Food is worse than crack

1/3 of kids eat fast food daily

A new study says a third of American kids eat fast food every day. Because fast food is usually high in calories and generally unhealthy, it makes kids fatter and sicker. The fast food chains say their bad stuff is OK once in a while.

[Yale University obesity researcher Kelly] Brownell said the study refutes a July report from the U.S. National Chamber of Commerce, which includes fast-food companies, that suggested fast-food restaurants "are not a chief culprit in the fattening of America."

Low-carb trend keeps building

The low-carb craze, epitomized by the Atkins diet, hits restaurants in a big way this year. The only decision for chains is whether their low-carb menu items will be officially or unofficially Atkins. Some experts point out the obvious comparisons between the low-carb and low-fat fads, and expect low-carb to fade before long just as low-fat did.

Lowering carbs works as a strategy for losing weight when you use it to eat fewer calories. Whether you're counting calories or not, your body is. I wonder if we'll ever get back to a low-calorie fad.

Legal fight against overweight

This article provides information on various efforts by lawmakers and lawyers to get food companies to make food that's not quite so deadly to us, and the work of industry apologists to avoid additional responsibilities through scare tactics, misdirection, and sensationalism. The article has a slightly smirking, why-can't-we-do-it-ourselves tone but is otherwise a good overview.

Detroit is fatter than Houston

Men's Fitness magazine compiles a list of the fattest cities in the U.S., and Detroit has replaced Houston at #1. Several Texas cities are in the top 10. Some of the criteria don't seem to have much to do with "fat": number of sporting goods stores and air quality, for example.

Menu labeling in England

The head of a British trade organization has proposed that restaurants disclose the calorie counts in their menu items. He's the head of the group that represents food and drink manufacturers. A similar proposal in the United States is only directed at chains of 20 restaurants or more.

Just as in the U.S., the restaurants and their lobbying groups are resisting:

The Restaurant Association has been opposed to listing calorie and fat content on menus, claiming it would involve "unnecessary red tape". The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, which represents pub chains, said labelling would be unworkable because of the difficulty in standardising portion sizes.

Diners do not want to wade through a menu "the size of War and Peace", added the British Beer & Pub Association.