Why does the AMA want food labels to warn of excess salt but ignores excess sugar?

Question

The AMA voted Tuesday to urge the government to require food labels to warn consumers of excess salt in consumable products.

Why does the AMA not campaign to have the government to warn consumers of excess sugar in consumable products?

Do they fear the sugar lobby?

Answer 1

Because the "sugar lobby" owns so much political and financial power in the US that this is just not going to happen unless we all stand up for ourselves and buy only reduced-sugar foods or sugar-free foods. Money, and where we spend it, is the only power we have over this issue.

Answer 2

Doubtful, more than likely the push for the warning has more to do with the awareness of an increase in heart disease than any fear of lobbiests. Salt consumption plays a huge part in that - granted sugar isn't a help either - but salt is more of a risk - and in many products, the sodium content is FAR more excessive (due to preservation use) than sugar is.

Answer 3

Too much excess salt can have immediate reprocussions and direct effects on health. Sugar just causes excess fat over a long period of time. You could technically become clinically ill from a large (and i mean large) enough salt overdose. They figure people should know enough about sugars by now.

Answer 4

Just a guess....maybe because salt causes high-per tension which leads to strokes. When you read the nutrition label on a package if the first 5 ingredients is sugar, fructose, etc. put it back on the shelf. Maybe labeling high sugar content is next.

Answer 5

That's an excellent question as sugar contributes to a large amount of weight gain in children.

Answer 6

Salt contributes to high blood pressure, which doesn't have symptoms. Sugar is not all that healthy, but you can at least see and measure weight gain.