This article linked by Google news makes me wonder what the future of food production and consumption will be. I am pro-labeling pop cans and bottles with warnings over obesity and cavities. I know too many people who decided to give up their daily trips to 7-11 and noticed a big change in their health and weight. From the article:
Suggested warnings include “US Government recommends that you drink less (non-diet) soda to help prevent weight gain, tooth decay, and other health problems” and “To help protect your waistline and your teeth, consider drinking diet sodas or water.“
What I don’t like about this is that they may still encourage the consumption of diet beverages which may be just as harmful as regular sugared drinks, but without the noticeable physical side effects. I’m not going to rant on about Aspartame, but I am worried about all the millions of people making shifts to diet beverages, drinking the same quantities and thinking that it will solve the problem.
ABA president Susan Neely claimed that asking the FDA to put warning labels on soft drinks, or any food products that contain caloric sweeteners, would be highly patronizing to consumers and open up a whole can of worms. “Where would such a food “hit list” stop?” she asked. “Even skim milk and thousands of other food products could potentially fit into a CSPI labeling scheme because of the sugars contained in those products.”
This is true, although not a good defense I think. But should the labelling stop at soda pop? What about juices and “fruit drink” with high sugar content? What about potato chips and gummy bears and pixie sticks? There are all these products sold not for health but for pleasure and pleasurable some of them are. I admit that I have a soft spot for blackberry twizzlelators and pretty much any kind of chocolate. When I grew up these items were “treats”. Usually they involved extra chores or a long walk to the store. Now that I have grown up, I realize that if left to my own devices I would endulge in these “treats” everyday and many people do. From what I see, they are no longer treats, they have become substitutes for organic, more “real” food.
I hope that the tolerance for tasty chemicals is changed in the future.
