October 16, 2023 • 32 mins
Are you ready to join us on a critical exploration of children's health as we uncover crucial insights about the alarming increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among children? This episode promises to raise your awareness about the insidious link between ultra-processed food in our diets and the worrisome rates of depression and addiction, particularly in the younger generation. We'll also highlight the bold actions taken by California to ban certain food additives and how this global move is shaking up the food industry, with a special spotlight on Nestle's breakfast innovations.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Phil (00:05):
Welcome to the Lempert Report LIVE.
On today's episode, Why theincidence of liver disease in
children is on the rise.
The link betweenultra-processed foods and
depression.
California becomes the firststate to ban food additives,
will other ones follow?
On Food Not Phones, What's theimpact of eating by yourself?
(00:26):
And on the Bullseye, what'sgoing on with breakfast and how
Nestle is getting involved?
Let's get started.
So Sally.
This new report has come outthat more pediatricians are
seeing kids with fat diseaseglobs of fat cells in their
(00:50):
liver concentrations thatshouldn't be there.
In fact, what they find ismillions are affected.
Researchers in the journalClinical Liver Disease estimate
that 5 to 10 percent of all USchildren have non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease, making itabout as common as asthma is.
And if we look at the data from2017 to 2021, it shows a large
(01:16):
jump in the incidence ofnon-alcoholic fatty liver
disease across all ages of thenation.
But the steepest increase byfar is in our children.
For kids up to age 17, the rateof diagnosis more than doubled.
What that means is a millionhospitalizations.
Mostly adults are being treatedin emergency rooms or admitted
(01:42):
in 2020.
And liver transplants havelikewise grown among adolescents
and young adults 25 percentincreased during the past decade
in kids 11 to 17.
And transplants for youngadults 18 to 34 more than
doubled.
What is going on here?
Sally (02:04):
This is a very serious topic, and while this is
something that historically, wesaw as something liver disease
primarily occurred in someonewho consumes alcohol, it
primarily occurred in men nowshowing up in children
non-alcohol related, obviously,and not necessarily related to
(02:28):
body mass index.
Although weight obesity can bea contributor to this, the
science is showing that it's notalways the connection.
In fact, they're finding thatmany children who have liver
disease have a lower body massindex, and you mentioned that
the transplant rate has gone up.
Also, the life expectancy inthe United States has been on
(02:52):
decline and it's now hitting76.4, which is the lowest that
it has been in decades.
So there's something happeningwhen we are young that is
staying with us as we grow oldand affecting our health and our
life expectancy.
Some of the things that arebeing pointed at is our modern
lifestyle.
We've talked a lot about how weare very connected to the
(03:17):
internet and our screens andpossibly not exercising as much
as we can.
The body, the liver, functionsin a way that we need to sweat,
exercise and sweat and get outthose toxins, and if we're not
doing that, then the liver isnot able to perform the job that
it is there for.
So that could be part of thereason.
(03:39):
We're also looking at a lot ofultra process food intake and
the story here is talking a lot,particularly since the 1980s,
when ultra process foods weren'tas common, weren't as a bigger
part of our diet.
Now they make up more than 67%and these foods are causing
(04:03):
hormonal changes and otherinterruptions in our body.
So there are several differentthings that researchers are
looking here to understand whywe are seeing this happen in
children, but it is definitelysomething that we clearly need
to pay attention to.
Phil (04:22):
And also what they've talked about in this study is
that in the 1980s and 1990s, asyou pointed out, and not only
did we have a rise in ultraprocess foods, but we also had
the anti-fat craze that reallyprompted more artificial
substitutes, created in,according to the study,
(04:46):
industrial labs and partiallydigested before people eat them.
Their use altered how food isdealt with in large intestine
and a few studies suggestpotentially failing to trigger
bacteria that lives thereMicrobiomes we've talked a lot
about that, how essential theyare to health and, frankly,
(05:10):
until we can go back and peoplelike Michael Holland and Mary
and Nestle for years have talkedabout our diets and how we
really have to be smart aboutwhat we're eating and moving
away from ultra processed foodsand more into natural foods,
more into products that don'thave 20 ingredients in them but
(05:31):
have maybe one ingredient or twoingredients.
And also what's probably themost disturbing to me about this
study is that they found thatmaternal obesity and the high
consumption of diet soda andjunk foods have been associated
with the development of fattyliver in kids.
(05:53):
So this is a problem that istaking place in the embryo, not
just when kids are eating bythemselves, and the study also
talks about the fact thatthere's now been changes in
infant formula that use asweetening agent that's
different from the naturallactose that's found in cow's
(06:15):
milk and that replacement iscorn syrup solids and, as a
result, that is creating evenmore of a problem.
Sally (06:28):
Yes, as young as being in your mother's womb is when you
can now start developing a liverproblem or other non
communicable diseases, which areup across the board in young
people.
But, yes, as you mentioned,we're talking about infant
formula.
We're talking about transitionmilks.
When an infant moves on tobecome a toddler and starts
(06:52):
drinking more milk from a bottleor a sippy cup, there are
transition products, and thoseproducts are also very high
sometimes in these sweeteners.
And so, yes, we need to look atthese foods that the food
industry is giving us and weneed to really think about how
we can make these better forpeople.
Phil (07:14):
And talking about ultra process foods, there's another
study that came out that foundthe one in seven adults and one
in eight kids may be hooked onultra processed foods as an
addiction.
What they're saying is ultraprocessed foods, including ice
cream, carbonated drinks, readyto eat meals All of these have
(07:40):
an increase in cancer, weightgain and heart disease, and it
now makes up more than half theaverage diet both here in the US
and in the UK, and what it cando is give us some behavioral
challenges intense cravingsymptoms of withdrawal, less
(08:02):
control over intake, continueduse, despite some consequences,
such as obesity, binge order,poor physical and mental health
and the lower quality of life.
This report looked at 281studies from 36 different
countries.
