The Boston Globe, February 13, 2010
WHEN SODA companies applaud the latest campaign to fight obesity, you know there is much more to the story.

In launching a new White House initiative against obesity called “Let’s Move,’’ First Lady Michelle Obama this week said, “Our kids didn’t do this to themselves. Our kids don’t decide what’s served to them at school or whether there’s time for gym or recess. Our kids don’t choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in super-sized portions, and then to have those products …

Los Angeles Times, Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger, February 7, 2010
Employing a broad-based lobbying effort, the soft drink industry has smothered a plan to tax sugared beverages — a plan advocates said would have reduced obesity and helped finance healthcare reform.
Only months ago, public health advocates thought the tax would be a natural for congressional Democrats looking for revenue to fund expanded health insurance coverage. The soaring costs of treating ailments related to excess weight — including diabetes and heart disease — added urgency to the issue.
But the White House …

Food Navigator, Jess Halliday, 23 October 2009
Italians are unswayed by healthy messages and images on foods, whereas the Finnish respond to medical pictures and British consumers are more likely to buy foods making even a weak health claim, indicates new research.
The new European health claims regulation governs the format and content of claims made on products in the EU. But the authors of the new study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Food Quality and Preference, note that food companies can still choose what claims to focus …

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, October 26, 2009
Researchers find that children’s cereals have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than cereals marketed to adults. In addition, companies are spending more than $156 million dollars a year to market these cereals directly to kids.
These findings are part of an extensive analysis of children’s cereals conducted by researchers at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity as part of the RWJF-funded Cereal FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score) project. The results of …

New vending machine contracts expected to be approved on Wednesday could mean less junk food — and less money for schools — as the Education Department tries to promote healthier choices for students.
One contract would give exclusive drink machine rights to CC Vending, a Bronx company that plans to sell Pepsi products. It would require drinks sold in elementary and middle schools to have fewer than 10 calories per eight ounces. In high schools, the limit would be fewer than 25 calories per eight ounces. No artificially sweetened drinks or …

Study published August 4 in International Journal of Obesity that found that removing removing television advertising of high-fat and/or high-sugar food and beverages to Australian children could increase health and save health care money.
The cost-effectiveness of removing television advertising of high-fat and/or high-sugar food and beverages to Australian children.
Objective: To model the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of banning television (TV) advertisements in Australia for energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and beverages during children’s peak viewing times.Methods:Benefits were modelled as changes in body mass index (BMI) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) saved. Intervention costs …

Dining at some restaurants will be a new experience starting today, when Californiabecomes the first state to require that chain restaurants supply calorie counts for virtually everything they serve.
“Consumers should be able to make informed decisions about their health and it will raise the consciousness of how much we eat,” said John Rogers, Sacramento County environmental health division chief.
There will be no guessing – or denial – about that double Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl’s Jr.: 960 calories. Side of Chili Cheese Fries to go with that? 990 calories. Maybe …

Manufacturers are being asked to cut the size of chocolate bars, confectionery and cans of fizzy drink to tackle rising rates of obesity.
By 2012, the Food Standards Agency wants chocolate-based snacks such as Mars bars to be no bigger than 50g compared with the current 58g size.
Bars of chocolate should be no larger than 40g, a draft consultation warns.
Industry representatives said they were disappointed by continued moves to set “arbitrary targets”.
The voluntary proposals also call for manufacturers to reduce the amount of saturated fat and added sugar in biscuits, cakes, …

Some iced coffees being sold on the high street contain as many calories as a hot dinner, a cancer charity warns.
The chief offender had 561 calories, others contained more than 450, and the majority had in excess of 200.
It is the combination of sugar, full-fat milk and cream which appear to push some of the cool coffees into the upper echelons of the calorie scale.
The World Cancer Research Fund, which identified the drinks’ calories, noted healthier versions were available.
The “venti” or largest version of Starbucks’ Dark Berry Mocha Frappuchino – …

Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation’s health-care system.
The taxes would pay for only a fraction of the cost to expand health-insurance coverage to all Americans and would face strong opposition from the beverage industry. They also could spark a backlash from consumers who would have to pay several cents more for a soft drink.
On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee is set to hear proposals from about a dozen experts about how to pay for …