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HHS calls for truth in nutrition labels

Physician Practice Advisor, March 16, 2004

Calories count. In theory it's a simple answer to the obesity epidemic in the United States, but given recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 64% of Americans are overweight, it seems it's not that simple in practice.

Enter the new Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommendations unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday.

"Counting calories is critical for people trying to achieve and maintain a healthy weight," said HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson in a written statement. "This new report highlights FDA's overall strategy for getting consumers accurate, helpful information that allows them to make wise food choices at home, at supermarkets and in restaurants."

Recommendations include:

• Revise the "Nutrition Facts" panel on food labels, including printing calories in a larger font.
• Define terms such as "reduced calorie" and "low calorie."
• Enforce accurate serving sizes-for example, requiring that the nutrition label list a 24-ounce drink intended for a one-sitting consumption to be listed as one serving instead of three 8-ounce servings.
• Encourage restaurants to voluntarily post total caloric information on their menus.

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