PREVIOUSLY: Don't Drink Lamp Oil Or You'll Die

7. Cotton Candy
One large cone of spun sugar is 200 calories. It's practically health food.

6. Snow Cones
The sugary syrup used is 100 calories an ounce. A 12 oz. snow cone will end up being 550 calories, depending on how syrup-heavy you take it.

5. Corn Dogs
a.k.a the "nitratesicle" contains 375 calories and 21 grams of fat and 1170 mg. of sodium.

4. Deep Fried Twinkie
One deep fried Twinkie contains 420 calories and 32 grams of fat. That doesn't include any sugar or jelly topping.

3. Deep Fried Oreos
Each cookie contains 157 calories and 10.1 grams of fat.

2. Funnel Cake
An 8.3 oz. cake contains 760 calories, 44 grams of fat, 80 grams of carbs and 20 mg. of cholesterol.

1. Deep Fried Candy Bars
Everything from Snickers, Mars, Milkyway and 3 Musketeers is deep-fried and slapped on a stick. A king-size, deep-fried bar has over 700 calories and 44 grams of fat.

It's a good thing you will be spending the day walking. What's your favorite decadent carnival food?

Most Unhealthy Carnival Foods [Newsweek]
(Photo: amyadoyzie)

VitaminWater B-Relaxed Jackfruit-Guava with vitamins B and theanine
Coca Cola claims that vitamins B and theanine help fight stress. The CSPI says there is no evidence that the vitamins in this water have a calming effect. Theanine can reduce blood pressure but doesn't have an effect on mood, according to studies in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Additionally, this drink contains no jackfruit or guava, just flavors.

Dasani Plus Defend + Protect with zinc and vitamin E
Vitamin E typically only boosts immunity in large quantities in people who have a deficiency. There is evidence that zinc lozenges may shorten the duration colds, but there is no evidence to suggest that drinking zinc in water has an effect on cold duration.

Sobe Life Water Challenge Your Life with taurine and ginseng
This beverage's label doesn't say how much taurine and ginseng is in the bottle. Newsweek asked Sobe about the quantities to which they replied, "We allow customers to decide what 'challenge' means to them."

Aquafina Alive Satisfy with maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a fiber, but not a soluble fiber, so it may do nothing to keep you regular, if that is your goal.

A Healthy Drink? Try Plain Water [Newsweek]

Dear Clay,

Thank you for taking the time to chat with my office staff the other day regarding your care here at [redacted] Chiropractic.

I am sorry that you do not take your health seriously. When you decide to make your health a priority, please know we are available to help you.

I urge you to take good care of your health and contact us immediately if you run into any problems. It's been a pleasure to be of service to you.

Oh, no! He's not taking it seriously!

Spinal Manipulation [Passive Aggressive Notes]

Botulism
Botulism is caused by bacterial spores that lay dormant until conditions exist to support their growth and often occurrs when people can their own food. Symptoms include blurred vision, droopy eyelids, slurred speech and muscle weakness and usually occur 18 to 36 hours after ingesting the contaminated food.

Campylobacter
Campylobacter is an illness caused by a bacteria with the same name. This is the bacteria infamous for thriving in undercooked chicken. It is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea on earth.

E. Coli
Esherichia coli actually refers to a group of bacteria of which only a few are harmful. The bacteria live in the digestive tract of animals such as cattle, deer, goats and sheep. Typically, contamination occurs during the slaughter of the animal when bacteria escapes from the stomach and taints the meat. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting and sometimes a fever.

Listeria
Listeria causes listerosis, a disease which is 20 times more likely to afflict pregnant women than other healthy adults. Infections are typically caused by uncooked meats, raw-milk cheese, vegetables or cold cuts which have been cross contaminated in a food preparation area. Initial symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea or diarrhea.

Mad Cow Disease
Also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, mad cow disease is a degenerative disease which affects the nervous system of cattle. Humans that consume the infected animals can develop a disease that is a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease which is always fatal. "Symptoms of vCJD include dementia, memory loss, hallucinations and personality changes paired with physical changes such as jerky movements, slurred speech, difficulty walking or changes in posture or gait and seizures."

