Chemical bisphenol-A, otherwise known as widely-reviled and controversial BPA, now has another bit of mud to wipe off its face. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has linked it to higher levels of obesity in kids who have more of it coursing through their bodies. While the research doesn’t conclusively say that BPA actually causes obesity, it does add to a growing heap of evidence that the stuff isn’t good for us. [More]
obesity
As If We Need Another Reason To Hate BPAs, Study Links Them To Higher Childhood Obesity Rates
By 9.18.12
AMA Says Money From Soda Taxes Should Be Used To Fight Obesity
By 6.20.12
While the American Medical Association isn’t going so far as to say we should institute a tax on sugary sodas so as to combat the obesity crisis, it did recommend that any such taxes should be used for fighting the healthy fight in America. [More]
Would You Feel More Comfortable Exercising In A Gym That Bans Skinny People?
By 6.20.12
One of the main reasons given for avoiding the gym is anxiety or embarrassment about trying to exercise while surrounded by people who are already in shape. But some gyms are now actively marketing their services to the people who need to lose the most weight, and at least one has a policy keeping the fit folks from joining. [More]
Study: Obese Moms Birth Kids With Greater Risk Of Autism
By 4.11.12
Science continues to scramble for reasons that children become autistic. The latest straw to which researchers are grasping is that children whose mothers were obese during pregnancy have an increased risk of autism. [More]
CDC Says Processed Foods Are Making Kids Fat
By 3.1.12
A major reason more than a third of American children are struggling with obesity is the copious amount of sugar they take in every day, with processed foods providing a significant share. That’s the opinion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that sugars made up 16.3 percent of boys’ calorie intake and 15.5 percent of that of girls. The CDC recommends that kids’ discretionary calorie intake be 15 percent or lower. [More]
Scientists Suggest Restricting Sugar Sales For Youngsters
By 2.2.12
Arguing that sugar is as additive as tobacco or alcohol, scientists at the University of California San Francisco say that the sweet stuff should be regulated in much the same way as those products. That means taxes to discourage consumption and age-dependent restrictions on how much can be sold to a consumer. [More]
Study: Don't Blame School Lunches For Childhood Obesity
By 1.19.12
As childhood obesity rates have increased over the last few decades, a lot of focus has been put on insuring that school lunches are healthier than the chocolate milk/cheeseburger/tater tot pig-out some of us grew up eating. But according to a new study, the real source of those extra pounds is the stuff kids are devouring when they’re not in school. [More]
Why The Worst Time To Snack Is Before Lunch
By 11.30.11
If you get hungry mid-morning, you may be better off eating lunch early rather than munching on something to tide you over. A study suggests snacking between breakfast and lunch could be a sign that your eating is out of control. [More]
American Adults Are Fatter Than In 1990 And Happy About It
By 11.28.11
The bad news is Americans are fatter today than they were in 1990, says a new Gallup poll. But the good news is that the average U.S. citizen isn’t bumming about it, and instead, we’re pretty content with the extra poundage. [More]
290lb Man Sues White Castle For Not Enlarging Booths
By 9.12.11
A 290lb stockbroker is suing White Castle because he says he can’t fit it any of their booths. He says the chain promised to make the booths bigger and even showed him schematics of the new designs, but never made the changes. [More]
Study: Even Small Amounts Of Junk Food Can Make You Fatter Over Time
By 6.24.11
According to a new study, poor eating habits you pick up over time may not make you noticeably plumper immediately, but will slowly add permanent pounds over the years. [More]
Yes, Your Job Is Making You Fat
By 5.26.11
A new study has made the fascinating discovery that the rise in desk jobs over the past 50 years has helped fuel the obesity epidemic. According to the study, less than 20% of jobs require even moderate physical activity, compared to over 40% of jobs in the 1960s. [More]
Ronald McDonald Is Still Not Being Retired
By 5.23.11
Although McDonald’s has repeatedly insisted that the company’s red-headed mascot is not about to suffer the same fate as the Frito Bandito, activists that say the clown encourages childhood obesity continue to call for his ouster. At the company’s annual meeting last week, CEO Jim Skinner defended Ronald against the charges, declaring him an “ambassador for good.”
Does Sleeping Less Lead To Eating More?
By 3.23.11
In an attempt to determine the link between sleep deprivation and weight gain, researchers at Columbia University have found that when people haven’t had sufficient sleep, they tend to eat around 300 calories more per day. [More]
Fast Food Calorie Counts Don't Stop Kids From Overeating, Either
By 2.15.11
A provision in last year’s federal health care reform bill requires all food-serving establishments with more than 20 outlets to post the calorie count of every item on the menu so customers know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. The FDA is taking nationwide an idea that some cities and counties had already put in place. It seems like a good idea in theory, but studies show that calorie counts on menus just make people say “ah, screw it” and order the same amount of food that they would have without the calorie posting–or more. A new study in this month’s International Journal of Obesity shows that children, too, fall into the same delicious caloric trap. [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]
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]
Study: When New Walmarts Open, People Get Fatter
By 1.19.11
Walmart is now the largest grocery store chain in the country, and a new study says that the more supercenters the company opens, the heavier the people living nearby become. [More]
