The World Obesity Federation is convening clinicians, researchers and policymakers in Berlin, Germany, for a June 29-30, 2015, conference titled, “Dietary Sugars, Obesity and Metabolic Disease Risk.” Sessions will include those addressing studies allegedly linking dietary sugars to the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease; global consumption patterns; and policy solutions. Issue 559
Category Archives Other Developments
Citing internal cane and beet sugar documents dating back to 1959, an article published in PLOS Medicine claims that the sugar industry made a concerted effort to alter the priorities of the National Institute of Dental Research’s (NIDR’s) 1971 National Caries Program (NCP). Cristin Kearns, Stanton A. Glantz, et al., “Sugar Industry Influence on the Scientific Agenda of the National Institute of Dental Research’s 1971 National Caries Program: A Historical Analysis of Internal Documents,” PLOS Medicine, March 2015. University of California, San Francisco, researchers apparently relied on World Sugar Research Organization documents obtained from the University of Illinois Archives, which housed the correspondence of a university professor who also served on the Sugar Research Foundation and International Sugar Research Foundation Advisory Board. They also acquired documents related to NPC via PubMed and WorldCat, as well as by contacting NIDR directly. “The sugar industry could not deny the role of sucrose in…
Responding to a shareholder resolution filed by As You Sow, Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. has reportedly agreed to reformulate its white powdered donuts to avoid the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. In return, the shareholder advocacy group has withdrawn its most recent resolution, which claimed that “recent research on the ingestion of inorganic nanoparticles has raised concerns regarding toxicity to humans and the environment.” According to As You Sow, 18.7 percent of shareholders supported a previous resolution asking Dunkin’ to identify any products containing nanomaterials. That resolution followed a 2013 report alleging that food-grade titanium dioxide can contain particles less than 100 nanometers “in at least one dimension.” “Insufficient safety information exists regarding these manufactured particles, especially for use in foods; preliminary studies show that nanomaterials can cause DNA and chromosomal damage, organ damage, inflammation, brain damage, and genital malformations, among other harms,” claims a March 5, 2015, As You…
A series of six articles published online February 18, 2015, by The Lancet reportedly “examines false dichotomies and proposes a reframing of obesity as a consequence of the ‘reciprocal nature of the interaction between the environment and the individual,’ where feedback loops perpetuate food choices and behaviors.” “Our understanding of obesity must be completely reframed if we are to halt and reverse the global obesity epidemic,” Christina Roberts, who co-authored the first article in the series with Kelly Brownell and others, was quoted as saying.“On one hand, we need to acknowledge that individuals bear some responsibility for their health, and on the other hand recognize that today’s food environments exploit people’s biological, psychological, and social and economic vulnerabilities, making it easier for them to eat unhealthy foods.” Among other things, the series’ fourth article, “Child and adolescent obesity: part of a bigger picture,” asserts that the “food industry has a…
The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine is hosting a March 2-3, 2015, workshop in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to discuss the “interplay between environmental exposures and obesity.” Topics of discussion will include the alleged links “between exposure to environmental chemicals and increased incidence of weight gain, glucose intolerance and insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and aspects of metabolic syndrome in animal models and human studies.” March 3 sessions will target the potential roles of antibiotics, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners as well as potential policy solutions to address reducing chemical exposures associated with the development of obesity. Issue 555
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will reportedly commit $500 million over the next 10 years to intensified efforts ensuring that “all children in the United States—no matter who they are or where they live—can grow up at a healthy weight.” According to a February 5, 2015, news release, the health philanthropy’s new initiatives will focus on developing strategies to reducing the health disparities that contribute to higher rates of obesity among children of color and children living in poverty. “We have made substantial progress, but there is far more to do and we can’t stop now,” said RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey “We all have a role to play in our homes, schools, and neighborhoods to ensure that all kids have healthy food and safe places to play.” RWJF’s stated priorities for the next decade include (i) eliminating sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among 0- to 5-year-olds; (ii) making a…
U.S. Right to Know (USRTK), an Oakland, California-based nonprofit, launched in late January 2015 under the leadership of Gary Ruskin, former executive director of Commercial Alert. The group claims to be “working to expose what the food industry doesn’t want us to know. We do research and communications on the failures of the corporate food system. We stand up for the right to know what is in our food, and how it affects our health. We unearth the political economy of our food system, and how big food companies buy political influence in a quest for profit that has led to an epidemic of food-related diseases. We believe that transparency — in the marketplace and in politics — is crucial to building a better, healthier food system … If you are a whistleblower, or know of any food scandals, send us your documents, and tell us what you know.” A January…
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), an independent group charged with providing counsel to various UK government agencies, is holding a March 18, 2015, symposium in Birmingham about the possible role of exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on the development of obesity. The robust agenda will include presentations from UK and Italian experts. See Food Standards Agency News Release, January 28, 2015. Issue 554
A French court has reportedly rejected a couple’s choice of name for their baby, “Nutella,” and renamed her “Ella” because “the name ‘Nutella’ given to the child is the trade name of a spread” and “it is contrary to the child’s interest to be wearing a name like that” because it “can only lead to teasing or disparaging thoughts.” French parents have apparently been free to choose the names of their children since 1993, but local prosecutors can report names they deem unsuitable to a family court. Another French court recently renamed a child called “Fraise” (strawberry) to “Fraisine,” a popular 19th century name, citing potential teasing. Many international courts have assessed the suitability of baby names and ordered changes; in New Zealand, for example, “Number 16 Bus Shelter” passed muster but “Yeah Detroit” and a series of 38 consonants and 5 numbers (“Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116”) did not. See The Washington Post and…
Citing increased demand for food and beverage products that do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as ingredients, the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine features an article intended to help consumers “sift through the facts” about the purported health and environmental effects of GMOs. The column describes recent attempts by individual states to require GMO labeling, as well as voluntary “Non-GMO Project Verified” certification programs. It claims that “the vast majority of corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets grown in the U.S. are now genetically engineered” even though the Food and Drug Administration does not follow the joint safety assessment guidelines established by the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. “In an interesting twist, some food companies that expressed strong opposition to such mandatory labeling are the same ones turning out new non-GMO products,” opines Consumer Reports. “Those in favor of mandatory labels—including Consumers Union, the…
