Nutritional Product Watch .. Marketing or Misinformation?

Campaign for health giving food products.

The food credibility conundrum...

.... who do you trust, who has the correct information ?

.. the answer is easy .... "Follow the Money", and ask; "who has something to gain?"

Does one need to have a degree in chemistry to state that chemical ingredients in food could be toxic, and that natural food is better? Not likely, there still is something called "Common Sense", and unless something is proven scientifically to the contrary, one should stick with "common sense".

If common sense is not enough, one should take this rule; "the proof is in the pudding", which means, "the end result is the mark of success or failure".

In case of food marketing, the end-result is a lot of overweight people, diabetes type 2, heart diseases, alcoholism, sugarholics and misrepresented nutritional understanding.

Scientists and certain parts of our community are always calling for evidence. That seems to be a good and fair call, but it comes with huge restriction; "evidence relies heavily on trusting the provider of this evidence".

Do I have to point it out? How long did we trust the researched evidence that smoking is not a health hazard, till finally "Common Sense" and evidence triumphed.

Can we trust University research that may be funded by Multi National Companies?

Can we trust the Dairy Industry that Milk is good for us?

Can we trust the Pharmaceutical Companies that their research is directed to finding cures and not money producing "Maintenance Treatments"?

Obviously these type of questions can be applied to any Industry.

NOTE: Please don't get me wrong, I am not proclaiming everyone is providing false or self-serving evidence. I am just using "Common Sense" to realise the complexity of research and evidence, and that evidence can change, and may not always be "right" or "the truth".

Sugar seems to be on everyone's mind, which I think is a good thing. Sugar has always been recognised as a major health compromising culprit.

My first printed patient Diet-outline in 1981 had a strong anti-sugar message.

Unfortunately, with governments and the medical establishment constantly on the warpath against Naturopathic Principles, Naturopathic messages still haven't been followed up.

BUT, the good news, it seems to happen now, there is even a discussion about a "Sugar Tax".

Can you guess who is against a sugar tax?

I know the answer is too easy; the Food and Beverage Industry has "evidence" that a sugar tax will not work, and in addition they claim it will cause fear in the general public; they pronounced it will cause "Job Losses".

Who do we believe, Naturopaths or Soft drink Industry Advisors :-) ... ?

What do the Government or Lobby Groups need to do?

Policies may need to be delivered to regulate marketing to children so that the agencies can regulate youth-targeted marketing.

Strong rules requiring the labeling of added sugar in nutrition labels, as well as all additives.

Federal, state, and local health agencies should develop aggressive public information campaigns to emphasize the scientific evidence, demonstrating that sugar, salt and additives have a negative health impact and also counter misinformation from food manufacturers, advertisers, and other sugar interests groups.

If misinformation can not be regulated by legislation, than successful positive marketing has to be introduced, federally, state and local.

Article by:

Dieter Luske N.D.-D.C.H.-D.M.H.-D.H
Holistic Therapy Consultant - Gold Coast

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