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59% Of Tuna Isn’t Tuna, Says Oceana Fish Fraud Report

59% Of Tuna Isn't Tuna, Says Oceana Fish Fraud Report

A new report released yesterday has some disturbing news for sushi lovers: 33% of fish nation-wide are mislabeled, and certain types–like the popular fish, tuna–are mislabeled nearly 60% of the time. The fish fraud study echos findings from late last year, from the same group, Oceana (a non-profit marine conservancy), where similar rates of seafood fraud were reported in New York City. But this study looked at fish samples from all over the country, over the course of two years. While it’s frustrating to realize that, in many cases, you’re being swindled when you buy your fish, the health risks associated with mislabeled fish are even more disturbing. More »

Facebook Removes (Another) Post-Mastectomy Photo Of A Breast Cancer Survivor

Facebook Removes (Another) Post-Mastectomy Photo Of A Breast Cancer Survivor

When tattoo artist Lee Roller posted a photo of breast cancer survivor Inga Duncan Thornell ’s tattooed, post-mastectomy chest, Facebook removed it in accordance with their strict no-nudity policy outlined by their community standards. Roller, who posted the photo to Ontario-based Custom Tattoo Design’s Facebook page, was incensed, and re-posted with a request that fans share and like the image to show their support for Thornell. Predictably, outrage ensued and Facebook backtracked on their policy, allowing the image to stay online. Which would be kind of a nice story about Facebook learning to deal with the complicated reality of breast cancer – except this has already happened before. More »

Diet And Acne: Now Scientists Say Bagels Give You Zits (Not French Fries)

Diet And Acne: Now Scientists Say Bagels Give You Zits (Not French Fries)

This just in: Diet and acne are connected (at least for today), and it’s bagels, not french fries, that are giving you zits. Apparently scientists are now convinced that foods high in empty carbs (think bread, candy, soda–anything sugary) are connected to breakouts, because of a hormonal reaction that occurs when your blood sugar spikes. Aaaaand, cue smug reactions from paleo diet fans. More »

Food Safety Watch: Kellogg’s Recalls Special K With Red Berries…Because It Might Contain Glass

Food Safety Watch: Kellogg's Recalls Special K With Red Berries...Because It Might Contain Glass

Europe’s latest horse meat controversy has been putting food safety issues in the spotlight, but if eating burgers contaminated with random animals (and animal meds) doesn’t freak you out, Kellogg’s has another one for us: They’re recalling boxes of Special K because they might contain shards of glass. And it’s kind of hard to overlook the problems with eating a bowl of sharp, inedible objects. More »

Death By Painkiller Overdose Up For 11th Year In A Row (But Politicians Are More Concerned With Birth Control)

Death By Painkiller Overdose Up For 11th Year In A Row (But Politicians Are More Concerned With Birth Control)

According to a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics, death by prescription drug and painkiller overdose increased again in 2010, for the 11th consecutive year. A total of 38,329 people died of drug overdoses, and the study authors attribute the majority of deaths to opioids (which include painkillers like Morphine, Oxycodone, and Methadone). Sadly, the statistics aren’t all that shocking anymore: For over a decade, we’ve seen alarming death rates stemming from painkiller addiction and mismanagement of prescription drugs, but it’s still not all that hard to get and abuse prescription drugs. More »

Oscar Pistorius Faces Murder Charges; The Rest Of Us Face Disability Myths and Domestic Violence

Oscar Pistorius Faces Murder Charges; The Rest Of Us Face Disability Myths and Domestic Violence

Oscar Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder for shooting Reeva Steenkamp, his 29-year-old girlfriend, through a closed bathroom door on Valentine’s Day. The world is scrambling to make sense of how the double-amputee Paralympic and Olympic athlete could have done something so horrendous, and South Africa is trying to make sense of how Steenkamp’s murder fits into its serious problem with domestic violence, rape, and violence against women. In the process of dredging up old dirt that hints at Oscar Pistorius’ domestic violence history, and contemplating what his motives might have been for such a violent act, another issue is uncomfortably rising to the surface: All the myths and misconceptions we have about disability. More »

Dido Talks Turning 40…And It Might Be The Best Celebrity Story About Aging, Ever

Dido Talks Turning 40...And It Might Be The Best Celebrity Story About Aging, Ever

The English singer-songwriter Dido just came out with a new album, so she’s doing a fair amount of press. And as a female celebrity over 40, she’s getting asked about her age. But instead of spouting platitudes about aging, beauty, and confidence (not that we don’t love those; we do), she answered at least one tabloid with a hilarious story–that also manages to subtly hint at how ridiculous it is that everyone’s focused on her age. More »

Mayor Bloomberg Wants To Ban Polystyrene, But Will It Really Make NYC ‘Green’?

Mayor Bloomberg Wants To Ban Polystyrene, But Will It Really Make NYC 'Green'?

Mayor Mike Bloomberg has won over many hearts–and possibly repelled even more–with his big soda ban and other restrictions on food and beverage consumption in New York City, which has caused many to complain that he’s obsessed with other peoples’ weight and overly invested in obesity, when he should be focused on so much else. As if to prove them wrong, he brought environmental causes into the mix today at his final State of the City address. But he’s staying true to his infamous approach: Instead of proposing a better recycling program and rewarding New Yorkers for making eco-friendly choices, he wants to ban plastic-foam packaging, like styrofoam cups and takeout containers. More »

Horse Meat–And Horse Drugs–Are Contaminating Food All Over Europe: This Is Why The Meat Industry Should Scare You

Horse Meat–And Horse Drugs–Are Contaminating Food All Over Europe: This Is Why The Meat Industry Should Scare You

What started as yet another fast food horror story last week, When Burger King admitted that their UK restaurants might have been serving horse meat last week, it looked like just another fast food horror story. But it’s turning out to be a much bigger, scarier problem, especially if you live in Europe: The unwanted flesh has been found in ground meat supplied to supermarkets, and now, German retailers are pulling frozen lasagne for containing the same stuff. But the scariest part is that, along with the unwanted meat, a common horse drug known as “bute” seems to making its way into the food chain. More »

Oscar Pistorius (The ‘Blade Runner’ Runner) Charged With Murdering His Girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius (The 'Blade Runner' Runner) Charged With Murdering His Girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius, often called the “Blade Runner runner” and “the Olympic athlete with no legs,” is being charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot twice and found dead in his home in Pretoria, South Africa. There are hardly any details out about the case to illuminate what might have happened between the 26-year-old sprinter and the 30-year-old model and law school graduate, but it’s already a tragic story. More »

You Shouldn’t Trust Restaurant Nutrition Facts (But That’s Mostly OK)

You Shouldn't Trust Restaurant Nutrition Facts (But That's Mostly OK)

Filmmaker and health enthusiast Casey Neistat (whose videos I usually love) played ‘Calorie Detective’ in a New York Times Op-Ed published today that explores the accuracy of nutrition facts on restaurant menus and store-bought foods. Unsurprisingly (because we haven’t yet figured out how to replace food workers with robots), he found that nutrition labels are probably not all that accurate, especially for foods that are made fresh in a kitchen. But his suggestion–that we start policing nutrition data to help curb obesity–is where I’m a little surprised: Why would we waste our time policing nutrition facts? More »

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