Comments on: “First lady, Wal-Mart reach pact on nutrition”

By: William Nuesslein

William Nuesslein — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:54:59 +0000

By the 1960’s it was clear that smoking was deleterious to health and people speculated about the effects of nicotine and tar in cigarettes, and the levels of nicotine and tars was disclosed and varied from brand to brand. In particular there was a market for “low nicotine” cigarettes. It happened that people who smoke need nicotine and they smoked more low nicotine cigarettes to get a sufficient dose.

I was sick recently and switch from regular milk (4% milk fat) to low fat milk (1%). Not supprisingly I found myself drinking more of the later. I’ve switched back to the regular milk.

I have no problem with tinkering with our food supply for public health reasons – fortifying bread and adding Iodine to salt come to mind. But the science backing Mayor Bloomberg and Mrs. Obama is dubious at best.

By: JWB

JWB — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:57:19 +0000

I love that they added a smiley-face to their creepy rifle-scope graphic.

By: Amy Alkon

Amy Alkon — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:55:33 +0000

One huge problem? The government is largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. The first food pyramid was written by an aide to George McGovern with zero science experience (per Gary Taubes’ “Good Calories, Bad Calories”). Also per Taubes, and contrary to the government-promoted notion that you should eat a high carb/low-fat diet, it is carbohydrates that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat.

Walmart will no doubt leave those health stickers off the food that actually is healthy for you, steak, bacon, full-fat salad dressing, butter, etc. If you don’t eat carbohydrates, or many carbohydrates, you will be slim and healthy eating those foods (and buttered green vegetables).

By: Bob Lipton

Bob Lipton — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:54:38 +0000

I happen to think that the First Lady jawboning issues is fine.

Bob