Tiara Channer, a 15-year-old from Hendersonville, North Carolina, was diagnosed with prediabetes at age 13. The condition, prevalent among 1 in 5 American children, raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular issues. Tiara and her mother, Crystal Cauley, attributed her diagnosis to a poor diet. After experiencing symptoms like tingling sensations, Tiara decided to overhaul her lifestyle, switching from ultra-processed foods to healthier options and becoming more physically active. This change helped her lose 50 pounds and reverse her prediabetes diagnosis.
However, navigating the world of nutrition proved challenging for Tiara. She found it difficult to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy foods, a common issue as ultra-processed foods dominate the U.S. diet, making up more than half of the average adult’s consumption and two-thirds of children's diets.
Lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, criticize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for not adequately protecting consumers from the health risks associated with ultra-processed foods. Sanders advocates for stricter FDA oversight of the nation’s food supply, pointing out that the U.S. allows about 10,000 food additives compared to the European Union's 411.
The FDA’s GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) designation, created in 1958 to exempt common ingredients like vinegar from review, has become a loophole for companies to introduce new additives without FDA scrutiny. The Environmental Working Group found that 99% of food chemicals introduced between 2000 and 2021 bypassed FDA oversight using this designation.
Efforts to address these issues are underway, including the Childhood Obesity Reduction Act of 2024, co-sponsored by Sanders and several Democratic senators. The bill seeks to expand research on nutrition science and the safety of food additives. Sanders emphasizes the growing recognition of the dangers posed by processed foods and the movement to combat their influence on public health.
Link: CBSNews
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