Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Soda Tax Revenue Projections
I’m not advocating for or against soda taxes at this point (though, earlier I was definitely against the idea). Â There are many pros and cons to this issue that need to be studied further before any actual implementation. Â Plus, there are other avenues of curbing soda consumption that should be considered. Â For instance, ending subsidies [...]
September 28, 2009
Tags: pepsi, soda, sugar Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Health 
One Comment
Egypt Becomes A Pigsty Without Pigs
In an attempt to curb the spread of HINI influenza, commonly referred to as ’swine flu’, Egypt’s officials ordered the culling of every single pig in the nation. Â Egyptian officials now claim that the measure was not related to the swine flu pandemic, but rather about cleaning up the filth in a local neighborhood that [...]
September 25, 2009
Tags: bacon, Health, policy, waste Posted in: Health, Politics No Comments
Dairy Farms Contaminate Water And Get Away With It
According to the EPA, agricultural runoff is single largest polluter of the nation’s rivers and streams. However, thanks to years of paltry EPA authority and the lax legislation imposed during the Bush administration, their hands are pretty much tied when it comes to stopping it. There are laws in place that have big [...]
September 21, 2009
Tags: agriculture, Barack Obama, change, cows, farmers, green, Health, moms, policy, USDA Posted in: Health, Politics 2 Comments
The Future Of Health Care Is Fighting The Farm Lobby
In an op-ed piece for the New York Times, Michael Pollan portends the entangled futures of health care, obesity, and insurance companies. Just as the insurance companies joined governmental efforts to rally against smoking, Pollan foresees insurance companies tackling obesity. This is necessarily after upcoming health care reforms.
Even the weaker versions of reform [...]
September 11, 2009
Tags: agriculture, Barack Obama, change, farmers, Health, Michael Pollan, nutrition, obesity, policy, subsidies Posted in: Health, Politics No Comments
Food Fortification – Too Much Of A Good Thing?
A Short History of Fortification
The first widespread use of fortification was in the early 1900’s. Â In some areas of the United States, upwards of 60% of the population had enlarged thyroid glands, also known as goiters. Â In 1924 officials all over America began iodizing salt and within ten years goiters all but disappeared.
Just before World [...]
September 9, 2009
Tags: FDA, food, food safety, innovation, marketing, moms, nutrition, policy Posted in: Health, Science & Technology One Comment
“Smart Choices” A Dumb Move?
Diet Pepsi, Kraft’s macaroni & cheese, Kid Cuisine, Lunchables, and Froot Loops (now with added fiber!) are just some of the 500 processed foods getting the green “Smart Choices” label. “Smart Choices” is front-of-the-package labeling meant to help rushed or confused consumers pick healthy(er?) foods.
Sure, Diet Pepsi and Kraft’s macaroni and cheese are smart [...]
September 7, 2009
Tags: food event, Health, innovation, marketing, nutrition, obesity, pepsi, sugar Posted in: Health, Science & Technology 2 Comments
Stop Picking On Soda, Says American Beverage Association
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene started its new campaign against sweetened beverages. In an effort to curb obesity by getting people to think about their caloric intake, posters ask “Are you pouring on the pounds?”
To many public health officials, soda and other sweetened beverages are the scourge of obesity. They [...]
September 2, 2009
Tags: cane sugar, Health, marketing, nutrition, obesity, soda, sugar Posted in: Health, Politics 5 Comments
Come On Down To The…USDA!
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan wants to be the “matchmaker” between the Obama administration and USDA program administrators. She recently sent out a memo, “Harnessing USDA rural development programs to support local and regional food systems,” (pdf) to her staff and interested third parties. It details how those programs can cash in on the [...]
August 31, 2009
Tags: agriculture, education, farmers, food event, policy, USDA Posted in: Health, Politics One Comment
Time Magazine Takes A Bite Out Of Cheap Food
Usually when the mainstream media talks about the plight of factory farmed animals and their deleterious effect on the environment, they do so in passing. It’s almost a casual afterthought to the story about why eating red meat will kill you faster, if it gets mentioned at all. Enter Times (online) magazine. The article Getting [...]
August 24, 2009
Tags: agriculture, bacon, cows, factory farms, farmers, Health, obesity, policy, waste Posted in: Health, Politics One Comment
Patrick Kennedy Responds To Food Safety Query
Back in June I wrote about the new Food Safety Enhancement Act being proposed to congress. While the bill was a huge step forward in many regards, many thought the language was discriminatory against small farms. I encouraged everyone to contact their representatives and voice their concern for a “one-size-fits-all” solution to food safety.
You can [...]
August 14, 2009
Tags: agriculture, farmers, food safety, policy Posted in: Health, Politics 2 Comments