It's a very robust study andthey found that ultra processed
(08:27):
food addiction occurs in 14% ofadults and 12% in kids, and
that's just right now.
Sally (08:40):
That is very concerning and, as we're talking we are
talking a lot about ultraprocessed foods today and we'll
continue after this story andthe link to so many health
problems that are occurring toAmericans, as we just talked
about the liver disease andother non-communicable diseases,
but then also we are looking atdamage to our mental well-being
(09:04):
and in this case we are lookingat foods that are highly likely
to cause addiction, addictivebehaviors.
So this is important to thinkabout when we're shopping and
what we fill our carts up withand what we take up and we fill
our fridge and our pantry upwith, that.
(09:25):
The more we indulge and eatthese foods, the more likely we
are to become addicted to them.
Phil (09:33):
And when we look at addiction, one form of addiction
is also depression, and yetanother study came out that
found that there's anassociation between the
consumption of these ultraprocessed foods with about 50%
higher risk for those consumingnine portions a day or more,
(09:54):
compared to those consuming fourportions a day of ultra
processed foods.
And when you think about ultraprocessed foods, it's a much
bigger list than what you mightbe thinking about.
These includes pre-packagedsoups, sauces, frozen pizza,
ready-to-eat meals, hot dogs,sausages, french fries, sodas,
(10:16):
store-bought cookies, cakes,candies, donuts, ice cream, and
the list goes on and on.
And certainly anything that'sincluding artificial sweeteners
is part of that list as well.
And when we look at the numbersand the situation when it comes
to depression, what theseresearchers found is that when
(10:38):
you're depressed, you eat moreultra processed foods.
When you eat more ultraprocessed foods, you become more
depressed.
So it's like a no-win situation.
And just to put in the rightperspective, if somebody is on a
2,000 calorie diet a day andyou go to McDonald's, you order
(10:59):
a small order of fries and aregular cheeseburger that
contains a total of 530 calories.
And basically what they'resaying is, if you consume more
than 400 calories from ultraprocessed foods, you have a risk
20% risk of dementia and sorry,not a 20, that there's just a
(11:24):
link to dementia If more than20% of your calories come from
ultra processed foods.
There's, as we talked about,the microbiome, the biggest
study, the nurses health study32,000 middle-aged women looking
at their diets found the exactsame thing.
(11:46):
So when we look at these ultraprocessed foods and what's going
on and there was a great bookout a few years ago called Sugar
, salt and Fat and it reallytalked about how these companies
were heading down this path andwhat these companies needed to
do to stop this before it got tothis point but we're here- yes,
(12:13):
we are, and I'm really gladthat you listed all those
different types of ultraprocessed foods, because I don't
think shoppers always know thatsome of the foods that they are
buying are on that list andcontain those ingredients that
they should be mindful about andconsume in moderation.
Sally (12:34):
We've seen a lot of studies linking diet sodas and
other diet drinks the artificialsweet nurse that we put in our
coffee and tea.
We've seen a lot of studiesthat link that towards
depression and, as you mentioned, it's a vicious cycle.
If ultra processed foods andartificial sweet nurse are
(12:56):
contributing to us becomingdepressed, then they're also the
foods and the beverages that wewant when we are depressed.
So it's a vicious cycle thereand something that we should all
be thinking about as we maybewe want to shop more that
produce section in the outer,the perimeter of the store,
(13:19):
rather than the thinner aisle,so much.
Phil (13:22):
Absolutely, and I think for me, one of the most
important things about thisstudy and you just mentioned it
again is this balance betweenhaving ultra processed foods and
getting depressed.
Getting depressed, you eat moreultra processed foods.
It's almost like an alcoholicwho has to have that drink and
(13:45):
gets more depressed so that theydrink more as a result of it.
So it's really something thatwe need to take control of, and
the good news is, here inCalifornia, governor Newsom is
trying to do something that noother state has done.
It's been done in Europe, butbasically he's prohibiting the
(14:08):
sale of foods that contain fourchemicals that are found in
ultra-processed foods cereals,candy, soft drinks, brominated
vegetable oil, potassium bromide, propylparaben and red dye
number three.
And these are already banned inEurope because of the research
(14:32):
that they've been doing foryears, like you know, to cancer,
reproductive issues and otherhealth problems.
Also, new York has a similarbill that's going through the
legislature right now and, totheir credit, there are certain
companies who have alreadyeliminated them Coke, Pepsi,
(14:53):
gatorade, panera.
They have voluntarily stoppedusing these because of it, but
there's still products out there.
Like you know, peeps, we'regetting up to Easter time in a
few months from now.
So all those little brightlycolored peeps, well, guess what?
They have red dye, number threein them to make pink and purple
(15:16):
marshmallow peeps.
And you know, we really needother states to follow.
And I think what's sointeresting because California
is so big, as is New York thisis going to force companies to
reformulate, and that's all thatthey're looking for.
They're not looking to takepeeps off the market, off the
(15:38):
shelf nobody has to get nervousabout that but just to
reformulate to get rid of thesefour ingredients.
And if it happens in California, and if it happens in
California and New York, guesswhat?
The other 48 states?
They're not going to have themeither, because these companies,
you know, can't have twovarieties and, by the way, these
(16:00):
companies are already sellingtheir foods without them in
Europe.
So this is not a big stretch andI give Newsom so much credit
for doing it.
He's coming under a lot ofcriticism from a lot of trade
groups, which you know.
I think that they should taketheir lobbying money and put it
to better use to try to getpeople eat healthier.
(16:23):
And also, the environmentalworking group estimates that
there's about 12,000 products inour supermarkets.
The average supermarket hasabout 40,000 products, so almost
25% of the products that are ina store have these four
ingredients.
So hopefully we're on a goodrole here in California.
Sally (16:47):
Yes, and it comes just in time for Halloween as well.
We're thinking about all thatcandy that we're getting, and
there were a lot of headlinesrecently that we're Skittles are
gonna be banned in California.
And Skittles are not beingbanned in California.
They will be allowed to sellSkittles.
