Nutrition Label Changes

[Coffee]

And remember that what we now consider to be a kid's meal at McDonald's was at one time considered to be a reasonably portioned adult meal.

Yeah I know. I'd probably be mildly obese if I didn't exercise for an hour every day.

[bamboo bob]

"The second one... seriously? Who smokes anymore? Kids sure don't. They're more likely to smoke weed than cigarettes. That's as pointless as click it or ticket campaigns."

Who smokes? I LOT of young people on the AT smoke cigarettes. Many. Way more than I thought likely.

[Sierra2015]

"The second one... seriously? Who smokes anymore? Kids sure don't. They're more likely to smoke weed than cigarettes. That's as pointless as click it or ticket campaigns."

Who smokes? I LOT of young people on the AT smoke cigarettes. Many. Way more than I thought likely.

And every single one of them knows and has known cigarettes are bad for them. They don't need a poster saying so.

(But the numbers are way down on smoking. Your observation is probably the result of several factors. 1) Maybe observational bias 2) the prevalence of men on the trail 3) the young men on the trail might be more likely to participate in risk taking behaviors 4) they are more likely to have come from higher smoking percentage states)

Then again... California doesn't really have a ton of smokers... we're more tokers. So what do I know... guess I have to move there to see it for myself.

[Coffee]

Smoking rates are higher in many southern states which could account for some of it. It is surprising, however, that people engaged in very physical activities would smoke cigarettes. I can't imagine smoking and trying to hike 20 miles per day!

[FarmerChef]

I've always marveled at this. Same thing for singers.

[Sierra2015]

I super dislike it when guys smoke.

[googlywoogly]

Nothing makes my blood pressure go up higher than having to pick up some disgusting person's cigarette butt and haul it out of the wilderness for them. I will never understand how folks can go out in nature and proceed to trash it as if the entire world is their own personal ash tray. Same for the folks who toss them out of their car window as they drive down the street.

[Dogwood]

I can see the FDA was influenced by the American Dairy Association and USDA in coming up with these new labels.

The proposed labels would remove the "calories from fat" line you currently see on labels, focusing instead on total calories found in each serving.

Wrong answer. The cals from fat stat, as it is on the current label, is per serving. The manufacturer's serving size is currently on the label. It's easy enough to see both. Even with the following FDA statement the FDA is allowing the food companies to hide the amt of fat per serving in their products.

"Nutritionists have come to understand that the type of fat you're eating matters more than the calories from fat."

While it's true the type of fat one eats is important("good" fats verse "bad" fats) that's a narrow perspective and a flawed excuse to allow fat in a serving to be hidden.

The FDA isn't designing these new labels for long distance hikers many of whom don't care that 40% of their total daily caloric intake is achieved. The rest of the U.S. cares deeply though.

"As such, the breakdown of total fat vs. saturated and trans fat would remain."

That's good!

LOL. If you aren't a label reader under the current labeling system this isn't going to change that habit! Seems more like a rah rah for Michelle policy change that she can take credit for.

[WingedMonkey]

I just finished a half cup of ice creme, no big deal.

Oh yeah, I chopped up two Oreos into it. But only two.

[Dogwood]

I would also say..... someone's judgement of reasonable serving sizes needs to be calibrated again.

... what we now consider to be a kid's meal at McDonald's was at one time considered to be a reasonably portioned adult meal.

It's why many U.S. citizens traveling abroad complain about the portion sizes which are typically about 4 oz of meat(fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc) about the size of a deck of playing cards and substantially smaller overall. Many countries national diets also consist of fewer more expensive meat containing meals. It's not that the portion sizes are so small in places like Europe it's that U.S. citizens have become accustomed to eating a huge amount of food at a sitting AND it's showing up in the waistlines and health of our citizenry.

[Dogwood]

...and substantially smaller meals overall.

[Wilson2016]

If you are not planning to prepare your food before hand, then the new labeling will make it easier to find the high calories you are looking for at the local store. I quit smoking the first of this year so that I might be able to attempt a thru hike in 2016. What does smoking have to do with labeling the calories?

[Wise Old Owl]

"The second one... seriously? Who smokes anymore? Kids sure don't. They're more likely to smoke weed than cigarettes. That's as pointless as click it or ticket campaigns."

Who smokes? I LOT of young people on the AT smoke cigarettes. Many. Way more than I thought likely.

hence a new trail of the occasional Butt.

[fiddlehead]

It's why many U.S. citizens traveling abroad complain about the portion sizes which are typically about 4 oz of meat(fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc) about the size of a deck of playing cards and substantially smaller overall. Many countries national diets also consist of fewer more expensive meat containing meals. It's not that the portion sizes are so small in places like Europe it's that U.S. citizens have become accustomed to eating a huge amount of food at a sitting AND it's showing up in the waistlines and health of our citizenry.

