Diet is an important modifiable risk factor for obesity. Although it is well-known that excess calories lead to weight gain, diet is beyond just counting calories. In nutrition, diet is the sum of food we consume. What we eat, when we eat, and how we eat all play a role in how our body takes in and uses energy.
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Diet is a huge contributor to and risk factor for chronic diseases. The calories and nutrient content in food explain much of this relationship, but researchers have discovered bacteria that live in the human gut and could contribute to disease as well.
If you browse a supermarket aisle in Chile, you’ll notice something different about the candy bars, sodas, and potato chips – these and other unhealthy foods are likely to display one or more stop sign logos on their packaging, warning you about high levels of sugar, salt, fat, or calories. Since 2016, Chile has required these warning labels on the front of any product with higher-than-recommended levels of these nutrients. The country required these warnings as part of a suite of policies meant to curb obesity and other diseases linked to poor diet. Following Chile’s lead, five other countries have passed food and beverage warning policies. In the U.S., lawmakers in five states have also proposed warning labels that would apply specifically to soda and other sugary drinks. 
“How do you know that spring is coming? Magazines start calling to ask if grilled meat causes cancer.” That was the “joke” we told each other in the National Cancer Institute’s press office – as predictable as the seasons themselves, we’d start getting calls in late winter from writers who wanted to know about the dangers of the backyard barbeque. Their questions were always similar -- do grilled meats cause cancer? How? Was meat healthier if it was cooked a different way? Did the type of meat matter? How much meat is “safe” to eat?
When I was in elementary school, the quintessential school-bought lunch contained a generic deli meat sandwich slathered with mayo, a carton of milk, and a bag of overly salted potato chips. Delicious and loved by nearly every student, the food being served was far from nutritious. The standards for school lunches have drastically changed after the implementation of federal policies, particularly the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010. This bill provided funding for school meals and child nutrition, promoted overall student wellness, and, perhaps most notably, set very clear standards for making school meals healthier by including key reforms to school meals such as increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
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