Salty tears: dietary paternalism.

• Author: Sullum, Jacob
• Position: Citings - Brief article

NEW YORK CITY is trying to cut the salt in prepared food, a policy that could have a nationwide impact since it relies on the cooperation of restaurant chains and manufacturers whose products are sold throughout the country. Yet the science underlying the project is so shaky that the resulting dietary changes could do more harm than good.

New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley aims to reduce the sodium content of restaurant and packaged food by an average of 25 percent in the next five years because "we all consume way too much salt." But there is remarkably little evidence to support that assertion. Decades after the federal government began urging Americans to cut back on salt, the advice remains controversial among scientists. While studies suggest that a minority of people with high blood pressure--about 30 percent--would benefit from a low-salt diet, that group represents just 10 percent of the population.

In a 2000 review of the evidence, Michael Alderman...