Rating: 
Summary: The food industry's assault on your health
Review: Nutrition expert Marion Nestle's "Food Politics" explains how the formula for a healthy diet hasn't changed. She advises that one should eat more plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and less meat, dairy and sweets. But this message collides with the interests of the food-industrial complex, which makes the bulk of its profits by selling relatively expensive processed foods. The book examines how corporations have successfully fought the health message by using a number of overt and covert tactics to further their objectives at the public's expense. In fact, this business success story has resulted in a generation of Americans who are significantly overweight compared with their predecessors. Nestle shows that public relations and government lobbying result in obfuscation and mixed messages about the relative values of certain foods; this generally confuses Americans and makes it difficult to get the "eat less" message. Interestingly, she reveals that the amount of sweets and snack foods consumed are in almost exact proportion to the advertising dollars spent promoting these foods, suggesting that limits on advertising junk food to children might be a reasonable first step in addressing this problem. But Nestle is particularly critical of the criminally poor quality of the nation's public school lunch program and the "pouring rights" contracts struck with soft drink companies by cash-starved school districts. Our country's apparent unwilingness to provide nutritious meals to our schoolchildren is shameful, and Nestle should be congratulated for bringing the situation to light. Other noteworthy sections of the book address the deregulation of dietary supplements and the invention of "techno-foods", ie foods that have been fortified with vitamins, minerals or herbal ingredients. The overall picture is one of regulators on the defensive and huckster capitalism run rampant. While it was disturbing but not too surprising to learn about relatively obscure supplement makers making absurd claims for products that have little scientifically proven value, it was somewhat amusing to see a reprint of a short-lived advertisement for Heinz ketchup that promoted its supposed cancer-fighting properties. It appears there are no limits to what kinds of food products might be similarly reinvented by marketers in their quest for higher profits. In the closing chapter, Nestle proposes a number of useful solutions. Her ideas are reasonable and display a maturity gained through many years spent in government and academia. In an environment where food choices and information surrounding food products are increasingly difficult to understand, let's hope that this book inspires us all to demand greater accountability from the food companies that feed us. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: The other side of the food inustry...
Review: Prof. Marion Nestle covers all the bases in this comprehensive and shocking inside look at the American food industry, and its collusion with government and "science." Food Politics goes a long way toward exposing the underbelly of the current obesity epidemic, and related diatetes, cancer and heart disease. Nestle shows how even the agencies designed to protect public interest in this area are corrupted by vested interests. And she makes clear how the "paradox of plenty" is driving us to eat more and move less. Also recommended: The Hungry Gene by Ellen Ruppel Shell, another scupulously researched expose that puts the obesity epidemic into historical, political and scientific perspective.
Rating:
Summary: An Eye Opener
Review: Prof. Marion Nestle covers all the bases in this comprehensive and shocking inside look at the American food industry, and its collusion with government and "science." Food Politics goes a long way toward exposing the underbelly of the current obesity epidemic, and related diatetes, cancer and heart disease. Nestle shows how even the agencies designed to protect public interest in this area are corrupted by vested interests. And she makes clear how the "paradox of plenty" is driving us to eat more and move less. Also recommended: The Hungry Gene by Ellen Ruppel Shell, another scupulously researched expose that puts the obesity epidemic into historical, political and scientific perspective.
Rating:
Summary: "Reader from Europe" is clueless.
Review: Regarding the review below: Hurray, we found the culprit!, February 23, 2003 -- Reviewer: A reader from Europe. What "Reader" fails to realize is that although there are other factors leading to obesity, this book is not about ALL of the reasons. This book is about ONE reason, and that is what the author has effectively covered. Interesting the reviewer used his or her review as an opportunity to take a jab at Americans in general. Makes me question whether the reviewer was actually discussing the book, or his/her personal feelings about America.
Rating:
Summary: "Reader from Europe" is clueless.
