The clock is turning back on a healthier U.S. food environment

If knowledge is power, then offering consumers information about what’s in their food supply is clearly a powerful way to improve the health of the nation — physically and economically. But several nutrition-related decisions lately have reduced your power to make informed decisions about the health of you and your family, as well as the financial health of the country. We give the new Food and Drug Administration director a grade of “F” for what he’s doing for you and the quality of your food.

Labeling the labeling rollback for what it is

Last year the FDA established a new food labeling regulation; the deadline for implementation was set for July 26, 2018. The new regulation called for a nutrition label that made it easier to see calories-per-serving info and, for the first time, it would let you know how much added sugar you’re getting in every serving. Unfortunately, it was recently announced that implementation of the regulation is suspended indefinitely.

Why this is a bad move: No. 1:

One study found that for Americans to return to the pre-obesity-epidemic weights of the 1970s, kids would have to cut 350 calories from their daily diet; adults 500. The label changes would help you be more conscious of portion size and calorie counts, so you can eliminate empty-fat-creating calories and aim for 7 to 9 daily servings of fresh fruit and veggies.

Americans eat about 67 pounds of added sugar annually. Knowing how much added sugar you’re eating can help you say “no” to foods that come with sugar bombs. It also might encourage food companies to reduce the

No. 2:

amount they pump into their products.

The price tag for obesity and excess sugar consumption is staggering: In 2016, health care costs for obesity alone racked up $150 billion, while excess sugar consumption body-slammed that number, jacking our annual health care system costs by $1 trillion.

Now more than ever, you need to assume responsibility for understanding what’s in your food. New research shows that eating just two and a half servings of fruits and veggies is associated with a 4 percent reduction in risk of cancer and a 15 percent reduction in the risk of premature death. Eating 10 portions (1.76 pounds) daily of fruits and veggies is associated with a:

24 percent reduced risk of heart disease. percent reduced risk of stroke. 28 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. 13 percent reduced risk of cancer. 31 percent reduction in premature death.

No. 3: Your Move: » » » » » Discounting calorie counts on menus is dishing up trouble

This May 4, one day before chain restaurants would have been required to post calorie counts on their menus, the FDA suspended the implementation for another year. Another sad day for America and another black mark on the FDA.

Average Americans consume 33 percent of calories away from home, and usually underestimate how many they’re taking in. Putting the info clearly on the menu would shatter false assumptions.

When eating out, stick with the simplest preparations of dishes; you’ll get fewer hidden ingredients loaded with calories, fats and sugars.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

Why this matters: Your Move:

Adapted from a recent online discussion.

I have known “Sarah” for half my life. We are now in our late 20s. I came out to her as a lesbian two years ago and am currently dating someone.

Sarah is a conservative Christian, so I have made sure to be careful around her regarding our public displays of affection. I basically told my girlfriend we should act the same around Sarah as we would around family. The occasional kiss on the cheek or hand-holding, nothing more.

Recently, my girlfriend and I asked Sarah out to dinner. She initially replied maybe, then about an hour later told us she would come if we “chilled with the PDA,” and added, “I would ask the same if your girlfriend was a man.”

I am angry. I have been very careful around her, and was shocked at her request. I don’t really know what to do. My family is unsupportive so I hide a significant amount of my life already — they know but refuse to talk about it — and I don’t want to have to hide around my best friend. Any advice on how to proceed? — Careful About PDA Her beliefs do not carry an obligation for you to sugarcoat who you are, so you have already chosen to compromise yourself to please her where best friends typically wouldn’t have to.

Treating it as a PDA issue is a red herring, too. Bystanders have begged handsy straight people to “get a room” since forever, of course — but that “Ew, yuck, PDA!” can’t be cover for those who witness same-sex hand-holding to complain that they’re “OK with gay people but sick of having homosexuality rubbed in their faces” or whatever

Dear Carolyn:

wording the Bigotry Lite Brigade is currently spewing.

So I hope you’ll challenge Sarah’s weak self-justification:

“Are you sure you’d ask the same thing if I were dating a man? Because I am already extremely careful about my PDA around you, and that’s something I wouldn’t do if I were dating a man. I would just be myself without even thinking about it.

“So I’ll ask the same as if your faith didn’t discriminate against me: May I enjoy the privilege of being myself around you, as-is?”

Say you don’t expect an immediate response, but instead hope she’ll give this some thought.

I suggest this assuming you want to maintain your friendship with Sarah. If this incident is enough for you to rethink that, then that’s your prerogative and don’t let her or anyone else tell you otherwise. In that case, a direct phrasing will do: “I’ve already held back to avoid upsetting you. So, no, I won’t ‘chill with the PDA’ — I’ve compromised enough.”

An important life lesson that people need to learn for themselves (yes, I did, the hard way) is that friendships aren’t always forever. Also, sometimes it’s better just to drift apart rather than provoke an argument: In this case, “Sarah” will know why even without her friend spelling it out. — Anonymous True. But if “Careful” wants to say her piece for her own reasons, then I certainly hope she does.

Re: Sarah: