Let’s Move — Michelle Obama’s Campaign Against Childhood Obesity
It may sound impossible, but Michelle Obama, the self-proclaimed “Mom-In-Chief“, has made it her goal to end childhood obesity within a generation. Â (You can read the official memorandum here). Though, really, her campaign began long before the official Let’s Move program. Â She reinstated the White House garden – the first since seen since Elanor Roosevelt [...]
February 27, 2010
Tags: change, heroes, Michelle Obama, moms, nutrition, obesity Posted in: Health, Politics 
8 Comments
Finally An Intelligent Move: RIP Smart Choices
After creating quite a stir in the foodie blogosphere, the mainstream media, and even riling up the lethargic FDA, the industry led Smart Choices label is voluntarily suspending the promotion of its program. Â They even had the Attorney General of Connecticut after them–Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that he was investigating the program and some [...]
October 26, 2009
Tags: blogs, change, education, FDA, Health, heroes, nutrition, policy Posted in: Health, Politics, Science & Technology 3 Comments
The Man Who Fed The World
Dubbed the father of the green revolution, Norman Borlaug helped to create high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties around the world. He is attributed with saving over one billion lives from starvation worldwide. As just one example of the profound changes he made in agriculture, between 1965 and 1970 wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan [...]
October 2, 2009
Tags: agriculture, change, education, farmers, heroes, innovation, nutrition Posted in: Health, Science & Technology 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. Â Americans Against Food Taxes is a “coalition of concerned citizens” that is strictly opposed to the sweetened beverage taxes. Â However, on more than cursory view, you find that it is actually [...]
September 30, 2009
Tags: Barack Obama, change, marketing, nutrition, obesity, policy, soda, sugar Posted in: Health, Politics, Science & Technology No Comments
A Relentless Focus On Prevention, Or Something
Food safety and child nutrition were topics at this year’s National Food Policy Conference. Â Bringing together the food industry, public health officials, consumer advocacy groups, and the government, the conference makes a concerted effort to demonstrate progressive action on key issues facing the nation and its food supply.
The Child Nutrition Act is due to be [...]
September 14, 2009
Tags: agriculture, change, education, farmers, FDA, food safety, Health, nutrition, policy, USDA Posted in: Politics No 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
Obama Announces Plan For Lunchroom Reform
In a special interview with an intrepid 11-year-old, Obama explained how he was going to make school lunches both tastier and healthier. Damon Weaver comes from a low-income school district in Pahokee, Florida, and has previously scored interviews with Dwayne Wade, a basketball star, and then-senator Joe Biden. Weaver asks what many parents want to [...]
August 19, 2009
Tags: Barack Obama, change, food, Health, heroes, nutrition, policy Posted in: Uncategorized No Comments