Norovirus
Infamous for running wild in cruise ships, it is a virus that can be contracted by coming in contact with a contaminated surface or from food preparers who don't wash their hands after using the bathroom. Often, people think they have the flu but it is really Norovirus. Symptoms can start 12 to 48 hours after exposure and include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches and fatigue.

Salmonella
This is another bacteria that thrives in the intestinal tracts of animals. It is spread when the animal's feces come into contact with food that isn't cooked. Symptoms start 12 to 72 hours after exposure and include diarrhea, fever or abdominal cramps.

Trichinosis
This is an infection that occurs when people eat wild mushrooms or domesticated pigs which contain larvae of the worm called trichinella. "This infection is pretty gross to describe. When you eat tainted meat, the larvae or cysts of the worms are ingested, and your stomach acid dissolves the cyst, releasing the worm, which matures in a couple of days in your small intestine.

The worms mate in there and the females lay eggs, which then develop into immature worms, travel through the arteries into the muscles and there form cysts again.

You might get a stomach ache, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue or fever in one or two days after eating tainted meat, and two to eight weeks later you may have further symptoms such as headaches, fever and chills, coughing, eye swelling, muscle or joint pain, itchy skin, constipation or diarrhea."

For more details about each illness, check out the full article.

The big 8 foodborne illnesses and what they do to you [CalorieLab] (Thanks to Mark!)
(Photo: Getty)

The article says,

The most common, widely publicized conflicts have involved pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control pills, morning-after pills and other forms of contraception. They say they believe that such methods can cause what amounts to an abortion and that the contraceptives promote promiscuity, divorce, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and other societal woes. The result has been confrontations that have left women traumatized and resulted in pharmacists being fired, fined or reprimanded.

In response, some pharmacists have stopped carrying the products or have opened pharmacies that do not stock any.

"This allows a pharmacist who does not wish to be involved in stopping a human life in any way to practice in a way that feels comfortable," said Karen Brauer, president of Pharmacists for Life International, which promotes a pharmacist's right to refuse to fill such prescriptions. The group's Web site lists seven pharmacies around the country that have signed a pledge to follow "pro-life" guidelines, but Brauer said there are many others.

"It's just the tip of the iceberg," she said. "And there's new ones happening all the time."

Virginia does not have any laws or regulations that would prohibit a pro-life pharmacy, and is not considering adopting any, according to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

Critics also worry that women might unsuspectingly seek contraceptives at such a store and be humiliated, or that women needing the morning-after pill, which is most effective when used quickly, may waste precious time.

"Rape victims could end up in a pharmacy not understanding this pharmacy will not meet their needs," said Marcia Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center. "We've seen an alarming development of pharmacists over the last several years refusing to fill prescriptions, and sometimes even taking the prescription from the woman and refusing to give it back to her so she can fill it in another pharmacy."

Everyone has their own personal beliefs regarding human reproduction. However, when it is your job to provide health services to the public, we don't understand how those beliefs are more important than the customers'.

'Pro-Life' Drugstores Market Beliefs [Washington Post]
(Photo: Getty)

According to The Age in Australia,

The report, entitled Australia's Future Fat Bomb, was released ahead of the federal government's obesity inquiry.

It presents the results of height and weight checks carried out on 14,000 adult Australians nationwide in 2005, giving the most thorough picture of obesity since the AusDiab study in 1999.

The report reveals that nine million adults have a BMI over 25, making them overweight or obese, an increase from seven million.

Four million are obese, up from three million.

Middle-aged Australians are leading the way, with seven in 10 men and six in 10 women aged 45 to 64 now registering a BMI of 25 or more.

An analysis of the data shows that there will be an extra 700,000 heart-related hospital admissions in the next 20 years due to obesity alone.

Almost 125,000 people will die as a result, many prematurely.

Enjoy your heavyweight title while it lasts Australia, we'll see you next year.

Australia wins world heavyweight title [The Age]
Australia beats US to title of most obese nation, report finds [The Times]
(Photo: earth2kim)

Graphic courtesy of WSJ:Most people are unaware that at least 18 states have laws that allow parents to extend their coverage to older dependents, whether or not they are in college, often up to ages 23 or 25. A list of these states and their age limitations can be found here.

