The Age of Nutritionism

National Academy of Sciences: Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer Report

- Prominent health report that framed food as nutrients rather than food itself, helping catalyze nutritionism

Nutritionism

(1). Food as the Sum of Nutritional Parts - Duality between healthy and unhealthy nutrients, which are the ultimate/sole dictators of our health - The measure of nutrients overtakes food quality (no difference between processed vs. whole foods as long as they have the "right" nutrients) - Nutrient quantity (rather than quality) is synonymous with health and is a risk factor for overeating - Linear assumption that eating "good" nutrients equate to immediate health (2). Ideological (beliefs vs. facts) - Macro/micro-nutrient "wars" (carbs vs. proteins...etc.) - Trends in "good" vs. "bad" can wrongfully antagonize (all fat as unhealthy vs. unsaturated fat as healthy) -Science/health/government institutions as "gods" /or "messenger" that guide consumer choice ***(we cannot see the good or bad nutrients in food...only science can see them...therefore we hand over power to them to determine what to eat rather than following the centuries of traditional eating rules that have maintained human health)***

Nutritionism and the Consumer Psyche

(1). Less consumer empowerment and initiative - "eat less messages:" vague guidance on healthy eating - anxiety surrounding what nutrients are healthy / what to avoid...etc. (nutritionism as ideological...OPINIONS that have some but not all scientific grounding) (2). Health "God" - you have to rely on science and institution on what to eat... - when they are wrong...they are WRONG (3). No More "Eat Less" Messages -Permission to eat more because of perceived health / less guilt - Overeating is aided by cheapness/affordability of these processed "health" foods)

Low-Fat Diets

(1). Low-fat Diets: - Only trans-fat pose a high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) - Fat ratios are all that matter...balancing well with (not so good) fats - The statistic that low-fat diets reduce heart disease mortality is misleading (# of cases are still about the same but better health care leads to fewer deaths) (2). Consequences I: Carbs - Replacing fat with carbs (esp. processed) leads to weight gain (from overeating) and diabetes - Even in low-fat diets, a same relative amount of fat is eaten previously...the only "change" is no additional intake of fat (3). Consequences II: Good Fats - In general, fats are essential to bodily function - OM3: reduces CHD / boosts mortality - Polyunsaturated fats: good cholesterol (4). Consequences III: Bad Fats - low-fat diet trend was during the era of trans-fat - the fear of saturated fat meant more people ate unsaturated vegetable oils...which when hydrogenated incorrectly (or eaten as margarine) turns into trans-fat

(1977) Dietary Goals for the United States - An Evolution

(1). McGovern Report - Lipid Hypothesis -> specific "eat less" messages (2). Industry Intervention - no more "eat less" messages // more industry-friendly wording such as "choose" or "reduce" to increase profit - Shift from "food" to "nutrients" advice (ex: eat less saturated fat vs. eat less red meat) - Lead to less consumer empowerment and initiative due to ambiguity to what and what not to eat (what has saturated fat?...how can consumers tell?) (3). Ramifications - The basis of nutritionism since health was defined through healthy and unhealthy nutrients... rather than the whole food itself (saturated fat, cholesterol alone are not what causes disease but rather the whole product

Food Manufacturers and Nutritionsm

(1). Nutritionism bandwagon - (1970s): the golden age thanks to US Dietary Goals + NAS report - Will alter food by adding the currently trending nutrient to boost sale (meeting consumer demand) - things can go bad... (ex: margarine -> solidified vegetable oil through hydrogenation makes trans fat...which is VERY bad) (2). Large corporations can pay researchers to find benefits of a given nutrient in their product (ex: antioxidants in chocolate) - a reason to market - Often bias research (3). Health Halo/Advertisement - The overstating of one (often minor) health benefit - You can advertise nutritionism through processed foods and their packaging... WHOLE FOODS DO NOT GET THAT LUXURY - You can also advertise health institutions that "sign-off" on your product (ex: American Heart Association seal) - Retooling: changing previously unhealthy foods into "healthier" (less unhealthy) options (***when junk food becomes health food***) - food engineering -> ability to make more and more novel foods that also meet consumer/institutional nutritionism demands (4). Lobbying for no more "eat less" messages -> more profit and ability to sell ______________________________________________________________________________ (5). Conclusion: Food Manufacturers LOVE nutritionism because it gives them more possibilities for selling processed foods. - There is always a trend to meet - The "Two Hit": you can engineer novelty into food (to counteract dietary boredom) while also selling "health" within the same product

1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

(1). Original Law: imitation foods must be labeled explicitly as such in its marketing/packaging (2). 1970s: Imitation lowered desirability of product so the law was overturned - Product can be "imitation" but must not be nutritionally inferior - Intended to promote unsaturated, vegetable oils instead of saturated fat

Food Nutrient "Singularity" / Maximizing Health

(1). Reductionist Science: - Locating the one good and the one bad is a faulty and impossible pursuit in the context of reductionist science - All correlative data...not causal - Infinite possibilities to what is healthy and unhealthy (2). What really constitutes health - One good or bad nutrient does not make or break your health...rather its the combination of whole foods (ex: saturated fat alone does not cause CHD) - Lifestyle/demographic factors (age, genetics, activity levels) also interplay with diet since it directly relates to metabolism - Socioeconomic factors: (ex: poorer people are more vulnerable to diet-related diseases due to a lack of access)

Nutritionism as Reductionist Science

(1). Reductionist Science: - Studying variables through isolation (2). RS in Food: - whole foods behave differently than isolated nutrients - avoids inter-nutrient interactions of a food and how this sum functioning then goes on to interact with the body - metabolism of whole foods (the chemical mechanism) is much different than metabolizing one isolated nutrient - analogy: HFCS vs. Corn || Poppy Seeds vs. Opiates (3). Examples - (ex): antioxidants are carcinogenic when eaten in isolation...they only protect against cancer when eaten in whole fruits and vegetables - (ex): combinations of foods (such as olive oil and tomatoes) are what give some cuisines their characteristic healthiness (not just one or another eaten in isolated)

Zero-Sum Relationship

(1). Research focuses on what nutrient causes disease rather than what nutrient prevents disease (2). Heavy focus on avoiding bad nutrients leaves means neglecting the good nutrients [Avoiding bad nutrients (good) + Neglecting good nutrients (bad) = zero net health gain]

The McGovern Report (Senate Select Committee on Nutrition)

- (1968): Report focused on the correlative data between red meat/dairy consumption with coronary heart disease - Sought out "eat less" messages as a solution

The Birth of "Vitamin Science"

- (early 20th century) Advancements in the discovery, isolation, and synthesis of micronutrients to initially cure nutritional deficiencies - translated into a middle-class commodity to support already health bodies

Lipid Hypothesis

- The belief that fat/cholesterol high diets are responsible for chronic disease - "Lipophobia"

Nutritionism and GMO

- The use of GMO to meet nutrition trends - (ex): Breeding low-fat cows to compete with innately lean meats - (ex:) GMO pasta and bread to have less carbs to fit the Atkins Diet - Whole foods are less able to be GMO to meet these diet fades...so they cannot compete with processed foods

Orthorexia

DEF: an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating - Nutritionism perpetuates constant anxiety surrounding the most basic of food and health choices - Food choices are built more on guilt than on enjoyment or enjoyment (and even such...people STILL do not make the right health decisions) - Ideology overtakes cultural / "primal" knowledge of food - "Scientific Eating": mindless eating for the sake of nutrition (duality between good and bad nutrients) rather than for enjoyment, pleasure, socialization...etc.

Macronutrients

The types of protein, fat, and carbohydrates

Micronutrients

Vitamins and minerals