Food $cience Touts Brand-Name Breakfast Cereals

Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise, recently wrote about a food scoring system called "The Food Compass" published in Nature Food. The authors, from Tufts University, "have led the development of the White House Conference [on Hunger, Nutrition and Health] slated for sometime in September."

The Food Compass, which gives top ratings to Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs, is absurd on the face of it. In all, nearly 70 brand-named cereals from General Mills, Kellogg’s, and Post are ranked twice as high as eggs cooked in butter or a piece of plain, whole-wheat toast. Egg whites cooked in vegetable oils are also apparently more healthy than a whole, boiled egg, and nearly all foods are healthier than ground beef.

How do sugary breakfast cereals rank higher than eggs, butter, or even plain toast? Follow the money--as always.

This isn't news for long-time readers; the US government has recommended crap diets for decades. For newer readers--it's something to think about if you think public health has anything to do with health.

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