The Rock Doc: Nutrition labels in for change

While I have been dinking around for months, trying to lose five pounds, two of my friends have gotten serious about weight loss. Each of them is down 50 pounds. I’m pleased for them, of course, and truly impressed by their accomplishments. Successfully combating too much weight and obesity is one of the best things people can do for their health. It can help everything from joint pain to heart function, from Type 2 diabetes to certain aspects of mental health.

But it’s not always easy to know what we should eat. How many calories are in a slice of pizza or a baked potato? Is it better to reach for an apple or a banana as a snack – or does it make any difference?

The Food and Drug Administration is the branch of the government that oversees the labeling of packaged foods in our country. A great deal of processed food is eaten in the U.S., so labels are one key to trying to improve public health. Recently, the FDA opened a public comment period on proposed changes to what’s called the Nutrition Facts Label. The label, introduced 20 years ago, is up for a full makeover. Here’s an overview of what’s likely to change:

• Larger, bold lines that tell you the number of calories in a serving and the number of servings per container. This information is on the old labels, but it will jump out at you on the proposed new labels. The idea is that we should be clearly told which foods pack a lot of calories.

• Modifying certain serving sizes to be more in keeping with what people really eat and drink these days. A 20-ounce bottle of soda pop, for example, which is often drunk by an individual all in one go, should be labeled as one serving and the calorie count for it declared clearly on the label.

• The new labels will tell you about “added sugars” in the package of food. Many nutritionists recommend we eat fewer calories from added sugars. Some food is naturally sweet, of course, but adding sugars in foods can needlessly increase their calorie content.

• The proposed changes to the labels also include information about vitamin D and potassium. These two items have been declared “nutrients of public health significance.” Iron and calcium contents will continue to be required to be listed. Vitamins A and C are to be optional.

• Dropping “Calories from Fat” in favor of just the breakdown on where the fat is coming from (saturated fat and trans fat). The reason for this change is that many researchers believe the type of fat you eat is more important than the total amount.

Some of the changes being offered in the new labels should make it easier to understand whether you really want to eat those crackers or not. Maybe that will help me make better choices that can get me to shed my unwanted five pounds.