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A Taste of Salt Hurts America’s Health
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Public health advocates are calling on the nation’s top food regulatory agency to limit how much sodium goes into foods in restaurants and on grocery shelves.
30-Second Summary
The prevalence of obesity in America has prompted the Food and Drug Administration to look again at the role of salt in U.S. food.
Eating too much of this everyday condiment can contribute to weight and other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease.
The American Medical Association says Americans on average eat two or three times the recommended amount of salt, most of which comes from processed or restaurant-prepared foods.
Heart disease is the top cause of death for men and women, according to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2002, the last year for which figures were compiled, nearly 700,000 people died from cardiovascular disease in the United States.
Eating too much of this everyday condiment can contribute to weight and other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease.
The American Medical Association says Americans on average eat two or three times the recommended amount of salt, most of which comes from processed or restaurant-prepared foods.
Heart disease is the top cause of death for men and women, according to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2002, the last year for which figures were compiled, nearly 700,000 people died from cardiovascular disease in the United States.
Headline Links: 'FDA contemplating crackdown on salt'
The FDA, health experts and food industry weigh a government restriction on the amount of salt in foods.
Source: Los Angeles Times
The FDA, at a public hearing last week, was urged to enforce limits on the amount of salt in foods. Representatives from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which sued the FDA over sodium use nearly 30 years ago, spoke at the hearing.
Source: United Press International
January Payne of U.S. News and World Report offers tips, in light of the FDA hearing, for people who want to cut salt out of their diets.
Source: U.S. News and World Report
Background: The FDA and the AMA
The FDA published a meeting notice in the Federal Register. Scroll down to “Supplementary Information” to read more background on salt in our diets.
Source: The Federal Register
After Dec. 30, a transcript of the Nov. 30 FDA hearing will be available at the Federal Register Web site.
Source: The Federal Register
Last year, the American Medical Association asked the FDA to stop looking at salt as something that’s “generally recognized as safe” and start regulating how much can be in processed or restaurant-prepared foods.
Source: The American Medical Association
Reference Material: Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease can weaken the heart and harden arteries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a site on the condition, with links explaining its causes, the risk factors, the warning signs and symptoms.
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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