Coverage from Sustaining the Blue Planet: Global Water Education Conference, featuring Frank Hu Continue reading
Too much salt, too little potassium, increases risk of death
Here’s yet another reason why you should eat more fruits and vegetables and cut back on processed foods: A large new study finds that people who eat high sodium, low potassium diets have a higher risk of dying from a heart attack or from any cause. The study, which appears in the July 11, 2011 […] Continue reading
Childhood obesity in Society
Coverage from Boston Children’s Hostpital, featuring David Ludwig Continue reading
Out with the Pyramid, In with the Plate
The US government has scrapped the much-maligned food pyramid icon and replaced it with a fruit- and vegetable-rich plate, seeking a simpler way to show Americans how to eat right. While it’s a major improvement, the new icon still falls short on giving people the nutrition advice they need to choose the healthiest diets. The new […] Continue reading
Dietary management of obesity: Too much focus on fat?
Coverage from the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk, featuring Dariush Mozaffarian Continue reading
Flawed Science on Sodium from JAMA
Why you should take the latest sodium study with a huge grain of salt A new study would have you believe that low-salt diets raise your risk of dying from heart disease—a surprising finding, and one that’s sure to grab headlines worldwide. The only problem is that the study’s conclusions are most certainly wrong. Continue reading
New U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2010: Progress, Not Perfection
The long-awaited new U.S. dietary guidelines are a step in the right direction, but they don’t go quite far enough to spell out what Americans need to do to stay healthy—not a surprise, some critics say, given the strong influence of the food industry on U.S. food policy. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released […] Continue reading
Walmart plans healthier foods at lower prices
Walmart, the largest retailer in the U.S., has pledged to cut the trans fat, salt, and sugar from thousands of its grocery products by 2015 in the U.S.—and to cut prices on produce and other healthy foods. Continue reading
Move over potatoes, make room for healthier school lunch
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come under fire from politicians and potato lobbyists over its proposal to cut back on French fries and potatoes in school lunch and offer broccoli and other vegetables instead. Yet its plan is based on sound science—and could help turn around this country’s obesity and diabetes epidemics. Continue reading
Comment on the IOM Vitamin D and Calcium Recommendations
For Adult Bone Health, Too Low on Vitamin D—and Too Generous on Calcium By Heike Bischoff-Ferrari and Walter Willett Vitamin D and Bone Health Most evidence on vitamin D and calcium is available for bone health. Thus the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel released on November 30, 2010 (1) are largely based […] Continue reading