June 22, 2011. Billings Gazette, Cindy Uken
A new icon designed to help consumers make healthier food choices is earning rave reviews from a registered dietitian, a student of nutrition and a weight loss leader. But for some others, it is a target of ridicule.
The MyPlate icon is a refreshing visual change from the well-known but abstract food pyramid that has been used since 1992, said Katie Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian for RiverStone Health. The new plate icon is divided into four sections for fruit, vegetables, grains and protein. A smaller …

Harvard Nutrition Source
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 logo, dubbed MyPlate, shows a circle divided into four brightly-colored wedges. Vegetables and fruits take up half the plate. Proteins and grains each get one quarter of the plate. Just off to the side …

The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health
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 on January 31, 2011, are used to direct federal nutrition and education programs that reach tens of millions of Americans, including school lunch and food assistance programs. The 95-page …

February 1, 2011, by Liesbeth Smit
The new USDA American Dietary Guidelines are released. While the general public and scientists were anxiously waiting which major topics would be addressed, it turns out we should all eat much less sodium and added sugar. This would mean we are not supposed to eat most breakfast cereals, and ban sugary drinks (and juices) and canned soups. They even point out that we should eat REAL FOODS, that means foods that are not procesessed, packaged and to which other nutrients are added.

One thing that is …

The Boston Globe, Kay Lazar, November 30, 2010
A long-awaited report from a panel of independent scientists recommends tripling the amount of vitamin D most Americans should take and small increases in calcium levels for children to build and maintain strong bones, but some specialists warned that the recommendations were flawed.
The Institute of Medicine panel’s findings, being released today, carry considerable weight — government agencies rely on the recommendations to set food policy, everything from product labeling to requirements for school lunch programs. And a raft of health-related organizations, such as …

USNews, Hanna Dubansky, November 24, 2010
The thrust and details of the 2010 guidelines won’t be known until they are released, a change from before, when the government simply adopted the recommendations of an advisory panel. This time DOA and HHS are hammering out the final version behind the curtains, with a 13-member advisory panel providing input rather than dictating the content. But the report and recommendations released by the panel in June are bound to carry heavy weight. If the panel’s input foreshadows the shape and scope of the guidelines …

The New York Times, Michael Moss, November 6, 2010
Domino’s Pizza was hurting early last year. Domestic sales had fallen, and a survey of big pizza chain customers left the company tied for the worst tasting pies.
Consumers devoured the cheesier pizza, and sales soared by double digits. “This partnership is clearly working,” Brandon Solano, the Domino’s vice president for brand innovation, said in a statement to The New York Times.
But as healthy as this pizza has been for Domino’s, one slice contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended …

The Washington Post, Jane Black, October 2, 2010
Every five years the federal government updates its dietary guidelines for Americans. This year, with most Americans overweight or obese and at risk of high blood pressure, policymakers are working to reinvent the familiar food pyramid and develop advice that is simple and blunt enough to help turn the tide.
The food pyramid shown here is the only one with 100% scientific background, made by the Nutrition Department of Harvard School of Public Health, see the thenutritionsource.org for more information.
Although most people do …

BBC News, Jane Hughes, July 27, 2010
Mothers often say they get confusing advice about exercise during and after pregnancy
Obesity levels among pregnant women have reached epidemic levels, putting the health of their babies at risk, experts say.
The health watchdog NICE has issued new guidelines encouraging women in England to attain a healthy weight before they get pregnant.
It also advises them against eating for two once they conceive.
It says almost half of women of childbearing age are overweight or obese, which could harm their child.
Many women feel they are offered confusing …

Los Angeles Times, Stanton Peele, July 21, 2010
As California contemplates legalizing the sale of marijuana, the real war over intoxicants in this country is, as always, over alcohol.
Since Prohibition ended in 1933 with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution — which repealed the 18th Amendment authorizing the ban on alcohol — states, counties and municipalities have see-sawed back and forth over alcohol sales. States are still passing laws on the sale of alcohol on Sundays, and municipalities and counties are still voting on whether to permit local alcohol purchases.
But as …