One creative student, Phillip Ngo, was dropped from his fathers' employers' insurance once he graduated college. Even though he had a degree, Phillip decided to enroll as an online student at a local college simply to regain his student status. Once he presented proof of enrollment to his fathers' company, he was put back on the plan.

Getting health insurance is usually neither easy nor cheap, but if you familiarize yourself with your states' laws and find out details about your parents' existing plans, it could be a little easier than you think. Check out the WSJ's full article to learn about how some other young people found health insurance.

Graduates Get Creative To Find Health Coverage [WSJ] (Thanks to Mary!)
Who is Insured and For How long? [NCSL]
(Photo: Getty)

Yum Brands Serving Tomatoes [Fox 5]
(Photo: ableman)

From the economist's perspective, the question of whether we are spending too much on health care cannot ultimately be answered by looking at total expenditures relative to GDP or the federal budget. Rather, the question, whatever we spend, is whether we are getting our money's worth.

He suggested that in our current system, decisions were made with the idea that "someone else will pay for it," either the government, or private insurance.

"The best way to reduce the fiscal burdens of health care is to deliver cost-effective health care throughout the entire system," Bernanke said.

You can read the full text of his remarks here.

Challenges for Health-Care Reform [FED]
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

CBS explains the scheme,

To save taxpayer dollars, Medicaid limits how much it pays for popular forms of drugs. But it doesn't bother to set price-ceilings on rarely-used versions.

Take generic Zantac, or ranitidine, for example. The antacid is a huge seller in tablet form. Medicaid limits payment to 34 cents apiece.

The same drug as capsules has no price-ceiling because it was so rarely-prescribed. Medicaid pays $1.25 each. Walgreens figured it could pocket millions by switching patients from tablets to capsules.

The article also says,

By gaming the system, Walgreens managed to change over almost all Medicaid customers from cheap generic Zantac tablets to pricy capsules.

In Florida alone, it cost taxpayers an extra $1.2 million the first year.

And the pill-switching went on for several years nationwide, including other prescriptions: generic Prozac (fluoxetine) for depression, and generic Eldepryl (selegiline) for Parkinson's.

Walgreens denies wrongdoing and declined to be interviewed. But they recently agreed to pay back the government more than $35 million.

And they're not the only ones. CVS and Omnicare quietly settled similar cases coughing up $86 million more. The whole pill-flipping episode proves just how imperfect some drugstore chains can be.

Whether Walgreens' pharmacists are secretly mocking you, or just being so incompetent that they prescribe a drug that causes a miscarriage, it seems they can do nothing right. Hopefully, this little multi-million dollar fiasco they've created will be a catalyst for change at the woeful pharmacy, but we won't hold our breath.

Walgreens Accused Of Scamming Taxpayers [CBS]
(Photo: Okasan1)

"PVC is just bad from cradle to cradle," said Martha Dina Argüello, executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. "It's a mess when you create, it's a mess when you get rid of it, and it's off-gassing when you're using it."

So is it possible to buy PVC-free shower curtains? Yes! Target and Sears/Kmart say they're phasing out PVC, while Bed Bath & Beyond is increasing the number of PVC-free curtains it offers. However, the authors of the report said that Wal-Mart didn't respond to repeated requests for its PVC policy—which is odd, considering how quickly it moved to announce it would pull BPA products from shelves back in April.

"That 'new shower curtain smell' gives off toxic chemicals, study finds" [Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: Getty)

CNET says,

According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), specific absorption rate, or SAR, is "a way of measuring the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body." For a phone to pass FCC certification, that phone's maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6W/kg (watts per kilogram). In Europe, the level is capped at 2W/kg while Canada allows a maximum of 1.6W/kg. The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC. Keep in mind that it is possible for the SAR level to vary between different transmission bands and that different testing bodies can obtain different results. Also, it's possible for results to vary between different editions of the same phone (such as a handset that's offered by multiple carriers).

Graphics courtesy of CNET:

10 Most Radiation Emitting Cellphones


10 Least Radiation Emitting Cellphones

Don't see your phone listed? Search for your phone by brand on CNET.

Cell phone radiation levels [CNET]
(Photo: Getty)

(Photo: Getty)

Frank writes,

The other day I went to pick up my prescriptions at my local CVS #1323 in Cressona Pa. The weather outside was about 97 and very humid. I looked forward to going inside in hopes of cooling down a little bit.

I got inside the mall which was nice and cool. When I got into CVS I was hit with nothing but heat. As I made my way back to the pharmacy I could swear it was getting hotter and hotter.

I got to the pharmacy counter and noticed all the employees had thier usual labcoat attire off and they were sweaty. I took a glance at the digital thermometer they had there and couldn't believe my eyes. The thermometer said it was almost 93 in there!!! 93!!

That brought some questions to mind which I relayed to the pharmacy staff. How are all the medications stored back there still good after being kept in those kind of temps? How long exactly has the AC been broken and why hasn't it been fixed yet?

I didn't get many answers. The only thing I got was the following, "The AC has been broken for over a year and a half now. CVS is too cheap to buy an air conditioning system. It is like this every year and they don't care!!" That was told to me by a sweaty employee, which brings another question to mind. How safe is it exactly to have human sweat dripping on the overheated medication they are dispensing?

After seeing that and losing about 10 lbs in the process from sweating, I asked to have my prescription transferred to another pharmacy. I hope this little bit of info comes in handy. I am sure others around my area would like to know how their meds are stored and what the people have to work in that are handling their meds.

We doubt the sweat is that dangerous, but it's certainly gross to imagine a big fat salty drop of brow sweat falling into a pill bottle right as the cap's being screwed on.

(Photo: Getty)

10. Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite
Found in: bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef.
Used to stabilize food color and add flavor. When grilled it transforms into a reactive compound that has been linked to cancer.

9. BHA and BHT
Found in: many foods such as cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils.
It prevents fats and oils from going rancid. For some people it can increase their cancer risk.

8. Propyl Gallate
Found in: meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum.
Also prevents fats and oils from spoiling. While not proven to cause cancer in humans, it is linked to cancer in animals.

7. Monosodium Glutamate
Found in: soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. The infamous MSG, associated with Asian food can cause headaches and nausea for some people. Try using a moderate amount of salt as a healthier alternative.

6. Trans Fats
Found in: numerous foods, fast food.
Too much trans fat has been proven to cause heart disease and other serious health conditions. Experts recommend consuming no more than 2 grams per day.

5. Aspartame
Found in: low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks.
Studies have shown that lifelong consumption may increase risk of cancer or other neurological problems.

4. Acesulfame-K
Found in: baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts.
Not proven to be unhealthy, but studies on this additive have been scant. If that concerns you, then you may want to avoid this sweetener.

3. Food Colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6
Found in: products too numerous to mention.
These colorings have been linked to cancer in animals, while Yellow 6 has been linked to bladder cancer in humans.

2. Olestra
Found in: reduced fat snack chips.
Olestra blocks fat absorption but blocks vitamin absorption as well. It can also cause severe diarrhea, cramps and gas.

1. Potassium Bromate
Found in: white flour, breads, and rolls.
Most bromate breaks down into a harmless form, however, small amounts can create a risk for people. California requires a cancer warning on products with this ingredient.

12 Food Additives to Avoid [MSN Health]
(Photo: ableman)

My thyroid medication, having been around for 40+ years, has been considered a generic for years by every insurance company I've had in the the past five years (same employer, but the plans keep changing). The costs for my usual three-month prescription have been going up, from 15$ 5 years ago up to 30$ for the past couple of years. So I was a little surprised that yesterday BlueCrossBlueShield of Maryland would only pay $14.92 on a $75 total for my usual 3-month prescription, leaving me to pay $60.08 as a co-pay.

Now an extra 30$ extra every three months won't make me broke, but I do wonder why I'm paying 120$/month for insurance that is basically useless to me. I called BlueCross and their response was that my prescription isn't considered a generic anymore but a "nonpreferred Tier 3 medication" (whatever that means) with a copay of $100. Since the total cost of my prescription is $75, they "pay" a pro-rated percentage. When I asked about my limited options were since I'm already taking a "generic", their response (and this is a quote) was "we can change our copays at any time".

I can't be the only one in this situation, since thyroid hormones are among the most prescribed medications in the country. Since I don't have a thyroid, not taking medication isn't an option for me.

