FDA’s Plan to Fix Rising Chronic Conditions in the United States
With rates of obesity slowly on the rise in the United States, the FDA wants to take action. Planning to cut obesity levels with a better definition of what is good for you, the FDA hopes these changes will help cut chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. How will this plan of action work? Will it create the type of results the FDA is looking for? Today, we will cover the regulation of food claims and how a change in the label will affect you.
What Is the FDA’s Job
The FDA is responsible for assuring that foods sold in the United States are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled. The FDA has laws in place to ensure everything a person might eat receives the proper test. No foods are pre-approved by the administration, and false claims are illegal. Among food and dietary supplements, there are three claim categories by FDA regulations: health claims, nutrient content claims, and structure/function claims. The administration does not have the pre-market approval of food products but can approve ingredients before they are in the food to make sure they are safe.
How to Fix Obesity in America
The FDA plans to discuss what they consider healthy foods and will create a new symbol to label them. The ideas of healthier foods have influenced coming from the Obama-era regulations. It includes updates and new regulations for health claims by food manufacturers. With this plan of action, the administration hopes to help improve the nutrition and diet of Americans. Scott Gottlieb, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, admits, “Traditionally, we’ve focused primarily on the nutrients contained in food in considering what is healthy. But people eat foods, not nutrients.” With this change in perspective, a lot of foods that were previously thought of as healthy will change, which can lead to better choices in food lifestyles.
New Label Creation
The administration also hopes to make it easier to spot the difference in healthier food options through new label creation. Alternative names for items, such as salt instead of potassium chloride help the consumer understand of what’s in their body. With new plans implemented, the administration hopes to fight against chronic conditions caused by product ignorance and labeling mishaps.