We need a nanny to pester us about our nutrient-poor diets

We need a nanny to pester us about our nutrient-poor diets


BY SUZANNE HAVALA HOBBS - CORRESPONDENT
Tags: food_cooking | lifestyle | on the table

Does America need a diet super-nanny?

Yes, but those who need the most help may not know it ... or care. In fact, some are downright hostile at what they perceive as diet police dictating what they should and should not eat.

A good illustration of this is Jamie Oliver's new television show, "Food Revolution." The premise: A British celebrity chef sets up shop in the West Virginia town of Huntington, where his goal is to transform the eating style of people in the "most unhealthy town in America."

If you haven't seen the opening episodes of this new food reality show, get caught up by visiting Jamie Oliver's Web site at www.jamieoliver.com.

I don't want to spoil any surprises, so let's just say that Oliver's initial experiences with the Americans he hopes to help have been disappointing.

In addition to a radio show host who doesn't care about good nutrition, Oliver also meets schoolchildren with appallingly low food IQs. Even more troubling are the kids' abilities to ignore what they see and hear about what goes into processed foods.

In other words, even though they know it's trash, they still want to eat it. But see for yourself.

Pesky but right

We grown-ups may not want nannies, but we've had super-nannies to thank for many advances in public health.

Think air bags.

The automobile industry fought the use of air bags in cars for years. Now manufacturers brag about air bags that can be deployed from every nook and cranny of their vehicles, surrounding you in clouds of safety on impact.

Would you ever again want a car without air bags?

We got air bags because Ralph Nader - one of the original super-nannies - made a pest of himself for years.

The diet super-nannies have been around for decades, too. We're getting more notice today because we're on the cusp of an overhaul of the nation's kitchens.

With the passage of health reform is coming a national menu labeling policy that will require chain restaurants to provide calorie information on menus and menu boards around the country.

Once the Food and Drug Administration drafts an implementation plan for the new policy, we'll all be better able to make informed choices at the point of purchase when we eat out.

Restaurants run with it

Restaurants are already getting with the program. You may have seen the television commercial that Applebee's is running, touting their new "Under 550 Calories" menus.

At the same time, Congress has reauthorized child nutrition programs and with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 has set in motion a series of new policies aimed at improving federal nutrition programs including the national school lunch program and the federal food assistance program for women and children.

Once implemented, the legislation will, among other things, authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish stronger nutrition standards for all foods sold on school campuses throughout the school day, provide funds for local produce to be served in schools as part of the Farm-to-School Program, and provide funding for school gardens.

These changes are long overdue and urgently needed.

Thank the diet super-nannies.
Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical associate professor at UNC. Send questions and comments to suzanne@onthetable.net.