U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
FDA Consumer magazine
July-August 2002
Table of Contents
Topics for This Issue:
The latest government figures show that about 60 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. Health professionals find this number unsettling because research has shown that excess weight and obesity place people at increased risk for many serious disorders, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer.
One indicator of overweight individuals is body mass index (BMI), a number that can signal cause for concern when it reads 25 or more. But what is BMI? How is it determined? What does the number tell you about your health? The answers and much more can be found at the Nutrition and Physical Activity site run by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The site has a handy calculator for easily figuring your BMI (for the math-inclined, the BMI formula is your weight divided by your height squared, or wt/ht2). The site also explains how to interpret BMI for children, an important consideration in light of research quoted on the site showing that about 13 percent of U.S. children and adolescents are "seriously overweight."
The Web site points out that though BMI can be a strong predictor of serious disorders, the exact role BMI plays varies by individual. Other information must be factored in by a health-care professional to determine if a high BMI is associated with risk of disease or death in each person.
For more on the subject, see "Overweight, Obesity Threaten U.S. Health Gains" in the March-April 2002 FDA Consumer and "Losing Weight: More than Counting Calories" in the January-February 2002 issue.
Finding specific science information from the many research- and technology-oriented agencies in the federal government can be a science in itself. But now there is an easy shortcut. FirstGov for Science offers a gateway to a massive amount of federal science material geared to what the site calls "science-attentive citizens," a group that includes consumers, science professionals, students, educators, and entrepreneurs.
Fourteen federal agencies and departments created the site by compiling science information with the widest appeal. The site has two features:
FirstGov for Science is one of several "cross-agency portals" hosted by FirstGov, a site that offers easy access to federal and state information and services.
The FDA has joined with the Federal Communications Commission to create Cell Phone Facts, a special Web site loaded with helpful background for users of the millions of wireless phones in operation across the United States.
The site allows browsing by category of interest such as base stations, standards, and safety concerns. Many users will find this feature adequate for basic information about cell phones. But for those who want to delve more deeply into cell phone operation, the site has an extensive list of questions and answers that discuss hands-free sets, head shields, cell-phone research, and other wireless-related subjects.
The new Web site summarizes the government's safety standards for cell phones and describes the role of both the FDA and the FCC in regulating the safety of the radio frequency (RF) energy that is transmitted from cell phones. It also defines:
What's the best way to clean a kitchen counter? Does freezing affect nutrients in foods? How do you know if fish is fresh? What's the safest way to prepare eggs?
If you have questions like these, you can get answers to them and many other food-related queries at the "Consumer Advice" Web site maintained by the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. You can learn more about using slow cookers, eating raw oysters, using food thermometers, defrosting foods, safely preparing school lunches, and taking dietary supplements. The site also has information about non-food subjects such as cosmetics and women's health. And a links section points you to other federal agency Web sites with valuable consumer information.
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