BackgroundFiscal policies to fight obesity such as taxation of unhealthy foods or sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have gained considerable attention in recent years. Many studies modelling the impact of various magnitudes of taxes on SSB purchasing and their potential effects on various health outcomes have been published; however, legislation and implementation of such taxes have encountered many obstacles in the countries that have implemented them to date. We investigated the perceptions and views of key opinion leaders, policy makers and various other Israeli stakeholders on taxation of SSBs and unhealthy snacks. We also evaluated the challenges and barriers that may be expected for initiating such a policy.MethodsA qualitative study based on 39 in-depth interviews with Israeli stakeholders in the fields of health, nutrition, economics, public advocacy and policymaking.ResultsAll stakeholders viewed obesity as a combined societal and personal issue that should be under government responsibility. Only stakeholders from economic sectors thought that taxation of SSBs and unhealthy snacks would reduce their consumption, while the prevailing notion among non-economists was that such a tax would not be acceptable because the higher price would not decrease consumption. Concerns were raised that the tax would mostly affect individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Some of the stakeholders indicated that they would support such a tax only if its revenue would be directed to specific causes such as health-promoting plans. Potential barriers to taxation include: opposition of various sectors, technical and bureaucratic obstacles impeding tax implementation, difficulties in defining which products to tax, and opposition of the treasury to earmark tax revenue for health education.ConclusionsTaxation should be a part of a multipronged strategy rather than a sole measure for fighting obesity. Dedicating tax revenues to specific predefined causes should be considered, particularly towards health promotion activities, obesity treatment and prevention, education, and subsidies of healthy food.

IntroductionBioavailability of calcium is an important consideration when designing supplements for achieving adequate calcium intake, mainly in high-risk, and aged populations. Alternative supplementation strategies may be able to circumvent absorption issues commonly seen with calcium supplements. The objective of this study was to assess the bioavailability of a single serving of two calcium formulations vs. comparator product in healthy postmenopausal women.MethodsA total of 24 participants between 45 and 65 years were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, three-phase, crossover study, with a 7-day washout period between phases. The bioavailability of calcium from calcium-carrying Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Ca-SC) or calcium-carrying Lactobacillus (Ca-LAB) in the form of postbiotic products versus calcium citrate, a conventional salt-based calcium supplement, was determined. Each product provided 630 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3. After a 14-h (overnight) fast followed by a single dose of product with a standard low-calcium breakfast, both serum and urine calcium concentrations were assessed for up to 8 and 24 h, respectively.ResultsCa-LAB resulted in greater calcium bioavailability, demonstrated by significantly higher area under the curve and peak concentration both in blood and urine, and total calcium mass excreted in urine. The bioavailability of calcium was similar for Ca-SC and calcium citrate except for the peak concentration value that was significantly higher for calcium citrate. Both Ca-LAB and Ca-SC were well tolerated with no significant difference in adverse events between the products during the study.DiscussionThese findings suggest that calcium enriched in a Lactobacillus-based postbiotic system is associated with higher levels of bioavailability as compared to calcium citrate, while a calcium-enriched yeast-based postbiotic does not influence calcium absorption.

Objectives: To assess the attitudes and perceived knowledge of health professionals regarding the food product judgmental-labelling reform that began in January 2020 in Israel. Design: Cross-sectional survey Settings: An online survey among health professionals working in the Israeli health system Participants: 456 participants (118 physicians, 207 nurses, 131 nutritionists) Results: Most respondents (89.9%) were women, 36% had over 20 years of professional experience. All nutritionists, 96.6% of physicians and 94.7% of nurses reported hearing about the reform and most (88.9% of nurses, 76.3% of physicians and 75.6% of nutritionists) claimed supporting the reform to a great - or very great extent. Most respondents believe they should discuss issues related to healthy eating with their patients (91.8% of nurses, 94.9% of physicians and all nutritionists), but only about half (47.5% of physicians and 57.0% of nurses) reported that they have sufficient knowledge in this field, particularly about food labelling. About 60.3% of nutritionists reported instructing patients to change their food intake according to labeling, versus 40.1% and 34.7% of nurses and physicians, respectively. Only some respondents felt that they could influence their patients’ nutrition habits. Most participants believe that additional regulatory measures should also be used to promote healthy nutrition. Conclusions: There is a gap between physicians’ and nurses’ desire to provide nutritional guidance to the public and their actual knowledge about the labels’ meaning and their competencies in providing nutrition counseling. When formulating a reform, policymakers should provide clear guidelines about the expectations of implementing it in therapeutic practice.