SoFAS are not just a comfy piece of furniture in your living room, otherwise known as a couch. This term also stands for items in our food stream that are probably the root cause of the growing weight and increasing chronic illness in our culture.
SoFAS is an abbreviation for “Solid Fats and Added Sugars.” SoFAS have been identified as a key problem in the American diet and will be one important focus of the soon to be released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
For the past 2 years a group of nutrition and medical experts have been at the task of designing the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This set of principals is revised every 5 years at the instruction of the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture. The experts have released their preliminary findings, and now we enter a time of public comment ultimately leading to a final document.
It isn’t surprising that much attention has been given to SoFAS in the report. “We have known for some time that Americans are consuming too many highly processed foods,” says Glenda Kinder, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
What the committee was surprised to discover is that 35 percent of the calories Americans consumed, whether you are male or female, whether you are young or old, come from two ingredients: solid fats (saturated fats and transfats) and added sugar (of all kinds). Researchers found that 900 calories per day for a teenager come from SoFAS and about 700 calories a day for an adult woman.
The reason for this is not that we choose to eat a lot of added sugar and unhealthy fat; it is because SoFAS have been added in high amounts to so many foods. This goes way beyond the obvious, like sugar sweetened beverages. SoFAS have also been added to most foods we buy: cereals, salad dressings, soups, sauces, most snacks and desserts. The food supply is overloaded with these two high calorie ingredients.
To improve the health of Americans, we need to gain a better awareness of the damage from SoFAS and to know how to decrease their presence in the food we eat. Kinder suggested that we begin by looking carefully at the foods we eat and buy fewer products with added fat and sugar. Use the nutrition facts label and the ingredient list on packaging to track what’s in the food you buy.
Be especially aware of sweetened beverages and how much sugar you’re drinking. Also, make smart choices when eating out and consume more whole, less processed food. Your health will be better and waistline trimmer if you make changes that lead to fewer SoFAS in your diet.