I also wrote to my employer: it's a small company, so BCBS is the only option we have for insurance. We all just renewed our insurance on 5/1/2008, and the paperwork we were all given in April to mull over said my prescription would remain @$30 for a a three-month supply.

I do have an out as far as changing insurance companies, since I'm getting married and my future husband can add me to his insurance. The wedding isn't until next year, however, so we may have to go to the courthouse in the very near future - like next week - so I can get better health insurance.

First, the bad news. Along with Synthroid, Levoxyl is actually brand name (source: Drugs.com, Medicine.net). I don't know whether the insurers in the past mistakenly said it was a generic or what, but it looks like BCBS is right.

Now, the good news. The generic for Levoxyl is levothyroxine, and Target will sell you a 3-month supply for $10. So will Wa-Mart.

Even if you're paying for this out of pocket, it's cheaper than your copay was even 5 years ago. Hope this saves you some money, and a trip to the courthouse. Of course, consult your doctor first before switching out any medication (especially as some commenters are saying generics can actually vary subtly from the brand name, and some patients can have adverse reactions to different kinds of thyroid meds). Here's another potentially useful idea from commenter Bohemian:

"Some people can't take the generic versions of the brand name thyroid medications. They do actually have a different formula to them so some people are unable to properly absorb the generic drug.

She could try disputing the BCBS change. Most BCBS plans still consider synthroid to be a lower tier medication so the copay is cheap. Sometimes a doctor's note stating that the patient can not take the generic alternative is enough to get an exception to the increase thus putting the drug back to the lower tier pricing."

(Photo: trekkyandy)

There are two seals in place when the product is manufactured. One seal is a tamper band connected to the cap that separates upon opening the bottle, the other is a vacuum seal that is created during pasteurization. In rare instances, this vacuum seal may be broken. This may typically occur when a bottle experiences high impact due to rough handling through distribution. Air may potentially get into the bottle and mold may then be able to develop. As with any natural product without preservatives, such as bread and fruit, contact with outside air can cause a common mold to form. This is not something that would cause any health issues.

The rep also told me that this is not the first time Vitamin Water has heard of/seen instances of these kinds of molds in their bottles. So, no hazard, beyond the gag factor of finding a harmless mold in your drink,and perhaps even the potential for a science fair project idea! The original photos, all big-size, inside...

(Pics courtesy of readers Jenny and Steve!)

PREVIOUSLY:
Gross Skin-Looking Thing Found In Vitamin Water
More Gross Stuff Found In Vitamin Water

5. Worst "Healthy" Drink
Glaceau VitaminWater (any flavor 20oz bottle)
130 calories, 33 grams of sugar.
Vitamins and water might seem like a good idea but what they don't advertise is that this water contains nearly as much calories and sugar as a can of soda. It should be no surprise that this stuff is made by The Coca-Cola Company.

4. Worst Juice Imposter
Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (23.5 oz can)
360 calories, 84 grams of sugar.
These bottles which are just 5 percent juice cost 99 cents which makes them one of the cheapest source of empty calories in the country.

3. Worst Smoothie
Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 oz)
169 grams of sugar, 30 grams of fat
Whether you call it a smoothie or a milk shake, it has more sugar than a bag of chocolate chips.

2. Worst Summer Cocktail
Pina Colada
625 calories, 75 grams of sugar
Because of the super sweet pineapple juice and fatty coconut milk, the only wise thing to consume here may be the garnish. Try a lime daiquiri or mojito instead and save 400 calories.

1. The Unhealthiest Drink In America
Baskin Robbin's Large Heath Bar Shake (32. oz)
2,310 calories, 266 grams of sugar, 108 grams of fat
73 ingredients go into this milk shake.
66 teaspoons of sugar.
11 Heath bars equal the calories in this shake
8-12 minutes to consume this drink.
240 minutes on a treadmill running at a moderate pace to burn it off.

America's Unhealthiest Drinks Exposed [Men's Health] (Thanks to Robert!)
(Photo: Getty)

The chemicals industry maintains that polycarbonate bottles contain little BPA and leach traces considered too low to harm humans. The industry cites multiple studies in the United States, Europe and Japan.

But the lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in New Haven, contends that hundreds of studies and papers have repeatedly shown that BPA can be toxic even at extremely low doses.