So true.
Living abroad and returning to the states ALWAYS shocks me about how big serving size is in the US.
But, that's a great thing for hikers of course.
I remember coming back from one of my first trips to Nepal, where I hiked for a month and a half.
I asked on the flight if I could have 2 meals (if they had any extra) and they gave me 2, each time (long flight)

I live in a touristy area with lots of Italian restaurants. Believe me, the pizza in all of these places is NOTHING like the pizza in America.
It is a very thin, crispy crust with barely any sauce, barely any cheese and if you ask for a topping like onion for example, there may be 3 or 4 tiny pieces spread around. I can eat a whole one.
In America, I'm good for 2 slices IF I'm pretty hungry (can eat a whole one near the end of a thru-hike though)

It's no wonder why Americans are so fat.
Limited healthy choices unless you cook for yourself using fresh ingredients.

[Pedaling Fool]

It's why many U.S. citizens traveling abroad complain about the portion sizes which are typically about 4 oz of meat(fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc) about the size of a deck of playing cards and substantially smaller overall. Many countries national diets also consist of fewer more expensive meat containing meals. It's not that the portion sizes are so small in places like Europe it's that U.S. citizens have become accustomed to eating a huge amount of food at a sitting AND it's showing up in the waistlines and health of our citizenry.

I agree that U.S. citizens in general eat way too much and portion sizes can be (and should be) reduced.

However, your characterization of portion sizes, in general, is not what I've observed in my time overseas; maybe at some high-priced fancy resturants, but not in general.

Furthermore, the expanding waist lines across the world, including Europe, seems to counter your claim.

EU actions to fight obesity: http://ec.europa.eu/health/newslette...sletter_en.htm

The tax-loving nordic countries are fighting the battle and repealed a fat tax after just a year: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/bu...cism.html?_r=0

Mexico is now the fattest nation: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...attest-nation/

China fights obesity, including childhood obesity: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1079476/

Obesity quadruples in the developing world: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-25576400



The list goes on....

[Sierra2015]

If you are not planning to prepare your food before hand, then the new labeling will make it easier to find the high calories you are looking for at the local store. I quit smoking the first of this year so that I might be able to attempt a thru hike in 2016. What does smoking have to do with labeling the calories?

The link was a slideshow and smoking was the second slide.

Limited healthy choices unless you cook for yourself using fresh ingredients.

Ding ding ding! This is what more people need to do! It's the broken window effect of food! People need to take pride in what they eat!

There's a couple factors that makes it easier to be fat. 1) Most American cities- compared to European cities- are built and organized for car use. Makes it easy to drive instead of walk to the store, restaurant, and friend's house. 2) Americans work more! (Except for the group that doesn't work, but there are other factors why they might be overweight.) Less time at home means less time available to prepare homemade meals.

And there's probably more, but I can't think of those reason right now.

[Dogwood]

Mexico is now the fattest nation: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...attest-nation/

That article proves my point that obesity is still a huge problem in the U.S. We are STILL considered to be the #2 fattest nation!

[Slo-go'en]

Smoking rates are higher in many southern states which could account for some of it. It is surprising, however, that people engaged in very physical activities would smoke cigarettes. I can't imagine smoking and trying to hike 20 miles per day!

What is even more suprising is how many smokers finish the trail. It's not unusual to find a whole shelter full of thru hikers in Maine puffing away. I have a hypothesis as to why this is. One, thier mostly younger kids, the 20 something crowd and smoking hasn't caught up to them yet. Two, smokers tend to take more breaks during the day to light up. I know after I stopped smoking, I don't take nearly as many breaks during the day as I used to, since now I have nothing to do but to sit there.

When I see filter butts on the trail, I know I'm getting close to a road. These are primarly left by tourist day hikers who don't go more then a mile into the woods.

[bfayer]

What is even more suprising is how many smokers finish the trail. It's not unusual to find a whole shelter full of thru hikers in Maine puffing away. I have a hypothesis as to why this is. One, thier mostly younger kids, the 20 something crowd and smoking hasn't caught up to them yet. Two, smokers tend to take more breaks during the day to light up. I know after I stopped smoking, I don't take nearly as many breaks during the day as I used to, since now I have nothing to do but to sit there.

When I see filter butts on the trail, I know I'm getting close to a road. These are primarly left by tourist day hikers who don't go more then a mile into the woods.

I can't speak for Maine, but it's true in VA. It always amazes me how many thru hikers are smokers. Sometimes I think they out number the non smokers.

[Sierra2015]

... Gross.

Am I going to be surrounded by smokers while on the trail? Seriously?