What is Food Stuff and Why is it Unhealthy?
From a recent report from Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), they calculated 70% of food and beverage products offered by major brands by companies like Kellogg, General Mills, Unilever, Kraft Heinz and Nestle to U.S consumers are less healthy options with higher levels of added sugar, salt, and fat and not enough fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber. What is Food Stuff? – It’s a substance with food value specifically: the raw material of food before or after processing.
Anna D. Sinaiko, Ph.D. of the TH Chan School of Public Health and Gallup found in their research that about 28% of Americans are getting close to fulfilling all of the foods recommended in the US Dietary Guidelines.
Even fewer eat the recommended amounts of things like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. For decades now diet-related diseases, including obesity and diabetes have increased.
Many Products by the Largest Food Companies are Considered Unhealthy
Americans have been told to eat better. The problem is there’s a big mismatch between the foods we’re told we should eat and the foods that are most abundant and affordable on store shelves. It’s interesting to note Over 80% of all persons of the entire U.S. population consume a diet that is not on par with recommendations.
Researchers at ATNI analyzed about 11,000 and 70% failed to meet a healthy threshold. ATNI’s Executive Director Greg Garrett says that many companies have pledged to make changes, but so far he sees little progress.
After working with these companies for four years, Garrett indicated that they’re not any healthier than they were.
The pandemic shined a spotlight on the impact of diet-related disease. People with diabetes and heart disease were more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID.
Now with increased awareness, Garrett says more investors are interested and putting their money into companies that strive to do better.
We’re going to work with our 80 or so investor signatories over the coming years we hope to see the chief executives of these companies in the boardrooms enact change.
How will this happen?
Institutional investors can push for a range of strategies. For instance, linking executives compensation to the launch and sales of healthy products.
Will this work? Yes, we all know that what is good for executive compensation is good for the company.
This is a way to prioritize marketing and providing healthy options.
Resources:
Download the Executive Summary – The US Index is a benchmark comparing the commitments and performance of the eleven largest food manufacturers active in the US to deliver healthy, affordable food and beverages enabling consumers to reach healthier diets and to prevent hunger.
Listen Here – Based on the report from NPR’s Allison Aubrey on Unhealthy Food Stuff – Allison Aubrey is a Washington-based correspondent for NPR News, where her stories can be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She has reported extensively on the coronavirus pandemic since it began, providing near-daily coverage of new developments and effects. She’s also a contributor to the PBS NewsHour and is one of the hosts of NPR’s Life Kit.
Click here for the Foodrive article – Why the food industry is the cause and the cure of unhealthy diets | Food Dive
