Nine in 10 Americans eat too much salt: CDC

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 6/24/10 | Julie Steenhuysen

[NormsRevenge]

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Nine out of 10 Americans eat too much salt with most of them getting more than twice the recommended amount, according to a survey by U.S. government researchers.

They said an estimated 77 percent of dietary sodium comes from processed foods and restaurant foods.

"Sodium has become so pervasive in our food supply that it's difficult for the vast majority of Americans to stay within recommended limits," said Janelle Peralez Gunn, public health analyst with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who led the study of salt consumption.

"Public health professionals, together with food manufacturers, retailers and healthcare providers, must take action now to help support people's efforts to reduce their sodium consumption," Peralez Gunn said in a statement.

The study said most Americans consume 3,466 milligrams of sodium a day, more than twice the recommended limit. Much of the excess sodium comes from foods like pizza, cookies and meats, it said.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Proposed new guidelines for 2010 would lower that to 1,500 mg.

Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, which can cause kidney failure and strokes. The Institute of Medicine in February declared high blood pressure a "neglected disease" that costs the U.S. health system $73 billion a year.

According to the CDC survey, grain-based foods account for the biggest proportion of salt in the American diet, providing 36.9 percent of the total average intake of 3,466 milligrams.

That is followed by foods containing meat, chicken and fish, which account for 27.9 percent.

[Blogger]

Stay away from my shaker.

[EGPWS]

Too much salt, too much meat, too much oil, too much work, too much leisure, too much drinking, too much sun, too much water, too much sleep, too much insomnia, too much carbon, too much sex, too much freedom......

[sodpoodle]

something else I’ll take with a grain of salt.

[Haiku Guy]

Dear CDC,

F*ck Off.

That is all.

[Haiku Guy]

And waaaaaay too many guns...

[Hugin]

In other news, new studies show grass is green and water is wet.

[OneWingedShark]

1 out of 1 me says:
What the hell is the CDC doing looking at people’s SALT intake? Unless that’s the main vector (or indicator) for some contagion they have NO BUSINESS there!

May God Damn Government Mission Creep!

[OldDeckHand]

"Stay away from my shaker."

Yep. While I agree with the premise that Americans consume far too much sodium, it's really none of the government's business. I'm all for disclosure and transparency - so long as food producers are properly disclosing sodium content on their labels, it's entirely up to the consumer to be more discriminating.

There are movements afoot in the larger cities to regulate salt in restaurants just like they've regulated trans-fats. It's really just another gateway to higher taxes, nothing more.

[OneWingedShark]

BATFE — “Taxing & Reguulating everything ‘fun’ in life.”

[cripplecreek]

If I eat too much salt my heart will explode and I’ll achieve carbon neutrality sooner.

Seems like a win win for them.

[EGPWS]

And waaaaaay too many guns...

FMCDH!

[edcoil]

Lets see now there were good eggs, then bad eggs now good eggs

There was good milk, then bad, now good milk

There was good coffee, then bad now good again

Next was wine - good, bad, good, bad, good

Now the nanny’s want to go after salt. If it is bad, tell them not to eat it and let others live their lives.

[OldDeckHand]

"Unless that’s the main vector (or indicator) for some contagion they have NO BUSINESS there!"

I wouldn't agree with that, it is the Center for Disease Control. Hypertension, heart & coronary artery disease are just that - diseases. The CDC has a research and education role, but the government doesn't (or shouldn't) have a regulatory role. It's their role to inform you what's dangerous to your health. It's your role to head or ignore that advice.

[ntmxx]

Just in, Nine out of Ten Americans are ugly, stupid or defective;

What does the CDC propose to do about it?

[taillightchaser]

Don’t tell the messiah this or we will have to pay a huge salt tax.

[EGPWS]

“Taxing & Reguulating everything ‘fun’ in life.”

And then some...VAT, just around the corner.

[Dallas59]

What about Swine Flu....oh I am sorry.....H1N1?

[Dr. Sivana]

And waaaaaay too many guns...

Nine in ten Americans eat guns?

[Gene Eric]

>> What the hell is the CDC doing looking at people’s SALT intake?

The bureaucrats are out of control.