They just have to sell the goodformula and not the formula
(17:08):
that is harmful to our bodies.
And you know, something Iwanted to point out, Phil, is
that red dye number three in the90's was banned from being used
in our cosmetics because it wasshown in studies to cause
cancer.
Now, if it's banned in ourcosmetics, then why are we still
eating it?
Phil (17:26):
Yeah, why are we ingesting it if we don't wanna put it on
our face?
Yeah, excellent, excellentpoint.
Today on Food Not Phones, we'regonna talk about what it's like
when you're eating by yourself.
A new study that was justpublished in the Public Health
Nutrition Journal found thatabout 20% of adolescents report
(17:51):
often eating alone.
And the bottom line is, whenyou eat alone, it's related to
being overweight or obese,having less healthy dietary
intake, perceptions ofless-supportant food-related
parenting practices.
And what they did is theyanalyzed the diet of 1,652
(18:12):
adolescents and that's wherethey found that 21% of them were
eating alone.
And you know, part of whatwe're trying to do on Food Not
Phones is get people to talk toeach other over the dinner table
, over breakfast, over lunchtime, to be able to combat these
kinds of situations.
And what's so important andthis study points it out is
(18:37):
adolescents is considered afoundational life stage where
individual patterns forlong-term health behaviors are
established that last into andthroughout adulthood.
So put down the phones whilewe're eating.
Talk to each other so thesepeople don't have to eat alone,
right?
Sally (18:56):
Yes, this is a great study and really teaches us a
lot about what our meal timepractices are and how that
relates to the foods that we eat.
Because what the study pointsout is that they found out there
was a link when children areeating alone, then they have
(19:17):
less fruit and vegetable intakeand more sugary beverage intake.
You know two things we don'twant to happen in growing
children.
So that is one big, hugetakeaway for me.
And another thing that was abig takeaway for me in this
field because I have experiencebeing a mom myself and talking
to a lot of other parents sincethe pandemic that more children
(19:41):
and more families are kind ofhaving their own space in their
home and oftentimes eating alone.
Oftentimes that involves ascreen involved.
But one thing that wasinteresting about this study is
that they're talking about that.
You know those children thatare a part of a autonomy,
(20:02):
supportive parenting that theydo better when if they're eating
alone, if they still know thattheir parents want them to eat
fruits and vegetables and theydon't want them to drink sugary
beverages and they don't wantthem to be on their screens as
much, when they know that thereare certain boundaries and
certain eating habits that theirparents are encouraging or have
(20:25):
rules about, then they tend toadhere to those practices, even
if they are eating alone more.
And you know, there is a bigdifference in the way that our
society has changed with howmore moms are working out of the
home, I think, since 2014, 70%of women are working full time
(20:49):
now, and we just knowhistorically that mothers can be
most often primary caregiversand make, you know, choose,
making the food choices for thefamily.
So there's a big part of thatthat has changed.
And we're also seeing youngerpeople, kids that are younger
than 18, that are going to workas well.
So there are a lot of changesin our schedules and our habits.
(21:10):
But what we need to remember isthat we don't want to always
eat alone maybe, and if we are,we really want to take into
consideration if we are eatingalone, what sort of diet habits
is that supporting or notsupporting?
Phil (21:24):
And this study also points out that what they found is in
the homes that had a lot ofsweet snacks and candy.
These kids were more likely toeat alone as well.
So you know there's justeverything is interrelated with
this.
So get ready for our next FoodNot Phones day, if you would.
(21:47):
It's gonna happen onThanksgiving and throughout the
year.
You know we're talking aboutFood Not Phones at different
times of the year, differentevents and also make sure you go
to FoodNotPhones.
com to learn more about it andsee more research about why this
is so important.
Thanks, Sally.
This week on Lost in theSupermarket, I spoke to Jaclyn
(22:11):
Cardin, chief Brand Officer atOrganic Valley Co-op, on the
importance of National FarmersDay and the importance of
sustainable dairy itself.
For the complete episode, justlog on to SupermarketGuru.
com.
Here's what you have to say.
I know you have this newcampaign protecting where your
(22:31):
food choices come from.
Tell us about that.
Jaclyn (22:35):
Sure.
So there's often a one-sidedview in animal agriculture and
we're hearing it more and moreoften that there's this
perceived need to reduce dairyand meat consumption in order to
lower the carbon footprint orin order to treat the planet
better or make the moresustainable choice.
But the whole idea behindprotecting where your food comes
(22:56):
from is to be able to offeranother view at that right and
show what ethically sourced,organic dairy from small family
farms really looks like.
We've done, you know, a lot ofsurveys with our own consumers
and with broader consumer groups, you know, throughout the
United States and asking peoplehow important is sustainability,
(23:17):
how important is knowing whereyour food comes from, and
upwards of 80% of people justtold us last month that it is
important for them to know wheretheir food comes from, though
fewer than two in five peoplehave actually been to a farm,
and so the idea of protectingwhere your food comes from is to
show what it means when you dopull Organic Valley off the
(23:37):
shelf.
We, as a cooperative, protectover over a half a million acres
of certified organic pastureland, and not only is that
really great news for thefarmers and for the local
communities and for the animalsthat live on those acres.
But there's such an outsideimpact that we don't talk about
and that is the biodiverseecosystems that are supported by
(23:59):
organic farmland.
So we're talking birds and beesand butterflies and salamanders
and deer and all sorts ofwildlife that that needs these
organic systems to be able tocontinue to thrive, and people
don't think about that.
They don't make that directconnection when they're buying
their milk or when they'rebuying their cheese or their
eggs.
(24:19):
But that's the beauty oforganic dairy and organic Valley
is when you are supporting thatit goes to.
It's such a broad benefit thatyou're able to support just
through how and where youpurchase your milk.
Phil (24:35):
On the bullseye.
As if breakfast wasn'tconfusing enough, some new news.
Breakfast is often hailed asthe most important meal of the
day, and it's more than just amorning ritual.
