Have you seen the advertisement on TV in which the woman is complaining about the government interfering in what we eat? Without being political, what do you think about governments telling us what we should and should not eat?

Yes, we have seen the advertisement. Neither of us is American, so we stay ?out of local politics—and, for that ?matter, out of all politics if we can.

We do, however, see a role for government in guiding the population toward good health. Take smoking, for example. The so-called sin taxes on tobacco and alcohol have been shown to reduce consumption and to help people focus on the harmful effects. This issue has not been dragged into the political fray as being the sole purview of one side or the other.

There is a huge amount of evidence that Americans consume large numbers of “empty” calories in the form of sugared drinks of enormous size. These calories contribute to obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and so forth—all of which cost society as a whole a big bundle. Health-care costs in America are double what they are in many countries that can boast a population that is just as healthy or more healthy.

Would taxing artificially refined, unhealthful foods be different from taxing tobacco? Think of salt, for example. The Institute of Medicine calculates that a reduction in salt intake by Americans could save 100,000 lives per year. That would require a reduction not so much in the salt you sprinkle—though that is good and important—but a regulation as to how much salt food manufacturers add to the processed foods.

The salt (or sodium) you consume is not being put in by you or the home cook, but often by others making up the prepared foods we use. It has been suggested that the U. S. Food and Drug Administration be asked to take a graduated approach to having manufacturers reduce the sodium content of processed foods during the next 10 years. This would allow a gradual change in the nation’s appetite for salt, and could significantly decrease hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, etc.

The average American gets one and a half teaspoons of salt, or 8.5 grams, a day, which translates into 3.4 grams of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends less than half this amount for most of us.

Salt is found hidden in all sorts of foods. Both of us stopped ordering tomato juice on airplanes after reading the label indicating that the drink contained 800 milligrams of sodium. Salt is in breakfast cereals, cookies, and tuna, and there is a mound of it in cheese!

Some companies, such as Campbell’s, are already voluntarily reducing the sodium content of their foods. The Pan American Health Organization, along with civil society members (including health ministries representatives of the General Conference), has been recommending such reductions. As happened with tobacco, the proponents of salt, such as the Salt Institute, objected to such recommendations, but after years of debate there appears to be a wealth of support for reducing salt intake.

No one wants to cut out all salt; we need it in moderation for many body functions. But things easily get out of balance if we don’t have checks. To those of you who are health-conscious, you can check labels and avoid excess salt. For the mixed and mindless multitude, a little government protection should be welcomed!

We enjoy the provision of a good infrastructure in other areas; why not in health?

Send your questions to Ask the Doctors, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904. Or e-mail them to [email protected]. While this column is provided as a service to our readers, Drs. Landless and Handysides unfortunately cannot enter into personal and private communication with our readers. We recommend you consult with your personal physician on all matters of your health.

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Allan R. Handysides, a board-certified gynecologist, ?is the director of the Health Ministries Department of the General Conference. Peter N. Landless, a board-certified nuclear cardiologist, is an associate director of the Health Ministries department of the General Conference. This article was published on July 28, 2011.