Review: Regarding the review below: Hurray, we found the culprit!, February 23, 2003 -- Reviewer: A reader from Europe. What "Reader" fails to realize is that although there are other factors leading to obesity, this book is not about ALL of the reasons. This book is about ONE reason, and that is what the author has effectively covered. Interesting the reviewer used his or her review as an opportunity to take a jab at Americans in general. Makes me question whether the reviewer was actually discussing the book, or his/her personal feelings about America.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining but author's proposed solutions won't help
Review: The author's style is lively and the book is a good read. However, the author provides no compelling reason to justify her solution to reducing fats and sugars from the food supply - which is more government. What is ironic is that this book is full of instances of weak politicians and bureaucrats who are easily influenced by the giant food corporations. Their behavior is so high school that it would be laughable were they not squandering millions of our tax dollars studying (and running from) the obvious and yet the author concludes that more of these government bureaucrats are needed to protect the population from itself. Perhaps this book makes the best case for term limits - the shorter a period that people are exposed to influence the less likely they will be corrupted. The author does make other reasonable suggestions including banning soft drink manufacturers
from the public schools. I'm tempted to include fast food franchises too, though as I recall the lunches provided by the
school system when I was in school (pizza, hamburgers, corn dogs ) were probably not much healthier. Rather than restricting public access to supplements and letting
bureaucrats choose which foods to tax I think the focus should
be on education within the schools from first grade on so that
children and adults can make proper choices. In any case, the book is well written and useful. I hope it will
stimulate some serious discussion on an important topic.
Rating:
Summary: What the govenment does not tell us
Review: The Houston Chronicle (Feb 23, 2003) front-page story headline was "Bringing ephedra's risks to light, High-profile death may not stop young athletes' use of stimulant". Over the counter herbal products contain deathly ephedra. A quote from a father, whose son probably died due to such an herbal product, was "(I) know little can be done until supplements are regulated by the FDA". This book shows how the FDA lost any powers it had to regulate herbal products or supplements. However, the biggest problem is the overt partnership of Congress, various Administrations and the food industry to subvert healthy eating for more profits. It reads like Carson's Silent Spring with the consequence of deregulation - the epidemic of obesity. The author, Dr. Nestle, is a legitimate nutritionist and previously work with the FDA. She convincingly shows how the food industry with help from Congress and the administration's desire to reduce regulation promotes over consumption of food. Her thesis is that the food industry must sell more and more food to make a profit- a change from 3200Kcal/day/American to 3800Kcal/day/American. This book is required reading for any one who cares about children's health, their own health, and wants to make changes. This book should be required reading for health care professionals that deal with chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular or the over the counter supplements, herbals, and nutrition education. This book should activate us to change the supplement laws and require food industry to partner to promote foods from the more important food groups: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The book ends with appendix describing issues in nutrition research. This section helps anyone who is not familiar with the latest in nutrition research. The book is very readable with an excellent reference section.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning!
Review: This book is like an atom bomb on the rapcious and irresponsible food industy- with its massive pushing of high calorie, high profit junk food all in the name of $$$ I am suprised it even got published because it is so utterly devastating to such a powerful plank of American capitalism. Great and courageous work Marion Nestle!!
Rating:
Summary: I don't think most of these reviewers read this book
Review: This book is not some stupid Michael Moore-style "expose" of the "food lobby," and anyone simpleminded enough to get that out of it...well...probably thinks Michael Moore makes sense too. Marion Nestle has a pretty impressive resume, and has good authority to write a book like this. Sure, you might think she's trying to tell you that Great Big Establishment Secret in describing how different manufacturing/producing groups try to make their products appear in the best light at the FDA, USDA and so on. But HELLO, PEOPLE! That is the stuff you learn in Economics or Marketing 101. Who are these simpletons who believe any businessperson wouldn't want to talk up his/her product's good side, and downplay its bad? Are there really people that naive about how commerce works? Apparently so, if this book is shocking to anyone. I weep for our touchy-feely education system sometimes...and reading these reviews is one of those moments. Anyhow, the book pretty much lays out what anyone who's ever had a weight problem knows. We eat too much, move too little, and rely on high-caloric-density foods in the US. Eat less, and eat fewer junk foods. Duh.
Rating:
Summary: About Time Too!
Review: This book is simply essential. It exposes many of the myths we've been led to believe about how food regulation occurs, and what nutritional advice is valued, and which is discarded. It's not a "conspiracy theory," although one might start to form that impression after the first 50 or so pages, all on one's own. Food companies and lobbyists, lazy/venal academics, complaisant nutritionists and greedy marketers all get the sharp end of the knife in this excellent book. Marion Nestle is superbly qualified to write this book, and has put together an excellent case illustrating how food issues have been politicized for years, leading to our current epidemic of obesity and diet-related diseases. If you ever wanted to know why USDA is so hopelessly weak about nutrition issues, or how the FDA had its teeth pulled, just dive in and find out. 'Fast Food Nation' is almost trivial in comparison. The chapters on the manipulations of soft drinks companies in the school system, and the activities of 'supplement' peddlers will really shock you. Buy one for any friend of yours who has the slightest doubt about the truth of the following nutrition message: 'eat less,' and 'eat less non-nutritious junk' in particular. If you don't accept that message, you have been *brainwashed*, and this book will show you just how it happened.
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