Say More Cheese

Americans are eating more cheese than ever before, explains. A recent report on food availability and consumption from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the amount of cheese manufactured in the U.S. has nearly tripled since 1970, with mozzarella and cheddar accounting for well over half of the cheese produced.

While the U.S. leads the world in cheese production, with over 4,000 tons annually, it doesn't make the short list of leading cheese exporters in economic value, nor dooes it top the list of cheese-eating countries per capita. The French and the Greeks eat the most cheese per person.

"We saw an increase in cheese consumption starting in the late '80s as fast food became more popular, including pizza, burgers, and tacos. However, now we are seeing a great increase in the number and variety of American-made artisanal cheeses as consumers are looking to have more of a connection with their food producers, want more local foods, and are looking for new flavors and textures in their foods," says Kerry Kaylegian, dairy foods research & extension associate in Penn State's department of food science.

Specialty Foods
Cheese
Artwork: Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese

The Big Fat Surprise

"What if the crusade against cholesterol had fed the spread of obesity by encouraging a population to retreat from the very foods that would have satiated its hunger more efficiently than the hallowed grains and fruits and vegetables of the great dietary pyramid? What if the low-fat mantra had driven a population into feeling perpetually hungry? What if you were better off eating meat, eggs and dairy than a diet bloated in carbs and vegetable oils? 

"Ms. Teicholz's book is a lacerating indictment of Big Public Health for repeatedly putting action and policy ahead of good evidence. It would all be comical if the result was not possibly the worst dietary advice in history. And once the advice had been reified by government recommendations and research grants, it became almost impossible to change course... The Big Fat Surprise is more than a book about food and health or even hubris; it is a tragedy for our information age. From the very beginning, we had the statistical means to understand why things did not add up; we had a boatload of Cassandras, a chorus of warnings; but they were ignored, castigated, suppressed. We had our big fat villain, and we still do."

excerpted from "Book Review: 'The Big Fat Surprise' by Nina Teicholz" by Trevor Butterworth. The Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2015.

Health and Beauty
Give Eggs a Break
Artwork: The Big Fat Surprise