass; the humans in our increasingly obese nation eat a ton of corn as well, courtesy of high-fructose, heavily subsidized corn syrup found in everything from ketchup to Twinkies to Coke. As a Brooklyn, N.Y., doctor in another food doc, “King Corn,”... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570575 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:01:40 +0100 2570575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933537&cid=t_114723_147_f&fid=38117&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engageinhealth.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fdietary_guidance_meets_healthy.html The first meeting of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) took place last week and a few of my Edelman colleagues were in attendance. The Dietary Guidelines form the basis for most of the government’s nutrition policy, feeding programs and education – including MyPyramid – and they are revised every five years. The DGAC’s mandate has traditionally been to review the body of nutrition science and provide a report to USDA and HHS with conclusive statements of the science. But notably, this year’s committee members seem to be taking a broader view. Instead of taking a “reductionist” approach, as one of the committee chairs noted, the DGAC is looking at a more comprehensive approach to meal patterns that takes into account behavior. The obesity crisis in Ameri... The Health Engagement Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933537 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:06:54 +0100 1933537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713847&cid=t_114723_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F18%2Ffood-matters-towards-a-strategy-for-the-21st-century%2F (Executive summary) from the Cabinet Office aims to review the main trends in food production and consumption in the UK; to analyse the implications of those trends for the economy, society and the environment; to assess the robustness of the current policy framework for food; and to determine what the objectives of future food strategy should be and the measures needed to achieve them.  This the final report sets out a future strategic framework for food policy and practical measures for addressing issues around food and health, food and the environment and other concerns. (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713847 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:44:04 +0100 1713847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1582898&cid=t_114723_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F06%2Fbest-before-how-the-uk-should-respond-to-food-policy-challenges%2F considers the growing number of increasingly thorny and sometimes urgent food-related challenges facing UK policymakers against a backdrop of rising food prices, concerns about environmental impacts of agricultural production and worrying levels of obesity. Ensuring a safe, affordable, sustainable and healthy supply of food is one of the most fundamental challenges facing policymakers in the UK and, indeed, around the world. (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1582898 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:07:50 +0100 1582898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405327&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F4%2F29%2Fhow-to-handle-the-worlds-food-crisis-ask-joseph-1.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DUnless you lived in a cave in the past several months, you probably have heard about the worldwide crisis in food supply. Food riots in the Philippines, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico and Egypt; governments prohibiting exports of grains (corn, wheat, soybeans, rice) so that they can feed their own people (Philippines, Vietnam, Argentina). So what gives? Why this sudden crisis?A perfect stormAs the cliché the jour says: it’s a perfect storm, or a confluence of factors:· The U.S and Europe are diverting huge amounts of corn for the production of ethanol. Corn is a feedstock for food animals, and is a mainstay of the diet in Latin America. Does it strike you so of odd, if not immoral, to use food into our SUVs’ gas ta... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405327 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:32:21 +0100 1405327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173107&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F1%2F24%2Fmercury-in-our-food.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DRemember the Mad Hatter in Louis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”? Why should a hatter be mad (insane, not angry)? Because the felt of the hats in old England was cured in mercury, and the hatters were chronically exposed to mercury fumes. They developed the classical symptoms of mercury poisoning: neurological damage, confused speech and impaired vision. So far, not so different from your favorite politician. But as concentrations of the poison go up with time, psychosis and hallucinations set in.This little gem came to mind when I read an interesting story in the New York Times. The paper ran a little experiment: they bought sushi in 20 establishments in Manhattan, both sushi bars and high end food stores. Sushi from 5 of the 20 places had mercury... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173107 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:46:39 +0100 1173107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124843&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F1%2F2%2Fan-eaters-manifesto-eat-food-not-too-much-mostly-plants.html Brian Klepper Monday's Morning Edition on NPR had an interview with Michael Pollan, the author of the bestselling "In Defense of Food." When asked to summarize what he has to say about the subject, Pollan says, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." He adds, "That's it. That is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy." You can spend a very worthwhile 6 minutes listening to the interview here.Pollan's advice is a mix of common sense and hard science, and it is long overdue, part of the difficult consciousness-raising that's necessary for us to overcome the epidemic of obesity and chronic disease that now plagues developed and developing nation's.  ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124843 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:59:27 +0100 1124843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=802199&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F8%2F16%2Fin-mcdonalds-vs-kids-guess-whos-ahead.html Brian Klepper Here's news to warm the heart of every fast food executive, but that, if the world were a sensible place, should jolt parents, school administrators and non-food industry business leaders out of their nutritional malaise. The New York Times reported this morning on a small sample taste test with 63 children ages 3-5. When presented with different foods - hamburgers, chicken nuggets, french fries, carrots - the kids invariably thought the ones in McDonald's packaging tasted better.Naturally, the McDonald's people were thrilled, and at the ready with corporate spin. The goal, you see, is to have kids associate good tasting foods with McDonald's, and then McDonald's will gradually introduce foods that aren't so terrible  for them.  Clever, huh? From the article:Wa... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=802199 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:36:25 +0100 802199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=749640&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F7%2F20%2Fbetter-food-ads-for-kids-is-it-a-step-in-the-right-direction.html This article motivated me to dig a bit deeper. According to a press release found on the CBBB’s website, the eleven companies* participating in its Childrens Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, have“pledged to focus essentially all of their advertising primarily directed to children under 12 on products meeting better-for-you standards or refrain from advertising to that age group.” (Better-for you, compared to what?? … the high sugar, high fat they were advertising to kids before?). Steven J Cole, President and CEO of the CBBB goes on to day, “These expansive commitments significantly exceed the Initiative’s baseline requirements.” The PledgesHere are some of the pledges:McDonalds:All advertising primarily directed to children under 12... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=749640 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:22:33 +0100 749640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=695201&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F26%2Fangry-moms-and-school-food.html When I wrote about the food industry marketing sweetened, energy dense foods to kids in my post titled: "Is the food industry playing games with your children:  You bet it is," I got the usual spate of email comments telling me that it is not industry, rather it is parents, that should be faulted. After all, these folks argue, parents, not kids buy and serve the food. (Yeah, but I contend the industry wouldn’t market this stuff to kids if it didn't pay off…but that is another story.)Now, the NY Times tells the story of an angry mom taking on junk food in her kids’ schools. The story, titled Child Nutrition: Two Mothers, a Camera and a Look at School Lunches, was emailed to me by Karen, my husband’s daughter and the mother of our l... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=695201 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:01:08 +0100 695201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682487&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F18%2Ffarm-bill-or-healthy-food-bill.html Thanks heavens, the Farm Bill is finally getting the attention of the healthcare community. In case you can’t make the link here are some equations:Cheap corn = cheap high fructose corn syrup = fat = diabesity.Pesticides + chemical fertilizers = toxic soil and toxic water I could go on and on, but you get the point. Michael Pollan, journalist and author of the best-selling book, "The Omnivore’s Dilemma," summed it up nicely in his April 22, 2007  NY Times opinion piece, "You Are What You Grow":“Compared with a bunch of carrots, a package of Twinkies, to take one iconic processed foodlike substance as an example, is a highly complicated, high-tech piece of manufacture, involving no fewer than 39 ingredients, many themselves elaborately manufactured... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682487 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:56:07 +0100 682487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=576466&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F4%2F28%2Fmini-blog-of-the-day-calorie-designations-on-food-packaging.html Here is the translation for calories on food packaging:Calorie free:   Fewer than 5 calories per servingLow calorie:  40 calories or less per serving.  If a serving is 30 grams or less or 2 tablespoons or less, it signifies 40 calories per 50 g of the foodReduced or fewer calories:  At least 25 percent fewer calories per serving than the reference foodThat means you can say something is "reduced in calories" if there are 25% fewer calories, but the food can still be very high calories.  75% of a big amount is still a big amount  (Source: The Doctor Weighs In) The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=576466 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 00:30:16 +0100 576466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=564152&cid=t_114723_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F4%2F23%2Feat-green.html Did you know that 10 percent of the energy consumed in this country (~100 billion gallons of oil per year) is used to grow our foods? And 14% of that astounding number is related to transporting foods from where it is grown to where it is eaten? Another 1/3 of the energy related to producing food is related to the manufacture of fertilizers.  The SF Chronicle, in a supplement to celebrate Earth Day, published an article to help readers Eat Green.  Entitled, "Are You Gorging on Fossil Fuels?" the article , written by Carol Ness, provides some, well, food for thought...and hopefully it will spur you to action.  Here are some of the tips from that article:Eat local.  You can save tons of energy by eating foods grown within 100 to 150 miles of where... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=564152 Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:49:31 +0100 564152