Breakfast is a crucial part ofmaintaining good health and good
well-being for us.
But in recent years, hey, ourbreakfast habits have shifted,
(24:57):
with many opting for quick fixeslike a shake or a protein bar
and, in some cases, even amicrowave sandwich or, like me,
even skipping breakfastaltogether.
Not good.
This change in behavior hasbeen accompanied by a noticeable
decline in the sales ofbreakfast cereals.
Breakfast serves as thejumpstart that our bodies need.
(25:20):
After, you know, we have a nicerest.
It provides the necessarynutrients and the energy that we
need to kickstart ourmetabolism and, frankly, fuel
our body and our brain for theday ahead.
When we don't consume breakfast, our bodies are essentially
running on empty, and it leadsto being more tired, poor
(25:42):
concentration and increasedirritability.
Now, studies have linkedregular breakfast consumption to
improve cognitive function, tobetter mood and a lower risk of
chronic disease.
Many people now are turning toconvenience and often
ultra-processed foods that maylack the nutritional punts from
(26:05):
a well-rounded breakfast.
Now, according to a 2020 surveyby the NPD group, a leading
market research firm, over 31million Americans admit to
skipping breakfast every singleday.
One of the most noticeabletrends that accompany this
(26:26):
changing environment, thechanging breakfast landscape, is
the decline in sales ofbreakfast cereals.
Historically, cereals have beena breakfast staple.
Their prize for theirconvenience, certainly, and
their variety and occasionally,the toy inside.
However, data from Statistareveals a steady decrease in the
(26:48):
consumption of cereal in recentyears.
According to them, in 2023,sales of breakfast cereals here
in the United States amounted to$21.98 billion.
Wow, the average volume ofcereal consumed per capita is
17.196 pounds.
(27:09):
Now that's down from 17.8575.
Now that might not seem like abig drop, but for cereal makers
it's huge, and it shows aslowing decline in consumption
of our breakfast cereals.
Our changing dietarypreferences have led individuals
to explore many other breakfastoptions In rich smoothies,
(27:33):
avocado toast, yogurt and yogurtbowls.
These alternatives offer aperception of healthier choices
and more exciting flavorscompared to the traditional
cereal and milk.
Our concern as Americans aboutthe sugar content and nutrition
value of some breakfast cereals,frankly, have pushed more
(27:55):
health conscious consumerstowards more natural, whole
grain, whole food options.
The sales of sugary cerealshave taken a hit, there's no
question about that, whilehealthier cereal alternatives
like granola muesli, haveexperienced modest growth.
So help me understand this one.
(28:18):
Kellogg's and Nestle have teamedup to bring us get this Frosted
Flake's cereal flavored milkand Ego Maple Waffle flavored
milk.
Breakfast is synonymous withcereal and waffles, for sure,
and fans will be able to shakeup their morning routine with a
(28:39):
drinkable way to enjoy the tasteof both.
That was said by Megan Sparkman, nestle USA General Manager and
Marketing Director for thebrand and the Ready to Drink
business unit.
Well, there's no question thatthese two drinks are inspired by
(29:00):
two Kellogg classics.
The new Nestle SensationsFrosted Flakes cereal and
Sensations Ego Maple Wafflecombine the magic of childhood
meals, they say, with thedelicious flavor of our iconic
milk beverages, delivering adelightful taste to our fans
nationwide.
Seriously, this is what you'reputting out there.
(29:24):
It's going to hit stores inNovember and the Nestle
Sensations Frosted Flakesflavored milk, according to the
company, tastes like it'sstraight from the bottom of the
cereal bowl.
I never liked what was on thebottom of the cereal bowl.
The best part, they say, youdon't have to have a bowl or a
spoon.
Featuring the beloved taste ofFrosted Corn Flakes, complete
(29:48):
with a rich and creamy dairyfinish.
Experience, your favoritechildhood cereal on the go.
This is all on their website.
Who are they trying to sellthis to?
Baby Boomers who had FrostedFlakes as a kid?
Moms with kids?
Anybody.
And it gets even worse.
I'm a little confused.
(30:09):
Nestle already sells CarnationBreakfast Essentials Kellogg's
Frosted Flakes flavorednutritional drink.
That product has water as itsfirst ingredient, glucose syrup
as a second, milk proteinConcentrate as number three.
Number four sugar.
In just over eight ounces youget 240 calories, four grams of
(30:34):
fat, 41 grams of carbs, 15 gramsof added sugars and 10 grams of
protein.
It also happens to contain 21added vitamins and minerals.
The suggested retail price forthe new Nestle Sensations
Frosted Flakes and Ego is $2.59for a 14 ounce bottle.
(30:55):
Now I did some research and Icouldn't find the ingredients or
nutritional on these two newproducts.
It's not anywhere.
But I was able to find NestleSensations Froot Loops that came
out a couple years ago.
Now I know it's a stretch andit's not the same.
The ingredients probably arenot the same either, but here's
(31:16):
what we might surmise.
The Froot Loops contain naturaland artificial flavors, contains
low fat milk and has 14 gramsof protein.
It is made from real milk andcontains no high fructose corn
syrup, but sugar is the numbertwo ingredient.
One bottle contains 39 grams ofsugars, of which 18 grams are
(31:39):
added sugars.
I'm imagining that some peoplemay choose to drink it right out
of the bottle.
I don't know why, but theymight.
But isn't it likely that somemay use these flavored milks to
add to their cereals?
In the case of Froot Loops,according to the FDA nutritional
facts label, the standard sizeserving size for breakfast
(32:02):
cereal is 100 grams.
That's a bit over 3.5 ounces ofcereal.
So if we add 4 ounces of FrootLoops flavored milk to 3.5
ounces of Froot Loops cereal, wewould be consuming 23 grams of
added and naturally occurringsugars.
By the way, according to Zippia, cheerios is the number one
(32:24):
selling cereal here in theUnited States.
Frosted Flakes is a closesecond, with sales of $412.6
million in 2022.
