April 30, 2017 — What does it mean when a food label says the product is healthy? For the last six months, more than a thousand public comments have poured into FDA. Two answers rise to the top. Health claims on a food label seem to be good for a bump in sales and for confusing consumers. Peculiar Advice […]
April 29, 2017 — Making progress in obesity care continues to be a slow and steady business. Nearly 100 million Americans have this complex chronic disease. But it’s so stigmatized that most people don’t really want to think about it – let alone seek care. But progress continues, with a steady climb on all fronts. News from Novo Nordisk – now […]
April 8, 2017 — Here’s a news flash you don’t see every day. Industry says FDA should slow down. Usually drug and medical device companies are complaining that the agency doesn’t move fast enough. Food companies now are saying that FDA shouldn’t move so fast on requiring new and improved nutrition labels on food products. FDA Commissioner Nominee “Delighted” to Consider Slowing […]
April 5, 2017 — A remarkable collaboration is taking shape to set a higher bar for the quality and safety of dietary supplements. This week in Washington the Dietary Supplement Quality Collaborative (DSQC) brought together people from the supplement industry with consumer advocates, health professionals, and scientific organizations. This group has been taking shape over the last year. The shared […]
February 17, 2017 — It’s a perfect narrative. A brave entrepreneur making healthy snack bars is putting his money on the line to bring us truth in nutrition. Daniel Lubetzky, founder and owner of Kind Bars LLC, announced Tuesday that he is funding the creation of a new nonprofit. He will call it Feed the Truth. And thus, Little […]
January 31, 2017 — Dietary supplements live in a unique regulatory space. That space lies somewhere between food and drugs. Sometimes that’s just fine. Vitamins and minerals that your body really needs can be well-regulated for purity and safety. But therapeutic agents also squeeze into this space. For example, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements advertise benefits like “joint mobility.” People with […]
January 1, 2017 — The new year brings new expectations. Sure, we always have new diet, nutrition, and weight loss fashions. But, in thinking about obesity and health, we can also expect some more substantive changes. Here’s our top ten for 2017. 1. More “Less Added Sugar.” Already, the pressure to avoid sugar was on. Now, new labeling for added sugar will dial […]
December 22, 2016 — Have you noticed that lots of milk doesn’t come from mammary glands these days? Eager to tap into consumer fancies, innovators are offering up just about any kind of plant-based milk you can imagine. Almond, soy, flax, rice, hazelnut, hemp, quinoa, and cashew milk are some of the options. For rose milk, you still have […]
October 31, 2016 — Over the last four years, four new obesity meds gained approval and only one lived up to expectations in the marketplace – the Saxenda brand of liraglutide 3 mg from Novo Nordisk. The company reported quarterly results last week. Saxenda sales, growing impressively, are on track to surpass $200 million for the year. Net profit for […]
October 20, 2016 — To understand the potential for harm from herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) for weight loss, consider this observation recently published in Hepatology: HDS-induced liver injury now accounts for 20% of cases of hepatotoxicity in the United States based on research data. The major implicated agents include anabolic steroids, green tea extract, and multi-ingredient nutritional supplements (MINS). This observation […]
