The Guardian, Felicity Lawrence, November 12, 2010
It was on a Friday afternoon in May 2009 when Andrew Lansley‘s Public Health Commission met, as usual, in the newly restored 1930s splendour of Unilever House on Victoria Embankment in London. It was gathering for its final plenary session, having been tasked by Lansley, now health secretary but then in opposition, to come up with new policies for theConservatives to tackle the big public health crises of obesity, diet-related disease, and alcohol abuse.
Obesity has trebled in the last 20 years, diet-related disease is estimated …

The New York Times, Michael Barbaro and Anemona Hartocollis, November 16, 2010
By her own account, Cathleen P. Black, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s choice to be the next New York City schools chancellor, has had almost no experience with the public education system.
But for nearly 20 years, she played an influential role in a company that did: Coca-Cola.
As America awoke to a national obesity epidemic and schools tried to rid their hallways of sugary drinks, Coca-Cola emerged as the biggest and most aggressive opponent of the scientists, lawmakers and educators who …

Food and Health News, November 18, 2010
You aced that test; now it’s time for a treat.
Sometimes pride in an achievement can lead people to indulge in unhealthy choices, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“Across four studies in the food consumptions and spending domains, we show that pride is associated with two opposing forces; it promotes a sense of achievement, which increases indulgence, and it promotes self-awareness, which facilitates self control,” write authors Keith Wilcox (Babson College), Thomas Kramer (University of South Carolina), and Sankar Sen (Baruch …

Food and Health News, November 18, 2010
People are easily fooled when it comes to food labels, and will eat more of something if they believe it’s a “small” portion, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Authors Nilufer Z. Ayinoglu (Koç University, Istanbul) and Aradhna Krishna (University of Michigan) found that inconsistent portion sizes contribute to people’s uncertainty about the appropriate amount to eat. “In this context of large portion sizes and consumer uncertainty about appropriate food intake, we show that size labels chosen by food and …

The New York Times, Rob Walker, November 12, 2010
Among students of the contemporary metropolis, “food deserts” have become a widely known problem. The term is generally used to describe urban neighborhoods where there are few grocers selling fresh produce, but a cornucopia of fast-food places and convenience stores selling salty snacks (though, strictly speaking, the term can be applied to rural or suburban areas, too). Often the problem afflicts low-income areas abandoned or shunned by food businesses that focus on better-off consumers; the residents of food deserts, apparently, are not …

The New York Times, Duff Wilson, November 13, 2010
As sales to developing nations become ever more important to giant tobacco companies, they are stepping up efforts around the world to fight tough restrictions on the marketing of cigarettes.
Companies like Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco are contesting limits on ads in Britain, bigger health warnings in South America and higher cigarette taxes in the Philippines and Mexico. They are also spending billions on lobbying and marketing campaigns in Africa and Asia, and in one case provided undisclosed financing for …

The Atlantic, By Kelly Brownell, Professor of Public Health at Yale University, November , 2010
Food companies have been in a headlong rush to prevent government from enacting policies that would affect sales of items such as sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food. One of their tactics is for the companies to issue pledges to protect children, saying in so many words, “You can trust us to police ourselves so government can back down.”
The marketing of junk food has been the focus of many such pledges. In the U.S., the pledges are …

The New York Times, Michael Moss, November 6, 2010
Domino’s Pizza was hurting early last year. Domestic sales had fallen, and a survey of big pizza chain customers left the company tied for the worst tasting pies.
Consumers devoured the cheesier pizza, and sales soared by double digits. “This partnership is clearly working,” Brandon Solano, the Domino’s vice president for brand innovation, said in a statement to The New York Times.
But as healthy as this pizza has been for Domino’s, one slice contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended …

The EFSA, European Food Safety Authority published an official statement to reject the request for health claims for conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a natural trans fatty acid that raises cholesterol. Below their decision:
Summary
Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. This opinion addresses the scientific substantiation of health claims in relation to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers and contribution to …

CBC News, October 22, 2010
Canada’s food industry and federal government have developed a guide to help consumers better understand the nutrition labels that have been affixed to food products for 22 years.
Health Canada and Food & Consumer Products of Canada have begun a campaign to help Canadians better read nutrition labels on food. (Health Canada)The Nutrition Facts Education Campaign is a multimedia effort developed by Health Canada and the national industry association Food & Consumer Products of Canada.
Its basic goal is to increase consumer understanding of the information contained in …