I recently saw the new Disney movie "WALL-E" after hearing very positive reviews from several friends and A.O. Scott, a film critic with whom I tend to agree. This case was no exception; I think "WALL-E" is a great, powerful piece of entertainment. But this blog post is not about my personal movie taste, but rather, the film's commentary on obesity and society.
In a letter that will be published in the next issue of the medical journal the Lancet, British researchers Dr. Phil Edwards and Dr. Ian Roberts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggest that obese people are significantly contributing to world oil demands and global food insecurity. Their letter states that obese persons use 18 percent more food energy than thinner persons, which in turn leads to a greater global demand for food.
“These data are interesting, but how they are framed will make a big difference,” states Dr. Kelly Brownell, Director of the Rudd Center. “Saying that obese people are contributing to climate change is highly stigmatizing and assigns blame to the individuals who are obese rather than the conditions driving the obesity in the first place.”
Continue reading "Obesity and Climate Change: Framing is Everything" »
Does the need for obesity treatment and prevention have the momentum to become a reigning political issue in the 2008 presidential election? What are the sponsorship records of Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama on bills related to nutrition, healthy food access, and community wellness? Answers to these questions and more can be found in a comprehensive report by Corporations and Health Watch, a non-profit organization that tracks the effects of corporate practices on public health. The report examines the extent to which food and beverage companies serve as top political donors, and the positions taken by the 2008 presidential candidates about junk food marketing, nutrition education, family farms, and personal responsibility for diet and exercise.
As a follow-up to Michael's recent post, I wanted to pass along this link to a blog entry by Roni A. Neff, PhD, in which she explores the interplays among diet, health, agriculture and the environment as part of National Public Health Week. Also of interest, Dr. Neff recently discussed these issues in-depth in a podcast with Kelly Brownell, titled Yesterday's Dinner, Tomorrow's Weather: Today's News?
On Monday The News Hours with Jim Lehrer aired a segment about the ongoing debate over menu labeling. It is no surprise that as the frequency of eating out has risen in America, so have rates of overweight and obesity. Research shows that individuals consume more calories and more fat when they eat in restaurants or fast food chains than when they cook their own meals. The rate at which Americans eat out makes consumer access to nutrition information especially important, and the Rudd Center has long been in support of menu labeling, which would require restaurants to display nutrition information prominently on menus and menu boards.
I love holidays, and Thanksgiving is a special one. It doesn’t involve a special shopping season or lawn decorations or obligatory Hallmark cards. It’s just about family and food. Yum.
While few things are more important to human beings than family and food, sometimes sharing food with family can be a tricky experience. This is especially true when one family member becomes a vegetarian or – heartbreak – a vegan. Veganism and Thanksgiving are not automatically compatible. Who wants to carve a Tofurkey? Mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, apple pie—most of Thanksgiving’s staples are made with at least one animal-based ingredient. What is a vegan to do?
I want to let you know of an upcoming, three-part special on obesity and food policy called "Forced to be Fit," which will be airing this week on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. I haven't seen it, so I can't make any promises, but it looks interesting!
Many of our readers have expressed interest in a recent episode of NBC's Today Show, in which the Rudd Center's Rebecca Puhl was interviewed to discuss the practice of charging obese employees for being overweight. Please click here to watch the video clip and read coverage of this topic
Dear readers,
Our blog strives to foster intelligent discussion, debate, and information sharing. Unfortunately, we sometimes get contributors who make comments that are out of line. When we see a pattern of inappropriate remarks from a single individual, we are left with the unpleasant responsibility of banning that person from contributing, as described in our policy statement. "Doctor Allen" has recently been banned from Rudd Sound Bites.
Best,
Carly Keidel
If you want to be amazed, take this new Junk Food in Schools Quiz, offered by CSPI. If you aren't concerned about cafeteria standards, you soon will be. I'm truly stunned and dismayed that the USDA is so out of touch. Take the quiz and see for yourself!
Dear readers,
A recent entry by one of our writers has sparked a lively debate about the Calorie Restriction diet. In response to some concerns that have been brought to me personally, I would like to give our audience the following disclaimer: the opinions expressed by an individual author do not necessarily represent the opinions held by the other authors or the Rudd Center organization. Our blog strives to encourage discussion and debate, and to that end, our authors often tackle controversial topics. But please remember that each author's words and beliefs are his or her own, and it is essential to uphold a tone of respect and decorum when responding to them.
In the interest of hearing all sides and perspectives, Rudd Sound Bites will soon be posting a response from a prominent member of the Calorie Restriction community, to convey the scientific basis of the lifestyle.
Thank you all for reading!
Carly Keidel
Editor
I always think it's weird when fast food restaurants try to pass themselves off as good ol' home-cookin'. I once saw an advertisement for McDonald's that was just a picture of a barn with a chicken on the roof and a sunset in the background. Nothing about fast food rings more false to me than this picturesque, bucolic landscape-- except maybe Ronald McDonald playing soccer. But enough about McDonald's. I mention this theme of old-fashioned country cooking because I recently came across this sign outside a country store in Mystic, CT:
Take a good look at this picture and tell me what it most resembles: a) Starbucks, b) McDonald's, or c) Burger King?
China has been at the heart of obesity news lately. That the Chinese government has banned obese foreign individuals from adopting Chinese children has stirred some criticism on this blog. Yet ironically – and perhaps hypocritically – obesity rates are rising steadily in China. Ji Chengye, a leading health expert, recently declared that China "has entered the era of obesity," and obesity’s “speed of growth is shocking." (Click here for full article).
