Category Archives: Educational Tips

On ABC News this week Olivia Katrandjian reported that “Denmark has introduced what’s believed to be the world’s first fat food tax, applying a surcharge to foods with more than 2.3 percent saturated fats, in an effort to combat obesity and heart disease.”

Apparently that sent shock waves through the Danish culture and the Danes emptied grocery store shelves of their favorite goodies.  Foods that will be taxed include butter, milk, cheese, pizza, oils and meat.

This is taking place in a country that only has 10 percent of their population that is considered obese, while our country has approximately one-third (33.8 percent) of adults and 17 percent of children considered obese.  Denmark has had policies in place since 2004 that might have contributed to the relative health of their country by making it illegal for food to have more than 2 percent trans fat; taxing ice cream, chocolate and sweets by 25 percent; and increasing taxes on soft drinks, tobacco and alcohol products beyond the minimum levels established by the EU.   

Officials in Denmark indicated that these tax increases “should be complemented by measures to make nutritious food more affordable.”  However, it wasn’t clear what those measures would be.

After searching “fat tax” on Google, I found an intriguing article from the Southern California Law Review which talks about proposals being made in this country. http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/scal78&div=51&g_sent=1&collection=journals  One proposal is to use the taxes as a way to fund public health initiatives that teach people not to eat what they were taxed on.  I guess this is one way to get money for health education programs, but it would seem like we might put money into health without such a tax.

In talking about this tax, unfortunately being called the “fat tax,” with my mindful eating class, a very good point was made.  By taxing these kinds of foods, the responsibility and burden is being placed on the consumer of the food instead of the food companies themselves.  It has always been my belief that the food companies should be made responsible for selling disease-producing foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt.  Selling food that kills people is no worse than selling tobacco that kills you. I’ve often joked with my friends that I will be running for president and my sole platform will be taxing food companies to pay for the health care bill.  It is no secret that they spend millions of dollars figuring out how to hook you on their food and the food that “hooks you” has led to shockingly increased rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Of course, another way you can fight the food corporations and keep them from killing you is to stop buying their food.  Vote with your dollars.  That’s one way to effect change.

This seems to be my week for getting a lot of good TED Talks sent my way.  In case you are the uninitiated, I hope you take the time to familiarize yourself with this website.   As stated on its website, “TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader.” I’ve never seen one that didn’t inspire or incite curiosity.

The particular TED Talk I’m sending is from a chef named Dan Barber and it’s about his quest to find a fish he can love—one whose production doesn’t continue to destroy the population of fish in the ocean .  He highlights the unsustainable methods of our current agri-business and creates the possibility that there is another way to keep the world fed.   It’s a love story from someone who appreciates good food and is passionate about being able to sustain our food supply so that it provides nourishment and pleasure for all of us who love to eat.   This is a love story that only has a happy ending if we each participate in some way—whether that’s by growing your own food, buying from local farmers, supporting organizations that work on community and local farming efforts, etc.  While you’re staying out of the heat this weekend, maybe you’ll give it a watch!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_barber_how_i_fell_in_love_with_a_fish.html

 A new long term study was published in the June issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that looked at how the health behaviors of 120,877 men and women over a 12 – 20 year period affected weight gain.  Everybody started out healthy and not obese at the start of the study but the results indicate there is a drift toward being overweight over time.  According to the study, the main food culprits for weight gain were (drum roll please)….

Potatoes (particularly French fries and potato chips)

Sugar-sweetened drinks

Red meats and processed meats

Sweets and desserts

Refined grains

Fried Food

100 percent fruit juice

Butter

The foods that were related to weight loss or no gain were:

Fruits

Vegetables (People who lost weight consumed 3.1 more servings of vegetable each day than those who gained)

Whole Grains

Yogurt (this was most strongly linked to weight loss)

Nuts (including peanut butter)

Other influences:

TV (the more TV watched, the more weight people gained)

Sleep (getting less than 6 or more than 8 was associated with weight gain)

Alcohol (one glass of wine was fine but any other alcohol use was associated with weight gain)

For more from the study’s authors, read the New York Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?src=me&ref=general

Or go to the New England Journal of Medicine and read “Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men” (N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2392-2404; June 23, 2011) http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1014296