Topic: obesity epidemic

This Fat-Shaming Study Is Not Going To Solve Our Obesity Crisis

This Fat-Shaming Study Is Not Going To Solve Our Obesity Crisis

Hardly a week goes by without yet another research study or expert telling us that we, as a nation, are fat. And getting fatter. The latest report comes from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation stating that by 2030 more than half of us will be obese–not just overweight, but obese–and that is ruining our country. As scary as that is, piling on more facts like this and simply telling us to lose weight is never going to work. But there is one thing that will. More »

Hey, FDA: We Need More Than Calorie Counts on Menus to Counter Obesity

Hey, FDA: We Need More Than Calorie Counts on Menus to Counter Obesity

Rumor has it the Food and Drug Administration wants to put nutrition labels on restaurant menus, but the proposal is fairly confusing and, since it won’t go into effect until much later this year, at the earliest, nobody’s too bothered about what this means for restaurants just yet. But the FDA officially submitted their proposed menu-labeling regulations on April 1, so they’re starting to create more buzz. But will slapping calorie counts on the menus at chain restaurants really help America turn around its obesity epidemic? I hate to be a pessimist here, but if having our fatness shoved in our face by constant media attention (backed by scientific studies and physician advice) doesn’t make us want to run to the nearest whole foods and invest all our cash in carrots, then I don’t think calorie counts will, either. More »