Who’s Winning the War on Childhood Obesity?
According to this special report from Reuters, it’s “[t]he side with the fattest wallets.” It’s the food industry side, natch. This one small paragraph speaks volumes about industry clout: At every level of government, the food and beverage industries won fight after fight during the last decade. They have never lost a significant political battle in the United States despite mounting scientific evidence of the...
Dukan’s Dumb Idea
I haven’t written much about the Dukan Diet, primarily because it’s a hybrid of the old Stillman and Atkins diets. In other words, it’s not very original. I imagine it works, just as its predecessors did. I also imagine that it suffers from the same issues that plague other rigid, exclusionary diets too – relatively low compliance and (eventual) weight regain. I haven’t seen any peer-reviewed data to...
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
The state of Georgia has a new – and controversial – ad campaign about childhood obesity. What’s controversial about it? This ABC News vid gets to the heart of it: Georgia has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the US. Supporters say it’s “…a crucial first step” and “…necessary to spark a conversation.” On the flip side, critics charge that it stigmatizes fat...
The 10 Worst Children’s Cereals
The Environmental Working Group has a new report out: “Sugar in Children’s Cereals: Popular Brands Pack More Sugar Than Snack Cakes and Cookies.” The title doesn’t leave much to the imagination, does it? Ditto the teaser on the cover: “Most parents say no to dessert for breakfast, but many children’s cereals have just as much sugar as a dessert – or more.” With that kind of lead, you...
McDonald’s: 1; San Francisco County: 0
Remember the so-called “Happy Meal Ban” passed by San Francisco County last year? If you don’t: the gist of it was that fast food restaurants were banned from including toys with children’s meals, unless certain nutritional standards were met. There was a fair amount of squawking about it at the time, although I failed to see why… as I wrote: Personally, I’m not sure what the fuss is all about… for one...
This Is Just Wrong…
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cuyahoga CountyDept. of Children and Family Services has removed an 8-year old boy from his home and placed him in foster care. The reason? Obesity. At more than 200 pounds, the third-grader is considered severely obese and at risk for developing such diseases as diabetes and hypertension. …Lawyers for the mother, a substitute elementary school teacher who is also taking vocational...
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