"Lawsuit filed against plastic baby bottle maker" [MSNBC]
"U.S. lawsuit alleges plastic baby bottles contain dangerous chemical" [The Canadian Press]

The Debunked Myths:

10. It's OK to eat boxed pizza out of the garbage.
Leftover pizza that hasn't been refrigerated within two hours after being served can be dangerous, whether or not it has been in the garbage.

9. Moldy food can be salvaged.
Actually by the time there is visible mold, there are probably other malevolent bacteria already present. Moldy food should be thrown out. The exceptions to this rule are firm fruits and cheeses which can be saved if you cut an inch beyond the moldy area.

8. You should never buy food past its "sell by" date.
"Sell by" dates have a built in grace period, therefore if you buy some food a few days after the "sell by" you should be safe as long as you eat the food within about 24 hours.

7. The five-second rule
Some people consider this more of a joke than an actual myth but don't be confused since it only takes a split second for bacteria to attach itself to some dropped food.

6. Frozen turkey can be thawed on the counter.
A defrosting a turkey on the counter is the perfect storm for salmonella and other baddies which can easily cross contaminate your food if turkey juice is flowing freely on your counter top. You should thaw the turkey in water below 40F or let it thaw in the refrigerator in a container or dish where the juices can't escape.

5. Don't swim for at least a half-hour after eating.
Your mother probably tried to lay this one on you since digestion diverts oxygen away from the extremities, a common cause of cramps. Nowadays experts agree that there is ample oxygen in the body for digestion and skeletal muscles. Sorry, Mom.

4. Hamburger meat shouldn't be brown on the inside.
The reddish color in meat, also called bloom, is actually the result of a reaction between the meat and oxygen. If the inside of the patty is brown it indicates a lack of oxygen exposure and poses no health risk.

3. Meat soaked in alcohol can be left marinating outside of the fridge.
Unless your meat is submerged in grain alcohol, the normal alcohol in meat marinades which is further diluted with the meat's juices will have very little effect against killing bacteria.

2. Gum remains in the stomach for 7 years.
It is true that gum cannot be completely digested by the body but it will pass through the digestive system and not be lodged in you for an inordinate amount of time.

1. Seafood is more likely than other meats to cause sickness.
According to the FDA you are 10 times more likely to get food poisoning from chicken than fish. However, fish still needs to be properly inspected and stored to be safe.

Asylum Debunks 10 Gross Food Myths [Asylum]

(Photo: Getty)

In the year that's passed since our original post, there's been quite a bit of controversy over nutrition information — city and state governments have tried (with varying degrees of success) to pass regulations that would require fast food and chain restaurants alike to post nutritional information where customers would see it while ordering. When New York City passed a law forcing restaurants who already provided nutritional information to post calorie info on menus, some restaurants pulled their nutritional information from their websites rather than be forced to disclose it on the menu. Now that the dust has finally settled (NYC's original law was overturned and they passed a new one that required chains with more than 15 locations to post calorie information on menu boards), we decided to take a look at fast food and chain restaurant websites to see what, if any, effect the scuffle had on the availability of nutritional information.

We have good news. More restaurants are posting nutrition and allergen information than a year ago, and the information is featured more prominently on restaurant websites. There are a few exceptions, of course. A few restaurants have taken a step backwards or are treading water. Chains like Red Lobster, Applebee's and Olive Garden are notoriously unwilling to divulge too much information. Outback Steakhouse is full of suggestions on how to order healthier versions of their menu items, but that's about it. Quiznos has a list of low calorie menu items, but when you compare their information to Subway's website with its extensive nutrition section... well, you get the idea. For the most part, however, nutrition and allergen information is getting top billing on fast food websites, and that's a step in the right direction.

So without further ado:

Consumerist's Ultimate Fast Food Nutrition Guide: 2008

(Photo: Tom Simpson )

City health officials said the victim, whose identity was not released, was admitted to the hospital complaining of chest and abdominal pain. He died two days later.

Health officials said the hardened resin, made with venom from toads of the Bufo genus, contains chemicals that can disrupt heart rhythms.

The aphrodisiac was supposed to have been applied to the skin, not eaten, but authorities said even that use can be harmful. "There is no definitely safe way to use it," said Dr. Robert Hoffman, director of the city's poison control center. "Don't buy it. Don't sell it. If you have it, don't use it. Throw it out."

