TOP 3 REASONS TO VOTE FOR US By Mark and Stacey Young
Hey All,
We are so excited because our company, Nutrex Solutions, has been nominated for the Hamilton Spectator Readers’ Choice award for best weight control service. If you wouldn’t mind taking the time to go and vote for us we’d really, really appreciate it. However, the process takes a few minutes (note that you don’t have to check off every box) so we’ve got three great reasons to take the time to vote.
1. You’d be giving us (the small independent business) a chance to beat out some of the corporate weight loss giants. Yeah…stick it the man!
2. You would ensure that the people who win this award actually care about their clients and don’t see them just as dollars and cents.
3. And if you don’t care about all that…if we win this award I’ll (Mark) shave my head, record the whole process on video, and post it on here for your amusement!
So PLEASE go vote for Nutrex Solutions. We’d really appreciate it. You have until September 25th, 2009 to get your votes in!
To go vote click HERE
September 23rd, 2009
This week Mark faces the very powerful reality that sticking to a healthy eating plan in the real world is tough work. At the same time, we’ve taken our workouts in a different direction to increase the level of intensity as our 10 week fitness makeover nears its deadline.
Check out this week’s update HERE.
June 8th, 2009
By Stacey Nolan Young
Many efforts have been made in recent years to make consumers aware of health risks and concerns throughout North America. So why is it that the obesity epidemic is growing? Are people ignoring the advice of professional organizations, doctors and experts? Or could it be that the information presented to the consumer isn’t exactly what it’s cracked up to be?
I was curious about this and decided to focus on one initiative in particular; The Health Check program.
What is the Health Check Program?
The Health Check Program is a voluntary program that evaluates food and menu items. These items must meet certain criteria developed by The Heart and Stroke Foundation and their registered dieticians as well as a Technical Advisory Committee made up of nutrition experts. It is based on Canada’s Food Guide.
Companies and restaurants submit food items to be evaluated for a “modest fee” and if they meet the criteria then the health check logo is placed on their packaging. These companies are also required to pay an annual licensing “modest” fee to participate in this program. Then the consumer sees the logo on the product or menu and assumes that this item is healthy.
But wait… a fee?
Yes, a fee. This program claims to be a non-profit, cost recovery one. According to them their costs are related to “product and packaging review, testing, program administration, promotion, consumer education and product evaluation.” As well, “any surplus will be used for nutrition education and the promotion of healthy eating for Canadians.” (source: www.healthcheck.org)
Fee Breakdown
Evaluation fee – This is to analyze the product and is paid on a per individual product basis. It ranges from $150-$700.
Annual Licensing Fee – This is paid on an annual per individual product basis. It ranges from $1,225-$3,265.
Okay so you may be thinking that this is not that bad. But consider that this is per individual product. Imagine a company like Campbell’s, for example. How many varieties of soup do you think they create? Imagine paying these fees per type of soup. That adds up to a lot of money to shell out, and really, let’s face it, some companies can afford this but that is also a lot of money in the pockets of this organization as well.
To be fair, they have put a cap on their fees. Here is that breakdown:
Food Category Maximum – If the company has 14 or more products in a given category (of which there are many) they will dish out anywhere between $16,500 to $49,500 annually.
Corporate Maximum – If the company has 4 or more food categories that they make products for then they will pay anywhere from $66,000 to $180,000 annually.
Goodness, that seems lofty. And all to get that logo on their product so that we, as consumers, will make the “healthier choice” and purchase their items. You would think that the criteria would be pretty stringent considering the cost of this program, wouldn’t you?
Well let’s just take a look at that by examining just a few of the product categories here. Products on shelves currently bear the health check logo because of these qualifications:
Breakfast Cereals *Fat content must have 3 grams or less OR no added fat
*Fibre content must be 2 grams or more
*Sodium content must be 480 grams or less
*note: Sugar content is not even mentioned at all. Obesity and ingestion of sugar, particularly the refined sugar that you find in cereals have been linked. In fact, the main problem with breakfast cereals is the high sugar content, not the fat!
*note: a food item can use the nutrient claim “very high fibre source” if there is 6 grams or more of fibre per serving whereas “source of fibre” means 2 grams or more of fibre.
Pizza *Fat content must be 10 grams or less
*Protein content must be 10 grams or more
*Sodium content must be 480 grams or less
Yes, pizza is an entire food category. These qualifications are based “per serving” and we all know that the average person is going to eat more than 1 serving of pizza.
Dinners & Entrees *Fat content must be 10 grams or less
*Protein content must be 10 grams or more
*Sodium content must be 960 grams or less
*note: the sodium content in this alone is equal to over 5 slices of pan fried sliced bacon!
What else?
The nutrient claim “light” is allowed only on foods that are either “reduced in fat” or “reduced in calories”. But it can also refer to sensory characteristics such as “light in colour”. Sneaky, sneaky.
Until December 31st, 2009, some products in the following categories proudly wear the health check symbol on your grocery store shelves:
*Puddings/Flans/Frozen Dairy Desserts
*Snack Foods (seasoned popcorn, pretzels, potato chips)
*Cookies
Apparently they have realized that these recommendations are not, in fact, healthy. The participating companies have until the end of the year and then the logo comes off of these particular food items. But hey folks, until then you can purchase these items and not worry about the negative effect they’ll have on your health! (please note the sarcasm)
What is my point?
The health check symbol and other programs like it are often misleading to consumers. Please do not assume that just because a product claims that it is healthy that it actually is. Use your heads. Check the labels. The criteria for the above examples are laughable from a health standpoint. There is no mention whatsoever of sugar content. Your food can be sugar laden and you can qualify in this program, especially if you are a company that can afford the fees to participate in the first place. You can buy your way into convincing consumers that your food is healthy.
The truth is that a product shouldn’t have to prove to you that it is healthy. When is the last time you saw a health check logo on an apple or a head of lettuce? Does the chicken breast you buy bear a logo telling you its healthy? No…it doesn’t need to. So in conclusion I ask you yet again to question things. Your health is too important not to.
May 27th, 2009
