Opinion
With the passage of the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010, in addition to improving school meals, Congress required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update nearly nonexistent nutrition standards on so-called competitive foods. These are foods sold outside the school meal program, including fast food items sold alongside the reimbursable lunches, and soft drinks… Continue Reading
More than 90 percent of kids’ meals offered by the nation’s chain restaurants fail to meet the National Restaurant Association’s definition of a healthy meal for children, according to new study released Thursday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Researchers analyzed 3,498 meal combinations on kids’ menus at eateries across the country,… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) this week released the results a survey conducted by her office on antibiotics used in meat and poultry production. In February, the congresswoman wrote to 60 of the nation’s largest food manufacturers, restaurants, and retailers and asked them to respond with details on their policies, including what percentage of the meat… Continue Reading
Opinion
It’s hard not to get depressed over the politics of food these days, given the massive power of the food industry to influence everything from the farm bill to childhood obesity. So a new report, Slowing Down Fast Food: A policy guide for healthier kids and families, on how we can fight back couldn’t come… Continue Reading
The research firm Scarborough, a joint venture of the ratings barons Arbitron Inc. and The Nielsen Company, has profiled healthy consumers and then peeked into their dining habits. It found that health-conscious consumers were dining at the same fast food outlets as the rest of us — just not in quite as great numbers. But… Continue Reading
It all happened by accident. One day this past spring, Erin Carr-Jordan, mother of four and professor at Arizona State University, rushed into a Tempe McDonald’s because her three-year-old child needed to use the bathroom. Before they left, her child wanted to spend time at the fast-food restaurant’s playground. What happened next surprised her…. Continue Reading
The Center for Science in the Public Interest Tuesday congratulated Jack in the Box for stopping toy-based marketing to children, “regardless of its motive.” The advocacy group was reacting to news that the San Diego-based fast-food chain won’t include toys along with its children’s meals. Jack in the Box said it wasn’t responding to pressure… Continue Reading
Nutrition facts posted in fast food restaurants have no bearing on what parents order for their kids, or what teens choose for themselves, a new study shows. Researchers surveyed 349 children ages 1-17 who dined at fast food restaurants in New York City, and found that nutrition facts posted in the restaurant did not… Continue Reading
The frontier in the fight against childhood obesity should be pushed back to toddlers and preschoolers, a new study suggests. The researchers found that kids ages 3-5 already have developed a taste for sugary, fatty, and salty foods, and easily recognize the brands that offer these options. The university researchers found that very young children,… Continue Reading
Authors of a study published in The American Journal of Cardiology last week concluded that consuming statins with a cheeseburger could neutralize the effects of fast food. The researchers from Imperial College London, led by Dr. Darrel Francis, stress they are not encouraging people to consume fast food regularly, but because many people fail to… Continue Reading
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday that the agency is collaborating with public health officials in several states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to investigate two Salmonella outbreaks that have been ongoing since April. According to the CDC, multistate outbreaks… Continue Reading