Consumerist

Posts Tagged “

Obesity

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whole foods

Hysteria: Great, Now Whole Foods Is Making You Broke And Fat

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.
More »

2:59 PM on Tue Aug 26 2008
By Meg Marco
9,371 views, 54 comments

Latest by n/a: Clearly we need food regulation here: we can't allow consumers to help themselves to food. Consumers clearly will over eat more »

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]

17 comments

fast food

Which Restaurants Are Making Your Kids Fat?

Unless your kid is named Hansel, he probably doesn't need to be fattened up like a juicy Christmas goose every time you go out to eat. That's not what some of the biggest restaurants think, though: Chili's has a kids' meal that comes in at 1,020 calories, while Burger King and KFC both offer meals that are over 900 calories. Your healthiest option, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is Subway. Here are what some other restaurants are offering, as well as tips on how to make the best of a bad meal when your kid is eating out. More »

9:39 AM on Wed Aug 6 2008
By Chris Walters
15,680 views, 93 comments

Latest by enderx: Yah, title should read 'Stupid parents make stupid kids stupid fat!' more »

grocery shrink ray

Grocery Shrink Ray Hits UK

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: More »

3:47 PM on Thu Jul 31 2008
By Ben Popken
2,589 views, 26 comments

Latest by michaelleung: In Hong Kong, our Coke cans have been shrunk from 355 to 330ml. more »

fattest states

The 10 Fattest States In The Country

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... More »

6:18 AM on Thu Jul 3 2008
By Jay Slatkin
67,876 views, 111 comments

Latest by thelushie: @ChuckECheese: I bet you have an awesome cornbread recipe. Care to share? more »

obesity

You Thought The U.S. Was The Most Obese Country? Think Again

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... More »

7:19 AM on Fri Jun 20 2008
By Jay Slatkin
6,771 views, 39 comments

Latest by Public Relations: The USA is such a huge place with almost 1/3 of a billion - so a more refined measurement would more »

backlash

Starbucks Baristas Don't Like The New "Skinny" Drinks

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. More »

1:26 PM on Wed Jan 2 2008
By Meg Marco
20,840 views, 153 comments

Latest by n/a: They taste bad cause skinny means ...and i quote "nonfat, sugarfree, no wip." The part that tastes bad is the more »

Junk food costs $1.76 per 1,000 kcal, while nutritious food costs $18.16 per 1,000 kcal, a new study finds. [NYT]

19 comments

disney

Obesity: We're Too Big For Disneyland's "It's A Small World"

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. More »

3:40 PM on Mon Oct 29 2007
By Meg Marco
20,142 views, 83 comments

nutrition

10 Popular Diets Ranked According To Healthiness

A new report in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association ranks ten diets according to nutritional quality and potential effects on heart health. The best of the ten is the Ornish diet, while the least healthy is the Atkins plan. Dieters, begin fighting. More »

5:10 PM on Mon Oct 1 2007
By Chris Walters
7,027 views, 27 comments

Latest by peggynature: Anything that restricts your variety of food choices is suspect. Nutrition is a newish science. Your best bet is to more »

Health organization Kaiser Permanente has launched an online game for kids that teaches them about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, then "locks" the kids out of the game after 20 minutes so they'll go outside and play. We imagine the lock-out functionality won't be needed, as the educational aspect of the game should organically repel the target audience of 9- and 10-year-olds in 10 to 15 seconds. [Reuters]

3 comments

obesity epidemic

Exercise Doesn't (Necessarily) Make You Lose Weight

Good news if you hate the gym, bad news if you've invested your time, money, and faith in the body-shaping power of daily workouts: despite what most people think, there still isn't overwhelming evidence that exercise will reduce weight. Over the past several decades, research continues to show that exercise will definitely increase your body's energy needs but not always reduce fat, and that a sedentary lifestyle and obesity are linked but not in a proven cause-and-effect relationship. Meanwhile, the popular press has promoted and mythologized a sort of "faith-based" concept of exercise as a key requirement for weight loss. More »

12:20 PM on Wed Sep 26 2007
By Chris Walters
5,704 views, 53 comments

Latest by peggynature: And, for all you 'simple thermodynamics' buffs out there, where on earth did you read that the body functions like more »

sweet tooth

Portion Control And Snack Replacements Pervade Annual Candy Trade Show

Green tea Hershey's Kisses, diabetic-friendly sprays that taste like ice cream, chewy Lemonheads and Atomic Fireballs: the candy industry's All Candy Expo was held in Chicago earlier this month, and over 2,000 new products were revealed, many of which reflect consumers' current fondness for low-calorie snacks, portion control, and energy-boosting products. More »

9:14 AM on Wed Sep 26 2007
By Chris Walters
1,386 views, 8 comments

Latest by karmaghost: Although some candy doesn't lend itself well to the concept of portion control (like large candy bars that are difficult more »

obesity epidemic

Pay More Attention To What You Eat At "Healthy" Restaurants

That councilwoman from L.A. isn't going to like this: a new study says that when people eat at what they perceive to be "healthy" restaurants, they underestimate the calories, which could help explain why Americans are continuing to get fatter even as healthy restaurants have grown faster than fast food restaurants over the past 5 years. More »

2:12 PM on Mon Sep 17 2007
By Chris Walters
3,511 views, 24 comments

Latest by Moonshine Mike: @MissJ: Water or Ice Tea, both are usually unlimited. You figure one 12 oz soda is 300 calories more »

Researchers find that shopping malls can encourage healthier "incidental activity" by placing signs next to stairwells that read, "Take the Stairs," which caused a 190% increase in stair activity over three weeks. Or, just do what most the stores in NYC do and make sure at least one escalator is out of service at all times. [Reuters]

12 comments

obesity epidemic

L.A. Considers Temporarily Banning New Fast Food Restaurants In South L.A.

NYC isn't the only big city picking fights with fast food restaurants these days. Citing high obesity rates in her mostly working-class district, Los Angeles councilwoman Jan Perry has proposed a 2-year ban on new fast food restaurants in parts of South L.A., in the hope that it will make room for healthier restaurants to compete. More »

2:29 PM on Wed Sep 12 2007
By Chris Walters
2,016 views, 44 comments

Latest by Robert Synnott: I just love that there is a center for 'Food and Justice'. This seems like a sensible enough measure, though... more »

obesity epidemic

Burger King To Offer Healthier Menu Options For Kids

Burger King knows you don't want your kids to be fat, but it does want your money. Introducing: "Apple Fries!" More »

12:39 PM on Wed Sep 12 2007
By Meg Marco
2,971 views, 29 comments

gouging you for your own good

Great News! Higher Gas Prices "Good" For You!

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. More »

8:21 PM on Tue Sep 11 2007
By Chris Walters
1,770 views, 44 comments

Latest by ltlbbynthn: I stopped eating out completely b/c I now need to save all my money for gas on my four-day-a-week commute more »

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