May 2009 Archives

May 29, 2009 10:01 PM

A Brief Observation on the Future of the Food and Drug Administration

In the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (June 11), new FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, and Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, write that the FDA's success should be measured by its impact on promoting health, preventing illness and prolonging life, not the number of facilities it inspects or drugs it approves.

"The Institute of Medicine has defined the mission of public health," they explain, "as 'fulfilling society's interest in assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy.' To be healthy, people need access to a safe and nutritious food supply and to innovative, safe, and effective medical products. The FDA's job is to support this access and, in doing so, to promote health, prevent illness, and prolong life."

To this, I say "Bravo!" And I look forward to seeing this philosophy in practice as FDA undertakes next-generation nutrition labeling.

To read Dr Hamburg and Dr. Sharfstein editorial, "FDA as a Public Health Agency," click here.

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By Susan Finn on May 29, 2009 10:01 PM | 1 Comment
May 15, 2009 10:00 PM

Dietary Guideline Subcommittee Looks at Nutrient Adequacy

As might be expected, the Dietary Guidelines Nutrient Adequacy Subcommittee is exploring what nutrients and food groups are likely to be consumed by the general public in amounts low enough and high enough to be of concern in health outcomes. But here is an interesting twist that emerged in the discussion: the use of discretionary calories.

2005-2006 NHANES data show that grain-based desserts are the number one source of energy intake among Americans in general. Among children, soda is number one. Both of these categories are generally considered discretionary - yet these foods are making a huge contribution to daily energy. So the question facing the advisory committee is this: How should discretionary calories be incorporated into the food modeling they are doing to determine patterns that achieve nutrient adequacy at various calories levels. This will be a very interesting challenge to track - for health professionals, food marketers and consumers alike.
Continue reading Dietary Guideline Subcommittee Looks at Nutrient Adequacy.

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By Susan Finn on May 15, 2009 10:00 PM | No Comments
May 14, 2009 9:59 PM

DG Advisory Committee Looks at Macronutrients

During the recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee meeting, the Protein and Carbohydrate Subcommittee and the Fatty Acids and Cholesterol Subcommittee announced they would be examining the usual subjects - building on the knowledge collected for the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.

Both subcommittees, however, are breaking some new ground, too. For example, first-time issues on the agenda for consideration include:
• The relationship between noncaloric sweeteners and body weight
• The role of probiotics and prebiotics
• The connection between the gut and the brain
• The relationship between type of carbohydrate (sugar, starch or
fiber) on weight loss and maintenance
• The association between LDL and stearic acid
• The effect of natural vs. synthetic trans fat
• The role of macronutrients and fiber in satiety

During its late April meeting, one of the committee members asked what I think is a key question informing the process in its entirety: In the Dietary Guidelines, the government's roadmap for how Americans should eat to be healthy, are we going to talk about food components or are we going to talk about dietary patterns - or both? The general consensus was that while food is more than its components, we have to look at the components first. But then, we must follow through with the "how-tos." It's a total package.

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By Susan Finn on May 14, 2009 9:59 PM | No Comments
May 12, 2009 9:59 PM

Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Considers Food Safety

Listening to the reports from various subcommittees of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee gives us a preview of topics that are likely to be hot (or hotter) in the near future - creating research as well as in consumer education opportunities. (Click here to request s recording.)

For example, the Food Safety Subcommittee is looking at not only at the extent to which consumers follow food safety practices at home, but also which practices are truly associated with favorable food safety outcomes. In other words, are there scientific outcomes - evidence - on which recommendations can be based? The subcommittee is also looking at microwave food safety, which is a topic of increasing importance in a convenience culture, and safety issues associated with the consumption of raw foods, which is an outgrowth of the whole foods movement.

Subcommittee members also expressed concern over the impact of methyl mercury in fish - but not for the reason you might expect. The question is not so much about the risk of methyl mercury as it is about the risk of not eating enough fish - due to unfounded fear about the pervasiveness of methyl mercury contamination in fish commonly eaten by the general public. The subcommittee is planning a risk-benefit analysis for fish consumption in collaboration with the Fatty Acid Subcommittee.

