Kansans and Friends In Weight Loss

What’s Your Supplement Knowledge.Take the test.

25 07 2007

I Found this little quiz on the FTC’s website in their section about supplements. I missed one but considering I have been going to college I shouldn’t have missed any.

Take the following quiz to find out where you stack up.

If you want graded so to speak comment and leave me your answers. I have the master grading scale. I would provide the answers at the bottom like they do with the kiddy meals at restaurants and other things like cereal boxes and stuff, but I want you to really think about the answers and maybe seek out the knowledge yourself. There is empowerment in learning for yourself especially when it comes to your health.

Test Your Supplement Savvy

Advertised throughout the media, displayed in grocery stores and pharmacies, and promoted widely on the Internet, dietary supplements look like just another consumer product on the shelf. But are they? Take this quiz to find out how much you know about using dietary supplements safely.

A supplement labeled “natural” means that it also is:
1. mild
2. without any risk of side effects
3. safe to use with other medications
4. none of the above
Since dietary supplements are so easily available — and don’t require a doctor’s prescription — they are much safer than drug products and can be used to self-treat illnesses without a health professional’s advice or supervision.

True or False
Testimonials in dietary supplement promotions give a good idea of the supplement’s benefits and safety because they’re based on firsthand accounts.

True or False
Many supplements have proven health benefits.

True or False
Before you start taking a dietary supplement, talk it over with a knowledgeable person like:
1. your doctor or health professional
2. your pharmacist
3. a supplement salesperson
4. a friend who takes them

ANA Acts: Touts Decline In Food Ads, Pledges Support Of Healthier Fare

19 07 2007

by Wayne Friedman, Thursday, Jul 19, 2007 8:00 AM ET

LOOKING TO HEAD OFF POSSIBLE TV advertising legislation, the Association of National Advertisers has offered research showing marketers have voluntarily cut back on unhealthy food advertising to kids in recent years.

The ANA and the Grocery Manufacturers Association/Food Products Association said there was an 8.5% decrease in food advertising targeted to kids 2-11 between 2004 and 2006. In the nine previous years–1993 through 2004–the ANA says there was a 13.5% decrease of food advertising targeted to this demo.

Overall, the ANA computes there has been a 22% decline in food, beverage and restaurant ads seen on TV by the average child during the past 12 years.

The ANA says this finding helps bolster the FTC recommendations issued in May 2006, which included pushing for the introduction of 10,000 new healthy food products, representing approximately $250 billion in annual U.S. food and beverage industry sales.

This shift is part of a voluntary pledge by 11 major food companies–which represent more than two-thirds of children’s food TV advertising–to devote at least half their advertising to healthier foods.

Those companies include General Mills, Campbell Soup Co., Kellogg, Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, Mars/Masterfoods, Hershey Foods, Unilever and Cadbury Adams. But not–so far–companies like Burger King, ConAgra, Nestle and Chuck E. Cheese.

Advertisers also said they would refrain from using license entertainment characters in these advertisements that encourage–or sometimes confuse–young children.

In addition, the Ad Council and a broad range of marketers, media companies, nonprofits, foundations and government agencies will form the Coalition for Healthy Children.

Some $350 million in donated media time will be used to push a campaign touting physical activity, better food choices and smaller food portions. In February, the Ad Council launched a new round of PSAs featuring “Shrek” characters that urge children to get more exercise.

Some government officials have said the growing concern of children’s obesity could force legislation to limit or eliminate food TV advertising targeted to kids under 12.

Junk Food Marketing and the Kansan Connection

18 07 2007

For those of you who have been following my blog here you know I have been reporting on the battle to reform the media’s influence on childhood obesity. Today was the day that the joint commission of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human services sat down at a workshop to reveal a report on how the 57 programs studied by the Associated Press have been reformed.

To give you some background I started following this story back in April of this year when there was talk about the FCC needing to get involved in regulation of all advertising practices geared toward kids and junk food marketing. In May of this year there was some buzz on Capital Hill about limiting the amount of junk food advertising toward children. Ed Markey(D-Mass.) has been the one at the forefront in pushing the FCC to get involved.

According to a June 4th article the FTC says that there are 9% fewer ad’s-5,538 in 2004 down from 6,100 in 1977. To me,while this may seem to be a significant decrease to some we still have a long way to go. The Kaiser Family Foundation 2005 study released in March showed a number double of what the FTC study showed.

95% of todays current advertising is pitching fast foods and restaurants,high sugar-cereal,desserts,sweets,snacks,and sweetened drinks.

Going back to the Associated Press report they feel that of the 57 programs currently being funded that encourage healthy eating habits among young kids the $1 billion to fund these programs is being wasted.

The government task force report was due out this month,but now has been pushed back to September. Food industry lobbyists are the ones responsible for influencing the delay of the report.

Also it is worth mentioning that the task force which was initiated by our own state Senator Sam Brownback was not meant to be a finger pointing mechanism but rather a tool to join hands against the fight against childhood obesity.

Now with that being said I traditionally do not vote republican when I go to the polls. I come from a democratic household and thus vote democrat when I feel we have a candidate worth voting for. However, I have applauded Senator Brownback for taking the initiative to get a movement any kind of movement going in an effort to focus on prevention so that we don’t have to spend money into treatment of obesity down the road.

One thing too is that I fail to see why the junk food marketers tend to target a population that is such a vulnerable market? These are the formative years when a child’s mind is still learning and growing. We should be instilling in them healthy eating and living habits instead of habits that will create problems that we have to pick up the tab for until they turn 18 and can go find their own insurance and pay their own bills.

In Kansas their was a study done around the early part of this decade that found that the state was spending well over $300 million in obesity related expenses from the medicare/medicaid budget. That is money that could have been used to expand the food stamp program so that recipients could maybe get more. A family of two like myself and my son are actually allowed just over $200 a month, but we get $157 a month.

Ok so now I am rambling on a bit I tend to do that when I get on a subject I am passionate about. I did an extensive amount of research last semester into the state food stamp program for a project I had to do for a class and what I learned I could use for content on this blog for many many weeks and months to come.

Additional Source not linked to: Media Post Publications