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There are a lot of things about vegans that grate on my nerves, but the thing that bothers me the most is their zealotry. Like most left-leaning kooks, vegans follow an "ends justify the means" philosophy, and have no compunction about using hyperbole, overstatement, and, more often than not, out-and-out lies and deceit to hammer home their message. * * * * * I just found out about a new TV commercial that's being run by an organization called The Cancer Project. The worst part about it is ...

For Principal Gary Anger, one of the best reasons to keep birthday treats out of the classroom popped up one day last year when a second-grader landed in his office for making trouble at Red Pine Elementary in Eagan. Turned out it was the boy's birthday, and he didn't have cookies or a cake to share. "The big reason he was acting up was because he didn't have anything to give his classmates," said Anger, whose school began nixing birthday snacks this year. The tradition of classroom birthdays with sheet cake or pizza has survived for many families even as...

(Fortune) -- What do Oreo cookies made by Nabisco, Cheez-It crackers from Kellogg's or General Mills' Fiber One Chewy Bars have to do with global warming and the destruction of tropical rainforests? A lot, say environmental activists. The link between the supermarket shelf, climate change and shrinking rainforests is palm oil, a controversial ingredient that may now be the most widely-traded vegetable oil in the world. Here's the problem: Demand for palm oil, which is found in soaps and cosmetics as well as food, has more than doubled in the last decade as worldwide food consumption has soared. Farmers, in...

You better eat your . . . Frosted Flakes? Olympic legend Michael Phelps will appear on boxes of the Kellogg's brand sugar cereal, drawing sharp criticism from health experts worried about the message he'll be sending to children across America. "I would not consider Frosted Flakes the food of an Olympian," said nutritionist Rebecca Solomon of Mount Sinai Medical Center. "I would rather see him promoting Fiber One. I would rather see him promoting oatmeal. I would even rather see him promoting Cheerios." The announcement yesterday that Phelps, 23, winner of a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics,...

The announcement this week from the Local Government Association that Social workers will consider taking 'dangerously overweight' children from their parents and placing them into care is guaranteed to tie all decent people in a veritable Gordian knot of conflicting liberal impulses. On the one hand we all abhor the idea that children might be so packed full of high-calorie low-nutrition takeaways and convenience food by uncaring or ignorant parents that they are effectively crippled by their own bulk. On the other hand we Britons have long rather fancied ourselves to be a more than averagely tolerant bunch, and the...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)-If the trends of the past three decades continue, it's possible that every American adult could be overweight 40 years from now, a government-funded study projects. The figure might sound alarming, or impossible, but researchers say that even if the actual rate never reaches the 100-percent mark, any upward movement is worrying; two-thirds of the population is already overweight....

New Yorkers have been in the throes of sticker shock since this spring when the Big Apple became the first city in the country to implement a law forcing chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price. Restaurants have not exhausted their legal challenges, but the city will start fining violators up to $2,000 beginning Friday, say officials with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. While some sit-down chains and fast-food eateries are waiting until the last minute, coffee shops like Starbucks — home of the 470...

California, a national trendsetter in all matters edible, became the first state to ban trans fats in restaurants when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Friday to phase out their use over the next few years. Under the new law, the fats must be excised from restaurant products beginning in 2010, and from all retail baked goods by 2011. Packaged manufactured foods will be exempt. In recent years trans-fats have become almost the new cigarettes among public health policy makers, with consumer behavior as much in the crosshairs as the product itself in governments' attempt to curb harmful effects. On...

California will be the first state to ban trans fats in restaurants and bakeries under legislation signed today by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The measure requires restaurants to quit using trans fats by January 2010, and for bakeries to follow suit one year later. "Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California," Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. The legislation, Assembly Bill 97, was proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Tony Mendoza of Artesia and opposed by most Republicans. Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids,...

A proposal that would place at least a one-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in a broad swath of neighborhoods, mostly in South Los Angeles, won unanimous support from a Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday. If approved by the full council and signed by the mayor, the law would prevent fast-food chains from opening new restaurants in a 32-square-mile area, including West Adams, Baldwin Village and Leimert Park. The moratorium would be in effect for one year, with the possibility of two six-month extensions. The measure, proposed by Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose 9th District includes much of South Los...

California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban restaurants and other food facilities from using trans fats, which are known to increase the risk of heart disease, under a bill approved by the state Legislature today and sent to the governor. The measure, passed with a bare majority, comes two weeks after a similar ban in New York City became fully effective. California doctor and consumer groups support the law, while restaurant groups have offered a lukewarm response. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position, a spokesman said. Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia (Los Angeles...

Gordon Brown called for prudence in the kitchen last night, telling us not to throw away so much food. With prices soaring, he suggested we could save up to £8 a week by making our shopping go further. Waste could be reduced by simple steps such as storing fruit and vegetables in the fridge to make them last longer. While the Prime Minister was preoccupied with his household management tips, a joint report by the U.S. government and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development was warning world food prices will rise by an average of 5 per cent this...