The same type of product killed a 40-year-old man in Brooklyn in 2002 and at least four New Yorkers in the early 1990s. A 17-year-old boy also fell seriously ill, but survived following hours of aggressive treatment.

Following that outbreak, city investigators went looking for the poison and found it was being sold sporadically in grocery stores, smoke shops and from street vendors. Inspectors have been on the lookout for the stuff ever since, but identifying it isn't always easy. It is sometimes sold in packaging labeled only in foreign languages.

It isn't clear how available the aphrodisiac is elsewhere in the U.S., although some similar products have been seized from suspected drug traffickers in other East Coast cities, authorities said.

We're not aware of any hard and fast rules regarding aphrodisiacs but we're thinking that anything containing "venom" should probably be avoided. Ebay, which seems to be content nowadays catering to scammers and general riffraff, lists similar products up for auction, however, none of the descriptions specifically mention toad venom.

NYC issues warning after aphrodisiac kills man [AP]
(Photo: AP)

As we wrote a year ago, when the district court decision was handed down, the current USDA testing scheme for mad cow tests only the cattle that the USDA has dubbed "high risk," which ends up being less than one percent of America's beef. Creekstone Farms claimed that it has lost business in Japan and South Korea due to the mad cow scare in the U.S. a few years ago, and that it would like to reassure its domestic and international customers by testing all of its cattle. To that end, the company built its own testing center and was prepared to begin testing its beef, but the USDA, which regulates the sale of mad cow testing kits, blocked the sale. The lower court case turned on an interpretation of the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, which regulates, among other things, products "intended for use in the treatment of domestic animals." The district court pointed out that there is no treatment or cure for mad cow disease, and the tests are only performed on dead animals, thus the tests should not be regulated by the USDA under this act.

For its part, the meatpacking lobby ("Big Meat") opposes Creekstone Farms, citing fears that if Creekstone tests all its beef, consumers will force other meatpackers to do so, leading to more expensive beef.

U.S. Wants to Stop Increased Testing for Mad Cow [CNN]
Creekstone Farms v. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Virus-Serum-Toxin Act
(Photo: Yogi)

The good news is that Ander has gotten checks from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. The bad news is that they're $6265 off the mark of what he should be getting. He has worked with BCBS and the Florida Insurance Commissioner, but neither has been able to successfully make BCBS' check-sending system match the reality of their financial obligations to Ander...

I’m a long time reader, but I’ve never posted anything. I need help, I’m at the end of my wits. Here’s the down-low:

December 10th, 2007 I had a bi-lateral arthroplasty on my jaw for TMJ. This was medically necessary as proven by an MRI and approved beforehand by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of FL. The grand total came to $7125, and since the doctor was a non-participating provider I had to pay in full up front and the doctor’s office would file with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of FL for me to get reimbursed.

A couple weeks later I called up the automated claims line to check the status and it said it was denied, and the human rep I was transferred to said it was for lack of information on the claim. Come to find out, the doctor’s office had submitted it with the office provider number, not the doctor’s number which BC/BS required. It was immediately refilled with the correct number. I called to check on it a couple weeks later to find it was denied AGAIN for the same reason. The info was faxed over again and this time I spoke to Felicia and got a confirmation number that they did actually get the info. Two weeks later it’s the same deal. They never got the info.

Now I’m getting a little frustrated. I called the Insurance Commissioner on 2-19-08 and was working with Debbie. She spoke to the insurance lady at the doctor’s office and we sent Debbie all the information we had: the original claim, the EOBs, everything. Debby sent BC/BS a nice letter stating they had 30 days to remedy the claim. About a month later I got a check in the mail and a letter from Debby saying the claim was resolved! Too bad it was $430 for a claim that was less than half of what it should be. I called back Debby and told her NO, it was NOT resolved. She said there was nothing else she could do and I should speak with my local insurance rep at my work who could file a grievance and appeal.

I decided to call up customer service one more time on 5-5-08. This time I spoke with Stephanie who was very helpful. I told her the whole deal and explained that the claim should be filed with the $7125 amount, not $3100 for a claim that I or the doctor’s office still don’t know what is for. She then did reprocess the claim with the correct amount and correct provider number and furnished me with a reference number. Thursday, 5-15-08, I got another $430 check for the aforementioned mysterious claim.

