FDA Eyes Portion Sizes on Food Labels

02/10/2010

Consumers who want to avoid serious medical problems and save money on their health insurance and other related costs can get started by trying to exercise more and by following a healthier diet.

People who set out to make their diets healthier often find it useful to read food labels while grocery shopping to make sure they are buying products that are not too high in sodium, fat, calories or unwanted additives.

However, many food and beverage companies have tested consumers and their watchfulness over the years by understating the portion size of their products. One commonly cited example is a can of soda that a manufacturer claims consists of two servings, which allows the producer to list lower numbers for calories and other things. Other examples can be found on bags of chips or other snack products.

With that in mind, a recent New York Times report says that the Food and Drug Administration is now considering steps to encourage manufacturers to make the serving sizes they list more realistic.

Another part of this effort would include putting nutritional information on the front of packages.
Since obesity is a major contributor to diabetes and heart disease, both of which significantly shorten life spans and result in higher health insurance costs, any such progress in this area may be welcomed by consumers interested in adopting new habits.

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