Bull$#*t Study Says 20%...
A new study says a 20% ‘ fat tax ‘ —on ‘unhealthy foods’ and sugary drinks—would help curb obesity by substituting for the lack of self control that has clearly led to obesity (wink wink). Published in British Medical Journal , the study aggregated data from several countries measuring the effectiveness of food taxes, and found that they can have a positive impact on public health…if they’re significant enough to really make our wallets hurt....Healthy Mother’s Day ...
We love moms who get down with yoga and tote their kids along to their own soccer games, but let’s face it: Not everyone’s mom is a health nut. Still, many of us would rather give her something healthy to show we care–instead of showering her with candies and treats that will ultimately make her less healthy. Just because she won’t appreciate a yoga class pass or gluten-free granola doesn’t mean you can’t give her something that will boost her...At Least ‘Tan Mom’ ...
Remember Patricia Krentcil , a.k.a. “tan mom”? Of course you do. Well, amidst all of the controversy and backlash over her arrest for taking her 5-year-old tanning with her, there is something good that actually came out of this: a revived push for anti-tanning laws for minors. New Jersey lawmakers are hoping all of this attention will renew the proposed law to make it illegal for teens to use an indoor tanning salon. Apparently an old bill is being reintroduced that...
Arizona Follows Texas...
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Friday a bill blocking all state funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers (because, you know, that’s working out so well for Texas … ). The Republican-backed bill, delightfully named the “ Whole Women’s Health Funding Priority Act ,” would cut off funding for family planning and gynecological health services provided by any organization that also performs abortions, even though such organizations...Helicopter Parents Won...
Bicycling.com just ran a story that sums up the plight of children in our country today–kids are not allowed to ride bikes to school. Why? Helicopter parents and uptight school administrators believe it is safer for kids to get driven everywhere. But what they don’t understand is that it’s far more dangerous for kids to be inactive. Not to mention what kind of message this sends them about their mental health. The story summed it up perfectly at the beginning:...Obesity Costs U.S. $190...
There’s no question that American obesity rates are soaring—and it definitely comes at a cost to our health and well being—but new stats from the Campaign to End Obesity peg its annual drain on the U.S. economy at $190 billion . Considering that the goal of anti-obesity campaigners is to shock policy makers into action, you could argue the exact numbers (one of the costs considered was money spent in hospitals swapping out wall-mounted toilets om for floor models to...
Good News! Your Cell Ph...
Lady Gaga may have famously admitted to being afraid of cell phones and their potential cancer-causing powers, but apparently, she has nothing to worry about. According to a large-scale review by the U.K.’s Health Protection Agency (who are way more cautious than our FDA), there’s still no conclusive link to cell phone use and infertility or cancer. But, they were cautious to warn, long-term monitoring is still a good idea. Because cell phones are still a relatively...Morning Links: Get Esse...
• These essential oils could help you shed weight. If not, they’ll make you smell good. ( Organic Authority ) • 5 ways to get your tree pose on. ( fitsugar ) • Spring is a good time to add color to everything, including your plate. ( HuffPost Fitness ) • Jillian Michaels’ branches out from fitness into food. ( Well+Good NYC ) • Get the 411 on cholesterol control. ( YouBeauty ) • Like Lena Dunham or not; we need more women like her writing for TV. ( Huffpost...Tim Caulfield’s ‘Cu...
Like many people, professor , researcher, and self-proclaimed science geek Tim Caulfield thought that he was as fit and healthy as he could be. An athlete and exercise devotee since age 12, Caulfield worked out regularly and ate what he thought was a balanced diet. But in writing his new book , The Cure For Everything! Untangling the Twisted Messages About Health, Fitness and Happiness, Caulfield found that even he wasn’t immune to the various lies and misconceptions that...