Maybe these marketers need tohave some healthy breakfast.
Sally (32:43):
Be sure to visit SupermarketG uru.
com for the latest marketinganalysis, issues and trends, and
don't forget to join us backhere next Monday at 2.30 pm
Eastern for more.
Welcome to the Lempert Report LIVE.
On today's episode, Why theincidence of liver disease in
children is on the rise.
The link betweenultra-processed foods and
depression.
California becomes the firststate to ban food additives,
will other ones follow?
On Food Not Phones, What's theimpact of eating by yourself?
(00:26):
And on the Bullseye, what'sgoing on with breakfast and how
Nestle is getting involved?
Let's get started.
So Sally.
This new report has come outthat more pediatricians are
seeing kids with fat diseaseglobs of fat cells in their
(00:50):
liver concentrations thatshouldn't be there.
In fact, what they find ismillions are affected.
Researchers in the journalClinical Liver Disease estimate
that 5 to 10 percent of all USchildren have non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease, making itabout as common as asthma is.
And if we look at the data from2017 to 2021, it shows a large
(01:16):
jump in the incidence ofnon-alcoholic fatty liver
disease across all ages of thenation.
But the steepest increase byfar is in our children.
For kids up to age 17, the rateof diagnosis more than doubled.
What that means is a millionhospitalizations.
Mostly adults are being treatedin emergency rooms or admitted
(01:42):
in 2020.
And liver transplants havelikewise grown among adolescents
and young adults 25 percentincreased during the past decade
in kids 11 to 17.
And transplants for youngadults 18 to 34 more than
doubled.
What is going on here?
Sally (02:04):
This is a very serious topic, and while this is
something that historically, wesaw as something liver disease
primarily occurred in someonewho consumes alcohol, it
primarily occurred in men nowshowing up in children
non-alcohol related, obviously,and not necessarily related to
(02:28):
body mass index.
Although weight obesity can bea contributor to this, the
science is showing that it's notalways the connection.
In fact, they're finding thatmany children who have liver
disease have a lower body massindex, and you mentioned that
the transplant rate has gone up.
Also, the life expectancy inthe United States has been on
(02:52):
decline and it's now hitting76.4, which is the lowest that
it has been in decades.
So there's something happeningwhen we are young that is
staying with us as we grow oldand affecting our health and our
life expectancy.
Some of the things that arebeing pointed at is our modern
lifestyle.
We've talked a lot about how weare very connected to the
(03:17):
internet and our screens andpossibly not exercising as much
as we can.
The body, the liver, functionsin a way that we need to sweat,
exercise and sweat and get outthose toxins, and if we're not
doing that, then the liver isnot able to perform the job that
it is there for.
So that could be part of thereason.
(03:39):
We're also looking at a lot ofultra process food intake and
the story here is talking a lot,particularly since the 1980s,
when ultra process foods weren'tas common, weren't as a bigger
part of our diet.
Now they make up more than 67%and these foods are causing
(04:03):
hormonal changes and otherinterruptions in our body.
So there are several differentthings that researchers are
looking here to understand whywe are seeing this happen in
children, but it is definitelysomething that we clearly need
to pay attention to.
Phil (04:22):
And also what they've talked about in this study is
that in the 1980s and 1990s, asyou pointed out, and not only
did we have a rise in ultraprocess foods, but we also had
the anti-fat craze that reallyprompted more artificial
substitutes, created in,according to the study,
(04:46):
industrial labs and partiallydigested before people eat them.
Their use altered how food isdealt with in large intestine
and a few studies suggestpotentially failing to trigger
bacteria that lives thereMicrobiomes we've talked a lot
about that, how essential theyare to health and, frankly,
(05:10):
until we can go back and peoplelike Michael Holland and Mary
and Nestle for years have talkedabout our diets and how we
really have to be smart aboutwhat we're eating and moving
away from ultra processed foodsand more into natural foods,
more into products that don'thave 20 ingredients in them but
(05:31):
have maybe one ingredient or twoingredients.
And also what's probably themost disturbing to me about this
study is that they found thatmaternal obesity and the high
consumption of diet soda andjunk foods have been associated
with the development of fattyliver in kids.
(05:53):
So this is a problem that istaking place in the embryo, not
just when kids are eating bythemselves, and the study also
talks about the fact thatthere's now been changes in
infant formula that use asweetening agent that's
different from the naturallactose that's found in cow's
(06:15):
milk and that replacement iscorn syrup solids and, as a
result, that is creating evenmore of a problem.
Sally (06:28):
Yes, as young as being in your mother's womb is when you
can now start developing a liverproblem or other non
communicable diseases, which areup across the board in young
people.
But, yes, as you mentioned,we're talking about infant
formula.
We're talking about transitionmilks.
When an infant moves on tobecome a toddler and starts
(06:52):
drinking more milk from a bottleor a sippy cup, there are
transition products, and thoseproducts are also very high
sometimes in these sweeteners.
And so, yes, we need to look atthese foods that the food
industry is giving us and weneed to really think about how
we can make these better forpeople.
Phil (07:14):
And talking about ultra process foods, there's another
study that came out that foundthe one in seven adults and one
in eight kids may be hooked onultra processed foods as an
addiction.
What they're saying is ultraprocessed foods, including ice
cream, carbonated drinks, readyto eat meals All of these have
(07:40):
an increase in cancer, weightgain and heart disease, and it
now makes up more than half theaverage diet both here in the US
and in the UK, and what it cando is give us some behavioral
challenges intense cravingsymptoms of withdrawal, less
(08:02):
control over intake, continueduse, despite some consequences,
such as obesity, binge order,poor physical and mental health
and the lower quality of life.
This report looked at 281studies from 36 different
countries.
It's a very robust study andthey found that ultra processed
(08:27):
food addiction occurs in 14% ofadults and 12% in kids, and
that's just right now.
