A new study debunks some commonly held believes about how kids pass on the flu to other kids, and to their parents, NYT reports. [More]
health
"Shocked" That It's Not Healthy, Mother Sues Nutella
By 2.7.11
A mother of a four-year old child has filed a class action lawsuit against delicious hazelnut spread Nutella. In her complaint, the mother says she was as “shocked to learn” from her friends “that Nutella was in fact not a ‘healthy,’ ‘nutritious’ food,” as advertised, “but was instead the next best thing to a candy bar.” [More]
USDA's New Guidelines Finally Listen To Tyler
By 2.1.11
“If you read the document it really is what I’ve been saying for over 2+ years. The government realized, “What’s the point in recommending all this ultra-healthy Whole Foods type of food if NOBODY listens to us? Let’s just simplify it and listen to Tyler and what he’s been saying for two years: eat less of ANY food you’d like to start off with (and learn about nutrition as you go) and just move around.” – A tongue-in-cheek email about the USDA’s new dietary recommendations from Tyler Weeks who documented his weight-loss journey to less than 200 lbs on 344pounds.com. [More]
Pepsico CEO Says "Doritos Are Not Bad For You"
By 2.1.11
“Doritos are not bad for you,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi told Fox Business News moments ago. “Doritos are nothing more than corn mashed up, fried up in oil, and flavored in the most delectable way.” [More]
Shocking New USDA Recommendations: "Just Eat Less"
By 1.31.11
For the first time ever, the USDA came out and said that in order to combat obesity, you have to eat less. So just eat a single down, okay? [More]
Get A Carved Body With This 15-Minute No-Equipment Workout Craze From 1904
By 1.27.11
Who needs a Craigslist gym or any kind of gym at all? They certainly didn’t have the list of Craig back in 1904 when Danish fitness master J.P. Müller invented his 15-minute workout called “My System.” It requires no equipment at all, took Europe by storm, and is still effective to this day, reports Slate. [More]
Adding Calories To Menus Doesn't Affect Consumption, Study Says
By 1.27.11
Though the move to require menus to sport calorie information was met with applause by health advocates, a new, limited, study of Taco Time restaurants in Seattle says they don’t change what people decide to eat. [More]
Taco Bell Releases New Statement On Class Action: We're 88% Beef!
By 1.27.11
Earlier this week a class action lawsuit was filed against Taco Bell, alleging that their beef is actually only 36% meat and the rest is “extenders” and other non-meat substances. Taco Bell’s President and Chief Concept Officer Greg Creed has released a new and more in-depth statement that goes into detail about the percentage of ingredients in the recipe, like how it contains 88% USDA-inspected quality beef. [More]
Only 56% Of Dialysis Technicians Pass New Skills Test
By 1.26.11
Almost half of the dialysis technicians in California are failing a new Federally-mandated skills test, throwing the industry’s tarnished reputation under the magnifying glass once again. [More]
Kaiser Permanente Makes Cancelling Hard, Then Sends Me To Collections
By 1.24.11
Tim has been stuck in a 7-month limbo with his ex-health insurer Kaiser Permanente that he is trying to break it off with. First he was told to write in a fax that said “I [name here] no longer want health care coverage by KP.” Then it turned out they gave him the wrong fax number, which he found out after he got a bill for missing payment. He called back and got the right fax number, was promised a refund and prorated payment, and sent in all his info. Instead, he got back a letter from the collections department. [More]
HCG Diet Products Are Fraud, Says FDA
By 1.24.11
There are tons of diet pill pages on the internet prosthelytizing the wonders of the miracle diet drug HCG, or “human chorionic gonadotropin.” You have the usual “before” and “after” pictures where you get to play that fun game of trying to figure out if they’re actually two different people, and the promises of losing 30 pounds in 4 weeks. Only problem is that HCG doesn’t work for weight loss, and an FDA exec says they may even be illegal and fraudulent. Quelle surprise! [More]
The Blueberries In Your Food Could Be Fake
By 1.21.11
Here’s something to choke on. The “blueberries” inside that muffin or cereal you love so much might not actually have ever been blueberries. Instead, they are a composite of sugars and starches that have been dyed blue. Check the label. If it says “blueberry flavored chrunchlets,” for instance, those are actually sugars, soybean oil, red #40 and blue #2. Reached for comment, Kellogg’s told NPR that the stuff is “labeled in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.” Well that takes care of that. If it’s not illegal and is profitable, do it. [More]
Cigarettes Start Giving You Cancer Within Minutes, Not Years
By 1.18.11
It doesn’t take years for smoking to start the cancer-making process in your body, but minutes, according to a new study in the Chemical Research in Toxicology. [More]
Don't Let That New Year's Resolution To Exercise Die Just Yet
By 1.18.11
Sure, this was going to be the year you worked out five days a week, but you probably haven’t even gone to the gym five times this year. Just because you’ve broken a promise to yourself and Baby New Year that doesn’t mean you can’t call for a do-over and get back to the grind. [More]
ATMs Are As Dirty As Toilets
By 1.12.11
You might want to wash your hands after the next time you take money out the cash machine. A new study shows that when bacteria harvested from both were compared, ATM keys were as dirty as the seat in a public bathroom. [More]
Drinking More Makes You Exercise More
By 1.7.11
Scientists aren’t sure why but research shows that people who drink more are more likely to exercise longer and more intensely. [More]
We Are Deluded About Our Own Obesity
By 1.4.11
The Consumer Reports National Research Center recently surveyed a national sample of 1,234 U.S. adults about their eating habits and how they maintained a healthy diet. The results? We think we’re eating healthier than we are, and we’re in denial about our own obesity. [More]
How To Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
By 1.3.11
As weather conditions force people to spend more time indoors, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning grows. The odorless gas can knock people out before they realize they’re in trouble. [More]