I recently came across this Op/Ed in the local paper of my parents' hometown (scroll down for the article entitled "Eating contests are no way to celebrate"). The author discusses the parallel between a typical Thanksgiving celebration and competitive eating contests like Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Challenge and the Philadelphia Wing Bowl. Competitive eating contests bother me; the huge extent of wastefulness and overindulgence goes hand-in-hand with ignorance of the less fortunate. At the same time, I generally consider an extravagant holiday meal to be indicative of a good time. The bigger the feast, the greater the enjoyment... right?
A more enlightened perspective is the columnist's insight that our holiday celebrations do have a disturbing lot in common with eating competitions. I think it could benefit all of us on a spiritual level and a public health level to take the similarities into account.
I recently read about a dentist who bought back children's Halloween candy for $1 per pound. And it didn't just cost him a few bucks. Orthodontist Dan Ryan spent $200 last year to protect neighborhood kids from cavities, tooth decay and malnutrition. Many adults who encourage limits, even bans, on junk food are referred to as "food police," but it seems to me that people like Dan Ryan, who take creative approaches to fighting candy consumption, may be able to evade the "food police" finger-pointing. In any case, it is wonderful to hear about community members who not only take the initiative to improve nutrition, but also use innovative measures to make it happen.
When I was young, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. Not because I got to overdose on caramel apples, candy corn and chocolate, but because I liked dressing up. Over the course of my childhood, I was Rainbow Brite, a piano, an Oreo cookie, the Little Mermaid, the Philly Phanatic, and Mrs. Claus. I never wore a store-bought costume. My alternate identities were all home-made from foam boards, pipe-cleaners and paint, the products of my mother’s sewing, my artistic flair, and lots of glue. Candy made the day extra-special, no doubt. But it wasn’t the source of all Halloween pleasure.
If you were faced with a major life choice, I would advise you to sleep on it. If you were struggling to lose weight, I’d give you a very different answer.
Yet sleeping too little is linked to being overweight, as researchers at the University of Bristol have found. In June, The International Journal of Obesity published a paper that listed 10 “putative contributors” to obesity, with sleep deprivation chief among them. (Increased use of prescription drugs and greater dependence on air-conditioning also made the list). The underlying theme? Obesity is not simply the result of poor diet and lack of exercise.
A frequent commenter on our blog recently posted several inappropriate comments in response to an entry on weight bias and bullying (available here). Rudd Sound Bites does not tolerate hate speech or speech that is hateful and inflammatory.
We reserve the right to remove comments and ban users who violate our policy statement, outlined here.*
*This post has been edited to correct the confusion and lack of clarity in our previous statement.
Last week, the New York City Health Department proposed a ban on the use of trans fats in all restaurants and food chains throughout the city. As Marion Nestle wrote in an editorial on the topic, eliminating trans fats from people’s diets is not enough to prevent obesity. In fact, replacing trans fatty oils with healthier alternatives might even mislead people to assume that trans fat-free means low-calorie.
The reporters at The Onion may not be after "real" news, but they sure hit on an important facet of our food environment with this story, published online last week: "Man Psyches Self Out During Selection of Ice Cream Flavor." My favorite part of the article describes the man mulling over forty-plus flavors and eventually having to leave Cold Stone Creamery "empty-handed after a self-imposed order-line delay of 26 minutes".
Continue reading "Overwhelmed by choice, we're choosing too much" »
10. If you rub a car bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola, you can remove rust spots.
9. If you need to clean corrosion from car battery terminals, pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals.
8. If you empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle, the Coca-Cola will help remove grease stains.
2006 is bursting with examples of McDonald’s happily playing both sides for profit. First, the company concocted a “healthy alternative” to French fries that is 50% caramel sauce. Then they re-engineered Ronald McDonald as a champion athlete, snowboarding with Yao Ming and running Serena Williams ragged. And now the company has done it again. After ample self-congratulation for its consideration of environmental welfare, McDonald’s has launched the “Hummer of a Summer” campaign—giving children toy Hummers in their Happy Meals. (Click here for full coverage).
Eric Schlosser’s book, Fast Food Nation, had a huge impact on me: I haven't eaten a piece of red meat since pg. 9. But as powerful as the book is, I never thought it could be turned into a non-documentary film. Slaughterhouses, tortured animals and battery cages are hardly the stuff of movie magic. Luckily, I was wrong, and from what I can tell from the film’s trailer, Fast Food Nation promises to do justice to Schlosser’s provocative text. For more on Schlosser, you might also appreciate these film clips from BBC’s Newsnight, including a report on McDonald’s business practices and a debate between Schlosser and a Mickey D’s executive.
by Carly Keidel
Some people get pizza delivered to their ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends as a means of torment. Others get pizza delivered to soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces as an expression of support and appreciation.
People magazine
loves to rave about people who lose weight. I recall, many months ago, Drew Barrymore was on the cover after she
lost 30 pounds. The headline? “Drew’s New Life!” That seems like an overstatement to me, but I
guess “Drew Loses 30 Lbs!” just didn’t fly in the editing room.
I recently took this picture on a street in Dublin, Ireland. Does anyone else find this ironic?
I suppose it should come as no surprise that a book called “Skinny Bitch” is rude and caustic, but I didn’t expect it to also discriminate against both overweight individuals and carnivores. “Skinny Bitch” promotes itself as a sort of no-nonsense diet book. Actually, it’s an attack on the overweight, specifically targeting women with poor self-esteem and a taste for…meat, milk and cheese.
Greetings!
The Rudd Center has started this blog to broaden the reach of our message and give you new insight into our thoughts, opinions, and concerns about critical food policy issues. We hope you'll join us in our effort to impact the world's eating environment by engaging in global discussion-- also known as blogging!
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Our goal is to encourage meaningful dialogue. Let's give these critical issues the attention, thought, and analysis they deserve.
