The real cost of food

Great post by Bittman today in the NYT about the pay structure and (lack of) benefits for restaurant workers ( find the article here:  The 20 Million).  Of all the many ways in which we don't cover the true cost of our food, this one often goes overlooked.  Especially poignant now that so many Americans eat out, far more than ever have previously.  I also can't help but think about it in light of the direction the American economy is headed:  more service oriented economy, a greater divide between the haves and have nots.  I think in some ways, these two things become a bit of a vicious cycle...one where many are stuck in jobs with no advancement, no benefits, and, unfortunately, no alternative.

Yes, I am "Mom" enough

I have more to say on this topic and have been composing a post on breastfeeding for a few days,  but have been unable to edit it down to a manageable and coherent piece.  That being said, I am tired of feeling like the decision to breastfeed or not (or for how long or how and when and where you do it) says something about your mothering abilities or how much you love your child.

Let me be perfectly clear:  Breastfeeding does NOT make you a better mother than anyone else, and NOT doing so does not make you a worse mother.

It's not a contest.  Breastfeeding is great for your child, but if you cannot, will not, don't want to do it....that's your decision and no one else's to judge.

Despite what the cover of TIME magazine would like you to think.

Items of interest with a personal connection....

There's so much to report this week!

A very good friend and respected colleague of mine is on Dr. Oz today....again! This time she talks about the link between obesity and cancer. Here's a clip of what's to come: Dr. Kathleen Wolin talks about Obesity and Cancer on Dr. Oz.

The website for ChildObesity 180 has launched as well. Currently focused on three main initiatives (healthy out of school time snacks, healthier school breakfasts, and physical activity during school hours), this new Tufts project is very exciting! Check it out: ChildObesity 180: Reverse the Trend

And finally, my alma mater, Hotchkiss, gets mention in the NYT for their program that connects students to the land via farming on school property. I didn't think it was possible to love Hotchkiss more, but I absolutely do. Read more about the efforts at Hotchkiss and other New England schools:

Prep Schools Encourage Students to Learn to Farm

Perhaps Hotchkiss and the rest will start a nationwide trend!

Finally Fall!

Happy Back to School! I love fall- for me, it's the time of year for new beginnings, new challenges, and, honestly, my birthday! It's the time of year where I feel like I get a fresh start. Which is why I'm so excited to follow my advisor, Dr. Miriam Nelson, as she tours the country visiting the Change Clubs!

What are they? US Today has a great article that talks about the Change Clubs and what tasks specific communities are tackling: Change Clubs get Americans Moving.

Want to follow Mim, Eleanor and Rebecca on their nine-week, cross-country trek? Check out the StrongWomen Tour site! I'll be peeking in every day!

Dietary Guidelines 2010

Every five years, the USDA and HHS release updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans....and today is that day.

Four Key Recommendations:
1. Balancing Calories to Manage Weight
2. Foods and Food Components to Reduce
3. Foods and Nutrients to Increase
4. Building Healthy Eating Patterns

What I liked:
- The word LIMIT is back, and specifically refers to sodium, solid fats (read saturated fats, like those found in meat products), added sugars and refined grains.
- Specific foods are emphasized (as opposed to nutrients)(and they are done so in this order): Vegetables, Fruit, Whole Grains, Fat-Free or Low-Fat Milk products, Seafood, LEAN meats, Eggs, Beans and Peas, Nuts and Seeds
- In the specific messages for consumers: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. This particular message is very strong, easily understandable to consumers and cannot be beat. I hope this particular message gets driven home the hardest.
- Also included in the consumer handout is the message to Drink Water instead of Sugary Drinks. See comments above.

What was disappointing:
- What happened to the strong recommendation about eating a plant-based diet?
- The message on sodium is very important, but it's asking a lot. It will require industry buy in, and I'd prefer to see an equally strong message about salt (what people consume) and salty snacks and convenience foods in particular.
- The Calorie Message: Do consumers get this? I think they don't and that it's a waste of space. Consumers don't count calories. The DGs would be better served talking about specific foods and food groups, not calories and nutrients (see comments on sodium vs. salt).
- The Building Healthy Eating Patterns is similarly weak. It also references calorie intake. Not very clear for consumers.
- The further reduction in Saturated Fat intake was not adopted. I think this was a trade-off in terms of emphasis...a greater emphasis was on sodium. It makes sense, but still.
- In the executive summary and key messages for consumers, the Physical Activity Guidelines were not specifically referenced. Getting more physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior is a good message- and it was highlighted- but the specific recommendations are more clear. How much and what kind of physical activity one does matters- and this needs to be communicated, repeatedly, to consumers.

So, I look forward to seeing what happens to the MyPyramid and other consumer messages. We'll see what happens...and how other leaders in nutrition and food policy respond!

Find further information, the Executive Summary and Consumer-Specific messages here.

A Bone to Pick with the USDA

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to hear Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the USDA, give the keynote speech at Friedman's Annual Symposium. You *might* recognize her as one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Important People in the World". Well, I wholeheartedly agree. (I might be biased as she was one of my favorite professors during the master's program.)

One of the questions she fielded from the audience was about what the USDA was going to do to address the issue of SOFAs in the American Diet. (SOFAs stand for solid fats and added sugars. Not to be confused with the other "sofa" issue here in the States, mainly that people won't get off them.)

What Dr. Merrigan didn't mention was the checkoff programs currently in existence here in the United States. These are quasi-governmental bodies aimed at increasing consumption of certain key commodities produced in the US. I say they are quasi-governmental because, although they are really a part of AMS (the agricultural marketing service), they are paid for by taxes on industry and the boards of the committees include private sector players.

These programs are responsible for campaigns such as the milk mustache, "Beef. It's what's for dinner." and "Pork: The Other White Meat". All of these programs encourage consumption of products high in saturated (solid) fats. (Saturated fats are those fats that are solid at room temperature and are almost exclusively found in animal products.) This is in direct opposition to government health messages, such as the Dietary Guidelines, which call for Americans to "limit" (you should read that as "avoid") saturated fat. In fact, the current recommendations to the USDA by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee actually calls for even lower recommended intakes for saturated fat (from 10% of daily caloric intake down to 7%).

This makes this report from the NYT especially disturbing. At a time when Americans are eating way too much saturated fat from cheese products, the USDA is teaming up with industry (Dominos, Wendy's, BK) to fund ad campaigns to encourage consumption?

It's enough to make you sick.

Maybe even give you a heart attack, and I do mean that quite literally.

Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart, Play Hard

Shape Up Somerville is an innovative, comprehensive lifestyle intervention designed to improve dietary habits and increase physical activity. It's a program run out of the research center that I am working for, and PBS just did an excellent report on it.

Check it out! (Reshaping Somerville)

I actually took general nutrition as an undergrad from Dr. Economos...I absolutely credit her with planting the seed that eventually led me back to Tufts for a Master's in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition!