The FDA regulates the use of the words healthy and healthful with respect to diet. This represents a bit of a problem and that is: The words healthy and healthful must first be defined in order to regulate their use.
The FDA in it’s infinite wisdom (note the sarcasm) has resorted to regulating the exact macro and micro nutrient amounts in a serving of a food item in order to allow the use of the words words healthy and healthful on their labels.
This of course is a futile attempt to regulate such an encompassing term. If you ate two servings of this food item wouldn’t it become unhealthy by their definition? What if you ate that food item with something else that didn’t fit within their definition of healthy? Is it healthy to eat these foods if you’re feeling sick or have an allergy to them? If the package says it’s healthy does that mean it’s healthy for everyone?
These are just the first question that come to mind when trying to regulate and control the use of the word ‘health’. The point is you can’t do it. Health has no meaning except for the one you personally assign to it. You can choose where you want to draw the line and what to include in your definition.
Brad Pilon and I attended (online) a nutrition workshop held by the FDA where they explained how they were regulating the marketing use of the words healthy and healthful and it was an eye opening experience.
In todays Phi Life podcast we discuss the FDA’s attempt at regulating these words and how futile it is.
Health has to be a personal definition that you alone come up with.
Listen to our podcast here on –> Defining Health
John
