Fat Math May 12, 2008

In the movie Pi, the main character Maximilian Cohen states his assumptions about the world. "One. Mathematics is the language of nature. Two. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers."

This has definitely been true for food since 1994 as a result of the enactment of the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) which requires all foods to be labeled according to a standardized nutrition system. Central Texans have been able to calculate the amount of total fat, sodium, carbohydrates and protein for the meals they create. Third party nutritionists have have even completed Nutrition Facts profiles for hundreds of the most common restaurants and fast food franchises, making it possible to know what you're eating pretty much all the time.

Given that the public can now calculate the proper amounts to eat in a single day and make adjustments for the amount of exercise required to use up the energy provided, you would think obesity levels should be at all time lows. But the trend is just the opposite. Between 1991 and 2001, the obesity rate among adults in Texas almost doubled, from 13 percent to 25 percent. In 2006 the adult obesity rate climbed past 25 percent and made Texas the 10th heaviest state in the country.

Not everyone looks at a nutrition label in the same way. A person with peanut allergies may be looking for peanuts as an ingredient or whether the food was prepared in a facility that also handles foods containing peanuts. A person with diabetes may be counting carbohydrates and will disregard the amount of fat or individual nutrients. A person with gluten intolerance is primarily looking for wheat. Then are the people who just look at the number of calories. We all do some form of math calculations in our head or rely on online diet Web sites to do the calculations for us.

Nutrition Confusion

Nutrition labels don't always tell you the full story in many areas. Here are some examples:

Fat Facts. While the label will list total fat content, it will not always list the percentage of calories from fat each food contains. This is important if you are trying to consume low-fat foods. If the food gets 30 percent of its calories from fat, it's considered a relatively low-fat food. Only when the fat content percentage drops below 20 percent can it be considered a true low-fat food. But you can't just look to the right side to learn the percentage of calories from fat. The percentage listed is for the Daily Value, in other words, the total amount of fat that should contribute to the average 2,000 calorie diet. To determine the actual percentage of calories from fat in any given food, divide the fat calories per serving by the total calories per serving and then multiply by 100.
Trans Fat. New York City recently banned trans fat when the board of health voted to have eateries replace trans fats with other less artery-clogging ingredients. While this may be great move to help people in New York City who eat out frequently, it has yet to be a trend sweeping the rest of the country. In addition, trans fats can still be found on the grocery store shelves in many of the products we eat. "A food can contain trans fat and you'd never know it by looking at the Nutrition Facts Label, says Seton Northwest dietitian Janessa Slatky, RD, LD. . "Take for example my fat-free vanilla coffee creamer. It states that its fat-free and there are 0 grams of Total Fat on the Nutrition Facts Label but one of the main ingredients is "hydrogenated soybean oil" (trans fat). Always read the ingredients and look for words like 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated' to clue you in on whether the product contains trans fat.
Hidden Fat. If the amount of fat in a product is less than 0.5g, it is then allowed to be rounded to 0g. Here's the gotcha! If the product contains 0.47g of trans fat per serving and the number of servings is 15, the Nutrition Facts label would indicate 0g of trans fat, yet the whole package really contains over seven grams of trans fat. As stated above, this is where reading the ingredient list, in combination with the Nutrition Facts label is advised.
Serving Size . Don't take serving sizes for granted as they may be unrealistic or confusing. "Look carefully at the serving size listed on the label," says Janessa. "You'll be surprised to learn that the nutrition information provided on ramen noodles or a frozen burrito is for only half of the food. A 20-ounce soda may have about 250 calories instead of the 100 listed on the label for a serving, which is only eight ounces." Not all food manufacturers will try and bend the rules. You'll find some that actually tell you exactly how many potato chips, on average, contribute to a single serving. "When it comes to food manufacturers, they can choose their own serving size when it comes to the Nutrition Facts Label. For example: The USDA guidelines set the serving size for pasta as 1/2 cup cooked pasta. However, the Nutrition Facts Label (which is ironically governed by the FDA) on a bag of spaghetti states a serving as one cup cooked pasta." Just be wary, advises Janessa.
Juice Fraud. Fruit and vegetable juices may be just as difficult to gauge whether or not you're getting the number of servings you think you are. Unless the label states it's made with 100% fruit juice, you'll be receiving less than a single serving. Looking at the new Food Pyramid requirements, any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed. A person's daily requirement varies from one to two cups and more if the person is more physically active. The food manufacturer may state the amount of fruit or vegetable servings outside of the Nutrition Facts label. "By reading the rest of the label, in addition to the Nutrition facts label, you'll be able to get an idea if the food meets the daily requirements," says Janessa.
Organic labeling substitutions. Labeling products 'organic' is all the rage these days and can be found on more and more products. While there are federal requirements that food manufacturers must meet to label organic, other terms can be used that are similar in nature, but without the strict regulations. "Just know that terms such as 'wholesome,' 'smart' or 'good for you' are not mandated and could mean anything," advises Janessa. "Be wise when reading. Terms that are governed are low sodium, low fat, fat-free, sodium-free, etc. Before these terms were defined a manufacturer was allowed to call their product 'light' if it was lighter in color than its original product. Unless the Nutrition Facts label backs it up, I wouldn't takeanyone's word on it being 'smart', or 'good for you'." Janessa's final advice would be, "Be smart, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is!"

For more information, read these other GoodHealth.com articles.

Portion Control Advice

Comparing Costs to Go Organic

The Age of Nutritionism & Pitfalls of the Western Diet

Janessa Slatky, RD, LD

Janessa is a clinical dietitian at Seton Northwest Hospital.

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