With The World Facing Multiple Epidemics Of Obesity, Climate Change And Hunger, Experts Suggest Tackling The Three Together
The three problems are so interwoven that the only way to stave off global catastrophe is by addressing at least two of them -- and ideally all of them -- at once. However, to do so would require an ambitious restructuring of economic incentives that drive the production and marketing of food. Meanwhile, consumers can't rely on food labels to alert them to what allergens are in a product.
Los Angeles Times:
Obesity, Climate Change And Hunger Must Be Fought As One, Health Experts Declare
Maybe, when it comes to finding a way out of a global crisis of obesity, we’re just thinking too small. Maybe the steps needed to reverse a pandemic of unhealthy weight gain are the same as those needed to solve two other crises of human health: malnutrition and climate change. So instead of trying to tackle each of these problems individually, public health experts recommend that we lash the three together. (Healy, 1/28)
The New York Times:
Which Allergens Are In Your Food? You Can’t Always Tell From The Labels
When you’re shopping for someone who has a food allergy, a trip to the grocery store is like a police investigation. Each product must be scrutinized. Labels are examined, each ingredient studied. My 5-year-old son, Alexander, is allergic to almonds and hazelnuts, so my wife and I spend a lot of time trying to decipher food labels. If you miss something, even one word, you risk an allergic reaction. Although federal law requires manufacturers to include allergen warnings on prepackaged foods, it’s not always clear which products contain allergens and which do not. (Athas, 1/28)