Sally (08:40):
That is very concerning and, as we're talking we are
talking a lot about ultraprocessed foods today and we'll
continue after this story andthe link to so many health
problems that are occurring toAmericans, as we just talked
about the liver disease andother non-communicable diseases,
but then also we are looking atdamage to our mental well-being
(09:04):
and in this case we are lookingat foods that are highly likely
to cause addiction, addictivebehaviors.
So this is important to thinkabout when we're shopping and
what we fill our carts up withand what we take up and we fill
our fridge and our pantry upwith, that.
(09:25):
The more we indulge and eatthese foods, the more likely we
are to become addicted to them.
Phil (09:33):
And when we look at addiction, one form of addiction
is also depression, and yetanother study came out that
found that there's anassociation between the
consumption of these ultraprocessed foods with about 50%
higher risk for those consumingnine portions a day or more,
(09:54):
compared to those consuming fourportions a day of ultra
processed foods.
And when you think about ultraprocessed foods, it's a much
bigger list than what you mightbe thinking about.
These includes pre-packagedsoups, sauces, frozen pizza,
ready-to-eat meals, hot dogs,sausages, french fries, sodas,
(10:16):
store-bought cookies, cakes,candies, donuts, ice cream, and
the list goes on and on.
And certainly anything that'sincluding artificial sweeteners
is part of that list as well.
And when we look at the numbersand the situation when it comes
to depression, what theseresearchers found is that when
(10:38):
you're depressed, you eat moreultra processed foods.
When you eat more ultraprocessed foods, you become more
depressed.
So it's like a no-win situation.
And just to put in the rightperspective, if somebody is on a
2,000 calorie diet a day andyou go to McDonald's, you order
(10:59):
a small order of fries and aregular cheeseburger that
contains a total of 530 calories.
And basically what they'resaying is, if you consume more
than 400 calories from ultraprocessed foods, you have a risk
20% risk of dementia and sorry,not a 20, that there's just a
(11:24):
link to dementia If more than20% of your calories come from
ultra processed foods.
There's, as we talked about,the microbiome, the biggest
study, the nurses health study32,000 middle-aged women looking
at their diets found the exactsame thing.
(11:46):
So when we look at these ultraprocessed foods and what's going
on and there was a great bookout a few years ago called Sugar
, salt and Fat and it reallytalked about how these companies
were heading down this path andwhat these companies needed to
do to stop this before it got tothis point but we're here- yes,
(12:13):
we are, and I'm really gladthat you listed all those
different types of ultraprocessed foods, because I don't
think shoppers always know thatsome of the foods that they are
buying are on that list andcontain those ingredients that
they should be mindful about andconsume in moderation.
Sally (12:34):
We've seen a lot of studies linking diet sodas and
other diet drinks the artificialsweet nurse that we put in our
coffee and tea.
We've seen a lot of studiesthat link that towards
depression and, as you mentioned, it's a vicious cycle.
If ultra processed foods andartificial sweet nurse are
(12:56):
contributing to us becomingdepressed, then they're also the
foods and the beverages that wewant when we are depressed.
So it's a vicious cycle thereand something that we should all
be thinking about as we maybewe want to shop more that
produce section in the outer,the perimeter of the store,
(13:19):
rather than the thinner aisle,so much.
Phil (13:22):
Absolutely, and I think for me, one of the most
important things about thisstudy and you just mentioned it
again is this balance betweenhaving ultra processed foods and
getting depressed.
Getting depressed, you eat moreultra processed foods.
It's almost like an alcoholicwho has to have that drink and
(13:45):
gets more depressed so that theydrink more as a result of it.
So it's really something thatwe need to take control of, and
the good news is, here inCalifornia, governor Newsom is
trying to do something that noother state has done.
It's been done in Europe, butbasically he's prohibiting the
(14:08):
sale of foods that contain fourchemicals that are found in
ultra-processed foods cereals,candy, soft drinks, brominated
vegetable oil, potassium bromide, propylparaben and red dye
number three.
And these are already banned inEurope because of the research
(14:32):
that they've been doing foryears, like you know, to cancer,
reproductive issues and otherhealth problems.
Also, new York has a similarbill that's going through the
legislature right now and, totheir credit, there are certain
companies who have alreadyeliminated them Coke, Pepsi,
(14:53):
gatorade, panera.
They have voluntarily stoppedusing these because of it, but
there's still products out there.
Like you know, peeps, we'regetting up to Easter time in a
few months from now.
So all those little brightlycolored peeps, well, guess what?
They have red dye, number threein them to make pink and purple
(15:16):
marshmallow peeps.
And you know, we really needother states to follow.
And I think what's sointeresting because California
is so big, as is New York thisis going to force companies to
reformulate, and that's all thatthey're looking for.
They're not looking to takepeeps off the market, off the
(15:38):
shelf nobody has to get nervousabout that but just to
reformulate to get rid of thesefour ingredients.
And if it happens in California, and if it happens in
California and New York, guesswhat?
The other 48 states?
They're not going to have themeither, because these companies,
you know, can't have twovarieties and, by the way, these
(16:00):
companies are already sellingtheir foods without them in
Europe.
So this is not a big stretch andI give Newsom so much credit
for doing it.
He's coming under a lot ofcriticism from a lot of trade
groups, which you know.
I think that they should taketheir lobbying money and put it
to better use to try to getpeople eat healthier.
(16:23):
And also, the environmentalworking group estimates that
there's about 12,000 products inour supermarkets.
The average supermarket hasabout 40,000 products, so almost
25% of the products that are ina store have these four
ingredients.
So hopefully we're on a goodrole here in California.
Sally (16:47):
Yes, and it comes just in time for Halloween as well.
We're thinking about all thatcandy that we're getting, and
there were a lot of headlinesrecently that we're Skittles are
gonna be banned in California.
And Skittles are not beingbanned in California.
They will be allowed to sellSkittles.
They just have to sell the goodformula and not the formula
(17:08):
that is harmful to our bodies.
And you know, something Iwanted to point out, Phil, is
that red dye number three in the90's was banned from being used
in our cosmetics because it wasshown in studies to cause
cancer.
