Shopper-friendly food packaging for better health

After decades of research that prove such health problems as heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and other chronic disease risk are directly linked to poor diet -- and millions of dollars in government programs trying to convince people to improve their grocery shopping habits -- the Institute of Medicine has decided to take a really bold step that will be reflected on food store shelves very soon. Even the familiar Nutrition Labels that have been required for years are not referred to by enough shoppers, who apparently are "just too lazy to bother comparing the amount of calories, fat, sodium and other critical nutrients" in one product compared to another. The result is an obesity crisis of epidemic proportion in the U.S. and in other nations, as well--a major factor in the rising cost of health care. The U.K. recently began putting stickers on food packages that use images resembling traffic lights, with a "green light" indicating a healthy food and a "red light", indicating a food that the shopper should avoid. That's almost like one of those yellow-colored paperback books titled, Shopping for Idiots, but perhaps it will work! Here in the U.S., the Institute of Medicine has recommended to the Food & Drug Administration a program not quite so drastic, but one which could be effective. As reported in a recent Tufts Health & Nutrition Update online newsletter, "the proposed labels would take into consideration sodium, added sugars and unhealthy fats--saturated and trans fats...Products below certain levels of these three components would get a star, check mark or other symbol for each; plan oatmeal might get 3 stars, while sugary soda would get zero. The suggested at-a-glance labels, which supplement the more detailed Nutrition Facts panels, would also display calories per serving." These new, very clear labels would be similar to those which people have seen when shopping for energy-saving appliances. Shopping for cereal? Would you reach for a box with one star or a box with three stars? It's that simple! Even the laziest shopper should be able to spot the difference between a healthy food and an unhealthy one. Now how do you get someone to care? Speaking of caring, most families do care about how much they spend on their health care each year. That's why millions of American families -- before each visit to the pharmacy, to fill a prescription or just to purchase any health care-related item -- visit the website MyRxCoupons.com to see if there is a free money-saving coupon for that prescription medication or product. Just print the coupon from the computer, bring it to the pharmacy and save -- often on refills, too -- for savings up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year