Obesity...Food...Fiber

Today's news covers a road range of topics all under the "food and weight" sector.

Kellogs is adding fiber to its kid targetted cereals, namely Froot Loops and Apples Jacks, with other kid favorite selections to follow. By 2010 most of the kid line will have at least 3 grams of fiber/per serving. Fiber inclusion seems to be what consumers are demanding. Let me point out that 3 grams of fiber is pretty puny if you are only choosing cereal as your daily source of fiber. Certainly Bran Buds, Wheat Germ and other cereals are far better choices to even mix in with your favorite cereal in order to target more than 3 grams of fiber at breakfast. Another "boost the fiber option" is to add 1/2 cup of berries. Of course, you should also be choosing whole grain/high fiber breads at lunchtime, and whole grain side dishes for dinner. And no insult to Frito-Lay, but their recent effort to adress this consumer request, has resulted in a new campaign of SmartFood snacks, and it is really a camoflage approachto get you to somehow justify a poor snack choice - by adding in a small amount of fiber to the food. Snacks should taste good and be good for you and my "super snack" list would include nuts, fat free yogurt, small smoothies made with fresh fruit and soy milk, cut up vegetables and hummus or bean dip (if you crave a crunch) or fruit plus a small serving of low fat cheese - not chips with added fiber. Really.........

Wherever fast food is a "new option" (like in Bulgaria), consumers say that would rather add in exercise than give up the fast food delight. New "fast food love" is tough to abandon according to some new statistics. In the US people admitted to eating junk food when they are down, trying to exercise to compensate for bad eating/health habits, while fewer admit to "eating whatever they want." And how often do we weigh ourselves here in the US? In this study, on average, 5% weigh daily, 10% once every couple of days, 13% once a week, 7% whever they feel their clothes are getting tighter, 19% not at all.

Finally a new weight reduction surgery is coming to the US - and it is less invasive. Doctors will soon be able to pass a somewhat thick tube down your throat and position staples in the stomach, that will create a narrowed passage, slowing food transit and making you feel full faster, with less food. Candidates are showing marked weight loss outside the US with this new surgical approach, and test subjects in the US are also having weight loss success.