Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Former FDA commissioner on the killer combination of salt, fat and sugar - our food

David A Kessler, former commissioner of the FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration):

"Our favourite foods are making us fat, yet we can't resist, because eating them is changing our minds as well as bodies

For example, KFC's approach to battering its food results in "an optimised fat pick-up system". With its flour, salt, MSG, maltodextrin, sugar, corn syrup and spice, the fried coating imparts flavour that touches on all three points of the compass while giving the consumer the perception of a bargain – a big plate of food at a good price."

The ranks of overweight adults and children continue to increase. For the first time in history, overweight persons actually outnumber those who are malnourished. Obesity now kills more men and women in developed nations than war, terrorist attacks, or climate changes. On average, obese individuals forfeit about 9 years of life.

More on the same topic in the video below:



"Fake foods are more affordable. It's enticing people to eat more because they think they're saving money when they're really just buying heart disease." 10 Questions for Jillian Michaels. TIME, 2010.

References:
Obesity: The killer combination of salt, fat and sugar | David A Kessler. Guardian.
JAMA - Fat, Gluttony and Sloth: Obesity in Literature, Art and Medicine, July 7, 2010, Miksanek 304 (1): 101 http://goo.gl/eEos