A new book out by Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler—Connected: The Surprising Power of Social Networks…— looks at the way personal relationships affect your life, including everything from your weight to whether or not you smoke or drink bad beer.
obesity
CA's Menu-Labeling Law Inspires Restaurants To Cut Calories
By 7.15.09
California’s law requiring that chain restaurants post calorie counts for their foods took effect earlier this month. It’s already producing results, as two chains, Macaroni Grill and Denny’s, are reexamining and revising their offerings.
Need An Ambulance? If You're Overweight, It's Going To Cost An Extra $543
By 7.4.09
An ambulance ride with American Medical Response in Topeka, Kansas will soon cost an extra $543 for folks weighing 350 pounds or more. Though AMR already owns cots that can support up to 500 pounds, they claim that because of rising demand from so-called “bariatric patients,” they now need to buy winches and “extra large and reinforced cots.”
National Menu Labeling Law Moves Closer To Reality
By 6.12.09
As states continue to adopt laws requiring chain restaurants to include nutritional information on menus, Congress has been considering proposals for a national menu-labeling law. This week, members of Congress, the restaurant industry, and consumer groups reached agreement on a proposal that they hope to introduce this summer.
Oregon Set To Require Menu Labeling For Chain Restaurants
By 6.2.09
Oregon has passed legislation requiring that chain restaurants post calorie information on menus. Oregon’s governor is expected to sign the bill.
Delicious 2,600-Calorie Baskin Robbins Milkshake Is The Worst Food In America
By 1.21.09
In their annual roundup of unhealthy restaurant foods, Men’s Health has declared the Baskin Robbins large chocolate Oreo shake the worst food in America, supplanting Outback’s bacon and ranch dressing cheese fries.
Baskin Robbins Death Shake Has 2,300 Calories
By 9.20.08
Last time I checked, an adult male should consume 2,500 calories a day, and this shake nearly meets that requirement! The saturated fat present in that shake is over 3 times the RDA of 20 grams, which will put you on the fast track for heart disease. Of course, that’s if the Type 2 diabetes caused by all 266 grams of that sugar doesn’t get you first.
Hysteria: Great, Now Whole Foods Is Making You Broke And Fat
By 8.26.08
The New York Sun says that salad and prepared food bars (at Whole Foods, for example) are making you fat. Why? Supposedly, the containers they give you are huge and lead you to unwittingly buy “supersized” portions of food for lunch.
By 8.20.08
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NBC and General Mills are planning on launching a “Biggest Loser” line of food this fall. The idea of someone sitting at home watching that show while munching a “Biggest Loser” energy bar is deeply depressing. [Entertainment Marketing Letter]
Which Restaurants Are Making Your Kids Fat?
By 8.6.08
Subway’s kids’ meals came out on top. Only a third of its Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items (apple slices, raisins, or yogurt), exceed the 430-calorie threshold. Subway is the only chain that doesn’t offer soft drinks with kids’ meals.
So how do you improve the nutrition of your kid’s meal the next time you eat at a restaurant? A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association gave the following advice:
“Don’t be too alarmed even when [studies] come out and seem hopeless,” said Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Ass>ociation spokeswoman. “With a few swaps and switches, people really can make healthier choices at these fast-food joints, especially when the decisions are made before going in.
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits UK
By 7.31.08
The Grocery Shrink Ray has expanded its range and is no longer just hitting the US. Pint-sized woe has befallen the the UK snack section. For one, the Dairylea triangle is shrinking from 180 to 160g per cheese wheel. Other shrunken products include Rolo, Palmolive, Olvatine, Dairy Milk, Mars bars, Yorkie chocolate bars, and Pringles.Check out the company double-talk as they tried to explain away the changes, sometimes with verbal softshoe, others with oddly pugilistic rebuttals:
The 10 Fattest States In The Country
By 7.3.08
The results are in for 2008! Find out which state is the fattest three years in a row. CalorieLab says that among the fattest states, those in the West and New England rank the lowest and that states in the South and the Rust Belt rank the highest. “Rankings were computed based on a three-year average of state-by-state statistics for adult obesity percentages from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database,” according to CalorieLab. Check out the 10 fattest states, inside…
You Thought The U.S. Was The Most Obese Country? Think Again
By 6.20.08
Everyone naturally assumes that the U.S. has the highest obesity rate in the world, but you know what they say about assumptions. The Times reports that a comprehensive study released earlier in the week says that 26% of adult Australians, nearly four-million, are obese. Ok, the U.S. comes in at 25% but that’s one whole percent less than 26! In your fat face, Australia! Details, inside…
Starbucks Baristas Don't Like The New "Skinny" Drinks
By 1.2.08
A few days ago Starbucks started their new “skinny” drink program. Ordering a drink “skinny” means you’d like sugar-free syrup, non-fat milk, and no whip cream. We didn’t write about it because, um, you can already order that if you want , and we figured you didn’t really care that a basic drink order had a new marketing nickname.
By 12.7.07
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Junk food costs $1.76 per 1,000 kcal, while nutritious food costs $18.16 per 1,000 kcal, a new study finds. [NYT]
Obesity: We're Too Big For Disneyland's "It's A Small World"
By 10.29.07
Back in 1963, when the boats that carry customers through Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” ride were designed, the average male weighed 175lbs and the average female 135lbs.
Great News! Higher Gas Prices "Good" For You!
By 9.12.07
A new study from Washington University claims that “the 13 percent rise in obesity between 1979 and 2004 can be attributed to falling pump prices,” and that if gas prices were raised by $1 more, obesity levels would drop by 15% over the next 5 years. Apparently the closer the cost of a gallon of gas comes to a monthly gym membership fee, the more gym-like qualities it magically takes on.
FTC Subpoenas 44 Food Companies That Target Kids
By 8.10.07
The FTC has issued subpoenas to 44 food and beverage companies that market to kids, including Burger King, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Kraft. The companies are being called on to disclose how much they spend on their marketing campaigns to kids, as well as “specific information about their marketing practices,” by November 1st of this year.