Next time, news from the Nutrient Adequacy and Energy Balance Subcommittees.

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By Susan Finn on May 12, 2009 9:59 PM | No Comments
May 11, 2009 9:58 PM

A Milestone for Health Care Reform . . . and Nutrition

I just tuned in to President Obama's press conference on today's White House meeting on health care reform. Using words like "historic" and "milestone," the President described the unprecedented dialogue among insurers, doctors, health care workers and pharmaceutical companies as critical to reversing the country's unsustainable course of health care spending and putting us back on track toward growth and shared prosperity.

I am sure all of the networks will cover this meeting on tonight's news - especially the pledge participating constituencies made to reduce health care spending by 1.5% per year over 10 years, for a total of $2 trillion. So look for details on television or online.

I simply want to draw your attention to three concepts mentioned in today's press conference:
1. Health care is the foundation for America's new economy.
2. We must invest in proven ways to prevent disease.
3. The health care system must incentivize providers to offer preventive services.

As insurance companies and physicians pledge to focus health promotion and disease prevention, all eyes should turn to the impact of diet on health. Let's make sure today is a milestone for registered dietitians as the professionals who can further the science of nutrition and translate that science into practical applications that are accessible to all Americans.

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By Susan Finn on May 11, 2009 9:58 PM | No Comments
May 8, 2009 9:57 PM

A Brief Observation on Salt

Following up on my recent posting on the debate over salt and health - A team of German, Finnish and Austrian researchers, working with rats, have discovered a storage area for sodium in the skin. When this storage process, which is regulated by a type of white blood cell (macrophage), is not working properly, the rats become hypertensive. Not surprisingly, this system is genetically controlled. While we do not yet know the relevance of this discovery to humans, the study does remind us how much there is to learn about salt-sensitive hypertension and how critically important research on this topic is to public health. To read more about this study, click here.

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By Susan Finn on May 8, 2009 9:57 PM | No Comments
May 7, 2009 9:51 PM

Dietary Guidelines Committee: Nutrition and Economics

The Dietary Guidelines Committee met in Washington, DC, in late April. Audio from the two-day proceeding was broadcast over the Internet, so I registered and logged in to listen. Information presented by some of the experts invited to speak and from the subcommittee reports provided a sneak peek into issues that committee members are tackling. Over the next week or so, I will be blogging about a few topics that struck me as particularly important.

On day one, Adam Drewnowski, PhD, who is a world-renowned researcher on obesity prevention and the director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington in Seattle, spoke on the economics of dietary behavior and satiety. On day two, Andrea Carlson, PhD, a USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion economist, spoke on healthy eating for less money using USDA food plans - specifically, the thrifty plan. In retrospect, I wish these two speakers had presented together - and I think the committee members probably do, too.
Continue reading Dietary Guidelines Committee: Nutrition and Economics.

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By Susan Finn on May 7, 2009 9:51 PM | No Comments
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About This Blog

I launched Nutrition Viewpoint to provide nutrition professionals, health care providers, and food and beverage marketers with a forum for examining issues, and trends that affect how we influence food and nutrition policies and how food and nutrition policies influence us. The thoughts and opinions I express in this blog are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my clients. Readers are invited to comment on my postings, and I hope that we can engage in a lively conversation. From time to time, Nutrition Viewpoint will also feature guest bloggers. Because of my keen interest in women's nutritional health, I have devoted a special section of this blog to women's issues.

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Susan Finn

I am a registered dietitian who has spent 30+ years as a nutrition communicator - interpreting the science of nutrition into practical applications for consumers, health professionals, and the food and beverage industry. I am a principal in the nutrition policy and positioning consultancy Finn/Parks & Associates. I currently serve as a senior advisor to Fleishman-Hillard International Communications and am also the CEO and president of the American Council for Fitness & Nutrition. I am a past president of The American Dietetic Association (ADA), the world's largest organization of nutrition experts, and am immediate past chair of the ADA Foundation. While I feel passionately about the importance of nutrition for people of all ages, I am particularly interested in women's nutritional health. Throughout my career, I have concentrated on women's unique nutritional needs and their critical role as gatekeepers for family health.

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