Comments on: And the Wankley goes to …Happy little Vegemites http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/09/and-the-wankley-goes-to-happy-little-vegemites/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:22:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: heath mitchell http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/09/and-the-wankley-goes-to-happy-little-vegemites/#comment-6360 heath mitchell Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6360 I noted the reference to an article "Childhood obesity epidemic a myth". Disturbed by this, I went to the article, and then to the UniSA website of the author's department. Please note the following excerpt from the wesite:<br /><br />The Nutritional Physiology Research Centre acknowledges the support of the following organisations:<br />DSM <br />Masterfoods  <br />So Natural <br />Meiji Dairies <br />Murray Goulburn <br />Australian Pork Ltd <br />Bartlett Grain <br />NuMega Lipids<br /><br />DSM are a food additive manufacturer supplying to food companies. Masterfoods is owned by Mars, the confectionary manufacturer. Numega is primary about fish oil additives to foods. Current research projects include the health benefits of pork in your diet, and the effects of omega 3s (fish oil) on ADHD. <br /> <br />I'm not against industry funded research. We certainly can't rely on the goverment to fund it. However, there has to be some conflict of interest disclosures with these articles. University departments are especially prone to trade off their percieved independence, often asserting that these funding arrangement make no difference. While the facts of the article are not in dispute, they were used to downplay what is clearly still a big problem. I noted the reference to an article “Childhood obesity epidemic a myth”. Disturbed by this, I went to the article, and then to the UniSA website of the author’s department. Please note the following excerpt from the wesite:

The Nutritional Physiology Research Centre acknowledges the support of the following organisations:
DSM
Masterfoods 
So Natural
Meiji Dairies
Murray Goulburn
Australian Pork Ltd
Bartlett Grain
NuMega Lipids

DSM are a food additive manufacturer supplying to food companies. Masterfoods is owned by Mars, the confectionary manufacturer. Numega is primary about fish oil additives to foods. Current research projects include the health benefits of pork in your diet, and the effects of omega 3s (fish oil) on ADHD.

I’m not against industry funded research. We certainly can’t rely on the goverment to fund it. However, there has to be some conflict of interest disclosures with these articles. University departments are especially prone to trade off their percieved independence, often asserting that these funding arrangement make no difference. While the facts of the article are not in dispute, they were used to downplay what is clearly still a big problem.

]]> By: steve martin http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/09/and-the-wankley-goes-to-happy-little-vegemites/#comment-6361 steve martin Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6361 "and score 0 for all the poor pudgy kids out there whose parents are too patriotic to cut back on the salt. "<br />Get real Sophie, according to the labeling on my Vegemite jar a serve contains only 8% of your daily salt requirements, you don't normally eat the stuff with a spoon. And in any case what has salt got to do with pudginess. Certainly it improves flavor but it doesn't contain calories. Of course too much is bad for the arteries, but this whole exercise is a media generated storm in a tea cup.<br />Oh, and by the way Kraft the maker is a US company so where does patriotism fit into the equation. “and score 0 for all the poor pudgy kids out there whose parents are too patriotic to cut back on the salt. “
Get real Sophie, according to the labeling on my Vegemite jar a serve contains only 8% of your daily salt requirements, you don’t normally eat the stuff with a spoon. And in any case what has salt got to do with pudginess. Certainly it improves flavor but it doesn’t contain calories. Of course too much is bad for the arteries, but this whole exercise is a media generated storm in a tea cup.
Oh, and by the way Kraft the maker is a US company so where does patriotism fit into the equation.

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