[Villages PL]

Today's Daily Sun article (3-3-14) provides more information on how the food industry has been inserting itself, covertly, into food education. I knew about such things as supermarket chains hiring dietitions to spread the word that "there's no such thing as bad food", but it goes even deeper than that.

Now I just learned that food companies, like General Mills, have been providing continuing education for dietitians, which is a requirement for dietitions to maintain their licenses. It's a case of the fox guarding the hen house.

A dietition must earn 75 credits of continuing education every five years. Universities may charge hundreds of dollars, whereas the food companies provide this education for free. Plus the food companies hand out free cupons for their products which dietitions can pass on to their customers. Their goal is to put their products in a positive light, nutritonally.

There are in-person conferences and online classes which make it convenient and courses are taught by instructors with industry ties. Some have connections to the sugar industry, for example, or candy bar makers. One instructor suggested there should be no guidelines for sugar intake.

Among the many food companies teaching dietitions are such companies as Frito-Lay, Kellogg and Coca-Cola. Now we know why most dietitions will not say anything bad about any food. That's been my experience whenever I went to a lecture by a dietition. This education system, in my opinion, is largely corrupt. There has been a continuing effort by the snack-food fast-food industry to dumb-down the public and they have been doing it with the aid of dietitions.

So when you read an article in the newspaper, by a dietition, or doctor, it's highly likely that it has been influenced by the processed-food industry. Some of the information is good and some of it is bad. You just have to be careful. For one thing, they will never say anything bad about any processed food.

The article didn't speculate on this, but I wonder if the universities are any better. After all, they do get research grants from the food industry, don't they? And if they get grants, it's not likely they will say anything bad about any food. Folllow the money, as they say.

[Mudder]

Yep I thought it funny to read that food companies are now "helping" nutritionists better understand food. Isn't that a little cart before the horse. I can just hear them pointing out the benefits of eating Doritos!

[rubicon]

Is it the fox guarding the hen house or is it an opportunity to view this issue from different eyes.

We keep hearing about diets yet every year an additional six new diets are induced. does that mean the diets proposed earlier have all failed?
Its like the news soap detergent better than last year's brand.

Experts are now inclined to view all those regimens for cleansing the toxins in the body in error and in some cases harmful.. But it sells and it sells big
Experts conclude the body is self regulating and that eating fruits and vegetables daily helps clear the system of toxins that is all that is needed. Yes there maybe isolated cases where a person needs additional help but that is the human condition.

So in my view its a good thing that we have a go and forth concerning such matters because its tempting and profitable to sell a bill of goods just ask all the climate change profiteers

[Villages PL]

Today's Daily Sun article (03-05-14) in the Lifestyle section (D) might be a good example of industry teaching/influencing dietitions: On the front page of today's lifestyle section the heading read: "Eating To Stay Young", written by a USF doctor/dietition.

In the article, dairy-foods were recommended "to help maintain bone health."
The FDA does not allow the dairy industry to make this claim because it has never been scientifically proven to their satisfaction. So why do dietitions regularly promote dairy products for bone health?

If the dairy industry can't prove that dairy "helps maintain bone health" then it's safe to say that dietitians can't prove it either. So why do dietitians dutifully keep promoting it over and over again? It must be that the dairy industry is teaching this to dietitions and finding various ways to bring their influence to bear. They can encourage others, third parties, to say what they are not allowed to say themselves.

This, in my opinion, illustrates the power that the food industry has to insert itself into the field of nutrition education.

You might ask, "what harm can it do?" Well, for one thing, it gives fales hope to those who are fighting against osteoporosis. They could be eating other foods that would be more helpful to their condition, rather than wasting their time with dairy products. And how many parents buy dairy-foods for their children thinking that dairy builds strong bones? It represents a lost opportunity to eat better.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Today's Daily Sun article (03-05-14) in the Lifestyle section (D) might be a good example of industry teaching/influencing dietitions: On the front page of today's lifestyle section the heading read: "Eating To Stay Young", written by a USF doctor/dietition.

In the article, dairy-foods were recommended "to help maintain bone health."
The FDA does not allow the dairy industry to make this claim because it has never been scientifically proven to their satisfaction. So why do dietitions regularly promote dairy products for bone health?

If the dairy industry can't prove that dairy "helps maintain bone health" then it's safe to say that dietitians can't prove it either. So why do dietitians dutifully keep promoting it over and over again? It must be that the dairy industry is teaching this to dietitions and finding various ways to bring their influence to bear. They can encourage others, third parties, to say what they are not allowed to say themselves.

This, in my opinion, illustrates the power that the food industry has to insert itself into the field of nutrition education.

You might ask, "what harm can it do?" Well, for one thing, it gives fales hope to those who are fighting against osteoporosis. They could be eating other foods that would be more helpful to their condition, rather than wasting their time with dairy products. And how many parents buy dairy-foods for their children thinking that dairy builds strong bones? It represents a lost opportunity to eat better.

Salmon is good too.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Salmon is good too.

Yes, Salmon with the bones left in is a good source of calcium and omega 3. Also, what I had in mind is broccoli and dark leafy greens. Lots of vegetables are rich in calcium.

Cavemen had strong bones and teeth yet never had dairy products available to them.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Yes, Salmon with the bones left in is a good source of calcium and omega 3. Also, what I had in mind is broccoli and dark leafy greens. Lots of vegetables are rich in calcium.

Cavemen had strong bones and teeth yet never had dairy products available to them.

Just the milk nature provided for their species for a couple three years.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Just the milk nature provided for their species for a couple three years.

Yes, as I have said before, cave-babies got calcium from cave-mother's milk, but where did their mother get it from? Not from dairy; they got it from plant foods and possibly bones.

And what about cows? Where do they get their calcium from? They get it from eating green grass, not dairy.