Today, 5-20-08, I called a lawyer to set up a consultation. I’d really rather just get my claim paid than have to go through all this legal nonsense. Please Consumerist, do you or the venerable hive-mind have any tips, or can find me some addresses I can drop a formidable EECB on? Thanks for any help.

We'll help you get that EECB started. It looks like the email address format is lastname.firsname@bcbsfl.com, or sometimes just lastname@bcbsfl.com.

Here are some company executives:

Robert I. Lufrano Chairman and CEO
R. Chris Doerr EVP, Chief Administrative Officer, and CFO
Fred Ryder SVP, Corporate Development and Strategy
George W. Foyo [President, Operations, South Florida]
Tony Jenkins [President, Market]
Daryl Veach [Chief Actuary & Vice President]
Jeannette W. Ekh [Chief Information Officer]

How did we figure this out?

1. We googled Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.
2. The website is bcbsfl.com
3. We googled *@bcbsfl.com
4. Glancing through several pages of results we saw an email address or two that gave us the company format.
5. BCBSFL's Google Finance page had some of their high level execs.
6. Googling "Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Florida" gave us some more execs.
7. Now just combine and you'll have yourself a functional executive email carpet bomb.

(Photo: Getty)

These steps assume that you have gotten treatment and are certain that your policy covered your doctor, service, and diagnosis.

"1. Call the insurance company to get a clear explanation of the denial.

2. If they do not believe it is an error, ask if there is any way that a 1 time "pay and educate" exception can be made to cover it. For many small dollar situations, large companies will make a one time exception without having to proceed further.

3. For denied claims, ask the insurance company the exact reason for denial.

3a. If it is a policy exclusion, they should be able to reference what the exact exclusion is in your policy. If it is truly excluded, the company may have no right to actually pay the claim. Polices represent contracts and paying an exclusion for you can potentially get the insurance company in trouble with the department of insurance.

3b. If the denial is due to the provider not participating with your policy/insurance company, ask if there has been a change in the provider recently. For situations where that has not happened, be sure to include why you believed the doctor to be in your network in your appeal.

3c. If a denial is due to a medical guideline, check with you doctor. You should be able to get guidelines on the exact medical criteria from the insurance carrier, sometimes just from the website. By consulting your doctor's office, you may be able to provide information to show that you do meet whatever criteria led to the denial.

4. Finally, if the above does not work, be sure to follow the appeal process that is outlined in your policy document. In the appeal, make sure to explain exactly what happened and why you felt the process you followed was correct. In the appeal letter, try to explain your case to show that you understand the process/coverage now and that you would have followed the guidelines if you had known before the service.

5. If your appeal is turned down, follow the steps to continue to the next level appeals process, but make sure to respond to the denial letter with more information rather than just resending the same letter again.

If you follow these guidelines, this should provide what you need for getting a fair shake with the appeals team."

Thanks, Deep Ears, Nose, and Throat! Have any of you readers been in a situation where the insurance company denied coverage when you thought it was covered? How did you deal with it?

(Photo: Getty)

A representative for a Sonic restaurant in Eunice, Louisiana has admitted that two of their employees were spitting in customers' drinks. "It was brought to my attention by the manager of the store that the incident was brought to his attention that an employee had spit in a drink of a customer," said the rep. Oh, good. So long as something was brought to someone's attention.

Several customers at the restaurant said their drinks were spiked with saliva.

"(My daughter) came up here and got a soda and come to find out some girls spit in the drink" father Joe Lawrence said.

A Sonic representative told KFLY-TV that the incident has been investigated and action has been taken.

How can you tell if someone spit in your cherry lime? Beats us. It might be best to just request no spit the next time your order from the Eunice Sonic.

"Fast-Food Workers Spit In Customer Drinks" [Local6.com] (Thanks to Jian!)
(Photo: trekkyandy )

According to recent studies, 1 out of every 100 hospital patients receives some sort of negligent treatment and only 30% of those errors are disclosed to patients. The traditional thinking is that any admission of the doctor's guilt invites litigation. However, some medical centers such as Johns Hopkins and Stanford are trying the apologetic