Now, if it's banned in ourcosmetics, then why are we still
eating it?
Phil (17:26):
Yeah, why are we ingesting it if we don't wanna put it on
our face?
Yeah, excellent, excellentpoint.
Today on Food Not Phones, we'regonna talk about what it's like
when you're eating by yourself.
A new study that was justpublished in the Public Health
Nutrition Journal found thatabout 20% of adolescents report
(17:51):
often eating alone.
And the bottom line is, whenyou eat alone, it's related to
being overweight or obese,having less healthy dietary
intake, perceptions ofless-supportant food-related
parenting practices.
And what they did is theyanalyzed the diet of 1,652
(18:12):
adolescents and that's wherethey found that 21% of them were
eating alone.
And you know, part of whatwe're trying to do on Food Not
Phones is get people to talk toeach other over the dinner table
, over breakfast, over lunchtime, to be able to combat these
kinds of situations.
And what's so important andthis study points it out is
(18:37):
adolescents is considered afoundational life stage where
individual patterns forlong-term health behaviors are
established that last into andthroughout adulthood.
So put down the phones whilewe're eating.
Talk to each other so thesepeople don't have to eat alone,
right?
Sally (18:56):
Yes, this is a great study and really teaches us a
lot about what our meal timepractices are and how that
relates to the foods that we eat.
Because what the study pointsout is that they found out there
was a link when children areeating alone, then they have
(19:17):
less fruit and vegetable intakeand more sugary beverage intake.
You know two things we don'twant to happen in growing
children.
So that is one big, hugetakeaway for me.
And another thing that was abig takeaway for me in this
field because I have experiencebeing a mom myself and talking
to a lot of other parents sincethe pandemic that more children
(19:41):
and more families are kind ofhaving their own space in their
home and oftentimes eating alone.
Oftentimes that involves ascreen involved.
But one thing that wasinteresting about this study is
that they're talking about that.
You know those children thatare a part of a autonomy,
(20:02):
supportive parenting that theydo better when if they're eating
alone, if they still know thattheir parents want them to eat
fruits and vegetables and theydon't want them to drink sugary
beverages and they don't wantthem to be on their screens as
much, when they know that thereare certain boundaries and
certain eating habits that theirparents are encouraging or have
(20:25):
rules about, then they tend toadhere to those practices, even
if they are eating alone more.
And you know, there is a bigdifference in the way that our
society has changed with howmore moms are working out of the
home, I think, since 2014, 70%of women are working full time
(20:49):
now, and we just knowhistorically that mothers can be
most often primary caregiversand make, you know, choose,
making the food choices for thefamily.
So there's a big part of thatthat has changed.
And we're also seeing youngerpeople, kids that are younger
than 18, that are going to workas well.
So there are a lot of changesin our schedules and our habits.
(21:10):
But what we need to remember isthat we don't want to always
eat alone maybe, and if we are,we really want to take into
consideration if we are eatingalone, what sort of diet habits
is that supporting or notsupporting?
Phil (21:24):
And this study also points out that what they found is in
the homes that had a lot ofsweet snacks and candy.
These kids were more likely toeat alone as well.
So you know there's justeverything is interrelated with
this.
So get ready for our next FoodNot Phones day, if you would.
(21:47):
It's gonna happen onThanksgiving and throughout the
year.
You know we're talking aboutFood Not Phones at different
times of the year, differentevents and also make sure you go
to FoodNotPhones.
com to learn more about it andsee more research about why this
is so important.
Thanks, Sally.
This week on Lost in theSupermarket, I spoke to Jaclyn
(22:11):
Cardin, chief Brand Officer atOrganic Valley Co-op, on the
importance of National FarmersDay and the importance of
sustainable dairy itself.
For the complete episode, justlog on to SupermarketGuru.
com.
Here's what you have to say.
I know you have this newcampaign protecting where your
(22:31):
food choices come from.
Tell us about that.
Jaclyn (22:35):
Sure.
So there's often a one-sidedview in animal agriculture and
we're hearing it more and moreoften that there's this
perceived need to reduce dairyand meat consumption in order to
lower the carbon footprint orin order to treat the planet
better or make the moresustainable choice.
But the whole idea behindprotecting where your food comes
(22:56):
from is to be able to offeranother view at that right and
show what ethically sourced,organic dairy from small family
farms really looks like.
We've done, you know, a lot ofsurveys with our own consumers
and with broader consumer groups, you know, throughout the
United States and asking peoplehow important is sustainability,
(23:17):
how important is knowing whereyour food comes from, and
upwards of 80% of people justtold us last month that it is
important for them to know wheretheir food comes from, though
fewer than two in five peoplehave actually been to a farm,
and so the idea of protectingwhere your food comes from is to
show what it means when you dopull Organic Valley off the
(23:37):
shelf.
We, as a cooperative, protectover over a half a million acres
of certified organic pastureland, and not only is that
really great news for thefarmers and for the local
communities and for the animalsthat live on those acres.
But there's such an outsideimpact that we don't talk about
and that is the biodiverseecosystems that are supported by
(23:59):
organic farmland.
So we're talking birds and beesand butterflies and salamanders
and deer and all sorts ofwildlife that that needs these
organic systems to be able tocontinue to thrive, and people
don't think about that.
They don't make that directconnection when they're buying
their milk or when they'rebuying their cheese or their
eggs.
(24:19):
But that's the beauty oforganic dairy and organic Valley
is when you are supporting thatit goes to.
It's such a broad benefit thatyou're able to support just
through how and where youpurchase your milk.
Phil (24:35):
On the bullseye.
As if breakfast wasn'tconfusing enough, some new news.
Breakfast is often hailed asthe most important meal of the
day, and it's more than just amorning ritual.
Breakfast is a crucial part ofmaintaining good health and good
well-being for us.
But in recent years, hey, ourbreakfast habits have shifted,
(24:57):
with many opting for quick fixeslike a shake or a protein bar
and, in some cases, even amicrowave sandwich or, like me,
even skipping breakfastaltogether.
