FDA and added sugar

[Anonymous]

Is there anything they can do about added sugars to improve nation's overall health and decrease stress on healthcare caused by sugar driven problems?

[Anonymous]

No one is forcing people to consume sugar.

[Anonymous]

The FDA monitors more than enforce. If the FDA hasn't banned cigarettes what makes you think they'd step in on sugar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing people to consume sugar.

No, but you have to be awfully vigilant to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing people to consume sugar.

No one forces people to drink or smoke or buy guns but we do need rules to save people from drowning themselves and nation's healthcare budget with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing people to consume sugar.

No, but you have to be awfully vigilant to avoid it.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The FDA monitors more than enforce. If the FDA hasn't banned cigarettes what makes you think they'd step in on sugar?

Which department can?

[Anonymous]

The U.S. government subsidizes sugar and corn syrup, so it would be a conflict of interest.

[Anonymous]

Never going to happen because farmers are subsidized to grow these crops. You need to educate yourself and make your own right choices instead of waiting for the government to do it for you.

[Anonymous]

They could do is change ingredient labels.
1) It would be helpful if all sugars and artificial sweeteners were labeled as such. For example:
Ingredients: brown rice syrup (sugar), fructose (sugar), aspartame (sweetener).

Public education:
1) educate on guidelines for a maximum daily threshold for sugar
2) educate on how much added sugar is in common items
3) educate on value of minimally processed versus highly processed alternatives

Policy:
work with USDA to reduce subsidies that are currently incentivizing highly processed sugars into highly processed foods in American diets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could do is change ingredient labels.
1) It would be helpful if all sugars and artificial sweeteners were labeled as such. For example:
Ingredients: brown rice syrup (sugar), fructose (sugar), aspartame (sweetener).

Public education:
1) educate on guidelines for a maximum daily threshold for sugar
2) educate on how much added sugar is in common items
3) educate on value of minimally processed versus highly processed alternatives

Policy:
work with USDA to reduce subsidies that are currently incentivizing highly processed sugars into highly processed foods in American diets

All of this. I have no doubt there are people who see “sugar free” on labels without realizing that just means an alternative is used.

Hell, Dave’s Killer Bread is marketed as health food but has five grams of added sugar.

I hate having to read labels so closely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there anything they can do about added sugars to improve nation's overall health and decrease stress on healthcare caused by sugar driven problems?

OP as someone who has worked in the food industry for 30 years, and is a registered dietitian, I have to say that your question as written is ridiculously naive.

Would you please elaborate on what you think the FDA (specifically?) is supposed to “do” about added sugars?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could do is change ingredient labels.
1) It would be helpful if all sugars and artificial sweeteners were labeled as such. For example:
Ingredients: brown rice syrup (sugar), fructose (sugar), aspartame (sweetener).

Public education:
1) educate on guidelines for a maximum daily threshold for sugar
2) educate on how much added sugar is in common items
3) educate on value of minimally processed versus highly processed alternatives

Policy:
work with USDA to reduce subsidies that are currently incentivizing highly processed sugars into highly processed foods in American diets

All of this. I have no doubt there are people who see “sugar free” on labels without realizing that just means an alternative is used.

Hell, Dave’s Killer Bread is marketed as health food but has five grams of added sugar.

I hate having to read labels so closely.

Sugar is a part of making bread. Look at recipes. There are some wheats that are naturally sweeter so do not need sugar in the recipe, it's still there, just comes from a different place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing people to consume sugar.

No, but you have to be awfully vigilant to avoid it.

NP. You really don't have to be vigilant at all, unless you're eating a lot of processed foods or eating out regularly.

Make your own meals, eats lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and eat out max 1x a week... you will consume next to zero added sugar. If you're buying a lot of prepared foods... well yeah, but also stop buying so much prepared food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing people to consume sugar.

No, but you have to be awfully vigilant to avoid it.

NP. You really don't have to be vigilant at all, unless you're eating a lot of processed foods or eating out regularly.

Make your own meals, eats lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and eat out max 1x a week... you will consume next to zero added sugar. If you're buying a lot of prepared foods... well yeah, but also stop buying so much prepared food.

This is the correct answer. It is not that difficult.