Maggie's Farm

"FDA Plan to Make Americans Slimmer Will Reduce Fresh Food Options "

I cannot believe that this is intended to help people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. It is such a misguided idea that will not work and they must know this. Everyone who is grossely overweight has a genetic problem that no amount of calorie information can cure. Many of us are moderately overweight but that does not equate to unhealthy and in fact may be more healthy then the BMI guidelines are for "normal" weight. The sad truth is that people who are obese cannot easily lose weight through dieting and when they do lose weight cannot in most cases maintain that lower weight. Their body will work against them in an effort to maintain that weight that their genes demand.
For the vast majority of us who are moderately overweight or who would just like to be thin calorie counting or other fad diets can usually achieve this but the results are generally short term. But the important point is that in these cases it isn't about being more healthy it is usually about ego and the desire to look better. It is simply incorrect that being 10 or 15 lbs overweight is unhealthy. A person may be unhealthy for other reasons and losing weight may be a desireable treatment but in general 10 to 15 extra lbs on a healthy adult is not a health problem.
The bottom line is that most of us will ignore the information these new guidelines are supposed to provide us and it won't matter one way or the other. The minority of us who are fighting obesity will closely read the information these new guidelines provide but it won't matter one way or the other.