Not good.
This change in behavior hasbeen accompanied by a noticeable
decline in the sales ofbreakfast cereals.
Breakfast serves as thejumpstart that our bodies need.
(25:20):
After, you know, we have a nicerest.
It provides the necessarynutrients and the energy that we
need to kickstart ourmetabolism and, frankly, fuel
our body and our brain for theday ahead.
When we don't consume breakfast, our bodies are essentially
running on empty, and it leadsto being more tired, poor
(25:42):
concentration and increasedirritability.
Now, studies have linkedregular breakfast consumption to
improve cognitive function, tobetter mood and a lower risk of
chronic disease.
Many people now are turning toconvenience and often
ultra-processed foods that maylack the nutritional punts from
(26:05):
a well-rounded breakfast.
Now, according to a 2020 surveyby the NPD group, a leading
market research firm, over 31million Americans admit to
skipping breakfast every singleday.
One of the most noticeabletrends that accompany this
(26:26):
changing environment, thechanging breakfast landscape, is
the decline in sales ofbreakfast cereals.
Historically, cereals have beena breakfast staple.
Their prize for theirconvenience, certainly, and
their variety and occasionally,the toy inside.
However, data from Statistareveals a steady decrease in the
(26:48):
consumption of cereal in recentyears.
According to them, in 2023,sales of breakfast cereals here
in the United States amounted to$21.98 billion.
Wow, the average volume ofcereal consumed per capita is
17.196 pounds.
(27:09):
Now that's down from 17.8575.
Now that might not seem like abig drop, but for cereal makers
it's huge, and it shows aslowing decline in consumption
of our breakfast cereals.
Our changing dietarypreferences have led individuals
to explore many other breakfastoptions In rich smoothies,
(27:33):
avocado toast, yogurt and yogurtbowls.
These alternatives offer aperception of healthier choices
and more exciting flavorscompared to the traditional
cereal and milk.
Our concern as Americans aboutthe sugar content and nutrition
value of some breakfast cereals,frankly, have pushed more
(27:55):
health conscious consumerstowards more natural, whole
grain, whole food options.
The sales of sugary cerealshave taken a hit, there's no
question about that, whilehealthier cereal alternatives
like granola muesli, haveexperienced modest growth.
So help me understand this one.
(28:18):
Kellogg's and Nestle have teamedup to bring us get this Frosted
Flake's cereal flavored milkand Ego Maple Waffle flavored
milk.
Breakfast is synonymous withcereal and waffles, for sure,
and fans will be able to shakeup their morning routine with a
(28:39):
drinkable way to enjoy the tasteof both.
That was said by Megan Sparkman, nestle USA General Manager and
Marketing Director for thebrand and the Ready to Drink
business unit.
Well, there's no question thatthese two drinks are inspired by
(29:00):
two Kellogg classics.
The new Nestle SensationsFrosted Flakes cereal and
Sensations Ego Maple Wafflecombine the magic of childhood
meals, they say, with thedelicious flavor of our iconic
milk beverages, delivering adelightful taste to our fans
nationwide.
Seriously, this is what you'reputting out there.
(29:24):
It's going to hit stores inNovember and the Nestle
Sensations Frosted Flakesflavored milk, according to the
company, tastes like it'sstraight from the bottom of the
cereal bowl.
I never liked what was on thebottom of the cereal bowl.
The best part, they say, youdon't have to have a bowl or a
spoon.
Featuring the beloved taste ofFrosted Corn Flakes, complete
(29:48):
with a rich and creamy dairyfinish.
Experience, your favoritechildhood cereal on the go.
This is all on their website.
Who are they trying to sellthis to?
Baby Boomers who had FrostedFlakes as a kid?
Moms with kids?
Anybody.
And it gets even worse.
I'm a little confused.
(30:09):
Nestle already sells CarnationBreakfast Essentials Kellogg's
Frosted Flakes flavorednutritional drink.
That product has water as itsfirst ingredient, glucose syrup
as a second, milk proteinConcentrate as number three.
Number four sugar.
In just over eight ounces youget 240 calories, four grams of
(30:34):
fat, 41 grams of carbs, 15 gramsof added sugars and 10 grams of
protein.
It also happens to contain 21added vitamins and minerals.
The suggested retail price forthe new Nestle Sensations
Frosted Flakes and Ego is $2.59for a 14 ounce bottle.
(30:55):
Now I did some research and Icouldn't find the ingredients or
nutritional on these two newproducts.
It's not anywhere.
But I was able to find NestleSensations Froot Loops that came
out a couple years ago.
Now I know it's a stretch andit's not the same.
The ingredients probably arenot the same either, but here's
(31:16):
what we might surmise.
The Froot Loops contain naturaland artificial flavors, contains
low fat milk and has 14 gramsof protein.
It is made from real milk andcontains no high fructose corn
syrup, but sugar is the numbertwo ingredient.
One bottle contains 39 grams ofsugars, of which 18 grams are
(31:39):
added sugars.
I'm imagining that some peoplemay choose to drink it right out
of the bottle.
I don't know why, but theymight.
But isn't it likely that somemay use these flavored milks to
add to their cereals?
In the case of Froot Loops,according to the FDA nutritional
facts label, the standard sizeserving size for breakfast
(32:02):
cereal is 100 grams.
That's a bit over 3.5 ounces ofcereal.
So if we add 4 ounces of FrootLoops flavored milk to 3.5
ounces of Froot Loops cereal, wewould be consuming 23 grams of
added and naturally occurringsugars.
By the way, according to Zippia, cheerios is the number one
(32:24):
selling cereal here in theUnited States.
Frosted Flakes is a closesecond, with sales of $412.6
million in 2022.
Maybe these marketers need tohave some healthy breakfast.
Sally (32:43):
Be sure to visit SupermarketG uru.
com for the latest marketinganalysis, issues and trends, and
don't forget to join us backhere next Monday at 2.30 pm
Eastern for more.
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