Lobbyist Run Non-Profit Scams

Rachel Maddow is pretty awesome.  She tells it like it is.  Listen to her dish it out against the Center for Consumer Freedom.  Really, that should be “consumer freedom“:

If you are further interested in what a crackpot Richard Berman is, you can find out about him and his expertise at bermanexposed.com.  Essentially, there are a [...]

October 5, 2009  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Health, Politics  No Comments

Soda Taxes Part Two – The Industry Creates A Citizens Coalition

Does the potential revenue from soda taxes persuade anyone to give anyone a second thought?

Not a chance, says the group Americans Against Food Taxes.  Americans Against Food Taxes is a “coalition of concerned citizens” that is strictly opposed to the sweetened beverage taxes.  However, on more than cursory view, you find that it is actually [...]

September 30, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics, Science & Technology  No Comments

Naturally? Naturally. — The USDA To Work On What ‘Natural’ Means

Costello: Look, if I throw the ball to first base, somebody’s gotta get it. Now who has it?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: Who?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: Naturally?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: So I pick up the ball and I throw it to Naturally.
Abbott: No you don’t, you throw the ball to Who.
Costello: Naturally.
Abbott: That’s different.
Costello: That’s what I said.
The confusion and nonsensical back [...]

September 16, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Politics, Science & Technology  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.  In some areas of the United States, upwards of 60% of the population had enlarged thyroid glands, also known as goiters.  In 1924 officials all over America began iodizing salt and within ten years goiters all but disappeared.
Just before World [...]

September 9, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   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: , , , , , , ,   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: , , , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics  5 Comments

Food Inc., The Reviews Are In

Sorry, there are no theaters within 20 miles of my zipcode that are playing Food Inc.  I will have to get it on Netflix when it comes out. In the mean time, I have watched the trailer and read a bunch of the reviews:

There is the short and sweet review by Marion Nestle, who describes [...]

July 1, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Health, Politics  4 Comments

Marion Nestle Continues To Fight For The Integrity Of Nutritional Science

Nutritionist and food safety activist extraordinaire Marion Nestle wrote a sternly worded email in response to a letter of nomination from the American Society of Nutrition (ASN) to join the Board of Directors of the Smart Choices program.  She declined, explaining her reasons in an open letter that she posted to her blog:
Marion Nestle: Smart [...]

May 18, 2009  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Science & Technology  No Comments

Will We Say Cheerio To Cheerios Health Claims?

The FDA is cracking down on General Mills’ health claim on their Cheerios boxes. The claim, which is rather prominently displayed, says eating Cheerios will lower your cholesterol by 4% in 6 weeks.  Even if “clinical trials” have shown such improvement, the issue is that General Mills is making a claim that its product works [...]

May 15, 2009  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics, Science & Technology  No Comments

How To Curb An Outbreak

Excerpted from Mental_Floss (Volume 5, Issue 3):
In 1918 and 1919, one-fifth of the world’s population contracted influenza, and nearly 50 million people died as a result. That’s more fatalities in a single year than the 14th-century Black Plague caused in four. Even scarier, at the time of the flu outbreak, public health officials [...]

May 12, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Health  No Comments