In a move backers are calling a “pilot test,” the Democratic Party convention in Denver this August has banned fried foods from the premises. “Republicans are telling the American people that our comprehensive healthcare plan is infeasible, that it will ‘break the bank,’” Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee Chairman, asserted. “That just shows the myopia of the right wing when it comes to caring for the health of the American people.” “A lot of our nation’s health problems start with a poor diet,” Dean contended. “Fried foods are among the worst things people can eat. If we can put a...

Remember, when you are a Democrat, you leave your individual rights and preferences at the door. You are now a cog in the great machine. You will comply with approved party policy, or you will be branded a heretic and will become fodder for a Keith Olbermann rant. Per the Party Grand Poobahs, the fun at the Democrat Convention will be supplemented with some proper dietary rules. Warning to Southern delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver this August: it will be a no-fry zone. As part of the effort to make the August 25-28 convention the...

Restaurants in New York City with 15 or more outlets nationwide now must conspicuously post the nutritional content of each item on their menus. Similar legislation is coming to San Francisco and Seattle, and is under consideration in about a dozen other cities and state legislatures. At first blush, this seems like a good idea. Why not force restaurants to let their consumers know the nutritional value of what they're about to eat? If we're to believe what the public health world says about our bulging waistlines, perhaps a little more information would be a good thing. The American Prospect's...

Excerpt - Hydrox, the defunct chocolate-sandwich wafer, is returning for one more rematch with its nemesis, the Oreo. Bowing to more than 1,300 phone inquiries, an online petition with more than 1,000 signatures and Internet chat sites lamenting the demise of the snack, Kellogg Co. has decided to temporarily relaunch Hydrox, the left-for-dead cookie. WSJ's Christopher Rhoads speaks to Adam Najberg about Hydrox cookies, and why consumers are fighting to bring back the defunct chocolate-sandwich wafers. (May 28) "These loyalists can be proud to know they've been heard," says Brad Davidson, head of Kellogg's snack division. Kellogg quietly killed off...

<p>McDonald's french fries are now trans-fat-free in all its restaurants in the United States and Canada, the fast-food restaurant chain said Thursday.</p> <p>McDonald's has lagged other restaurant operators in switching over to a zero-trans-fat cooking oil out of worries it would compromise the taste of its trademark fries. It has been under increasing pressure from consumer advocates and some public officials to make the change.</p>

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said. From this story: WASHINGTON (AFP) — Barack Obama set his sights on November's general election Saturday as he campaigned in Oregon, where he hopes to declare victory in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.Obama has said Tuesday's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky could mark the end of his drawn-out battle with rival Hillary Clinton, and his campaign pressed home that message by...

Smoking ban, fitness tests for healthier nation By Sharri Markson April 20, 2008 01:36am SMOKING would be banned for everyone born next year, junk food would be taxed and everyone would be subjected to a fitness test by 2020. By comparison, the cost of healthy food, including fruit and vegetables, would be reduced to reflect its low environmental impact and obvious health benefits. These are just a few of the ideas from 100 of the nation's health experts who discussed the best way to combat obesity, reduce illness and promote a healthy lifestyle. Health Minister Nicola Roxon said one idea...

Two Girl Scouts Start Campaign Against Cookie Sales By MARJORIE KAUTH-KARJALA   Seventh graders Rhiannon Tomtishen, left, and Madison Vorva are helping to save orangutans by raising awareness of the effect of palm oil plantations on the primate's habitat. (Photo by Leisa Thompson)     ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Two middle school students who started a project to earn a Girl Scout award have ended up rejecting what may be the best known of their organization's symbols: Girl Scout cookies. Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen, both 12, started doing research last fall on endangered orangutans in Indonesia as part of...

"It has created a little underground economy, with businessmen selling everything from a pack of skittles to an energy drink." - Jim Nason, principal at Hook Junior High School. VICTORVILLE — With candy sales banned on school campuses, sugar pushers are the latest trend at local schools. Backpacks are filled with Snickers and Twinkees for all sweet tooths willing to pay the price. “It’s created a little underground economy, with businessmen selling everything from a pack of skittles to an energy drink,” said Jim Nason, principal at Hook Junior High School in Victorville. This has become a lucrative business, Nason...

March 16, 2008 -- Joel Klein is a pizza-party pooper. The schools chancellor's food police have put the kibosh on a 20-year-old "Pizza Day" tradition at a Queens elementary school, opening the door for a citywide ban, infuriating parents and upsetting kids. "This borders on cruel," said Michael Teoduro, vice president of the PTA at PS 193 in Whitestone. "It's one thing that the kids really look forward to in school, and for no legitimate reason it's pulled out from under them." Pizza Day took place once a month, when kids would eat 90 to 100 pies from local shop...

PITTSBURGH - To the list of simple childhood pleasures whose safety has been questioned, add this: eating snow. A recent study found that snow — even in relatively pristine spots like Montana and the Yukon — contains large amounts of bacteria. Parents who warn their kids not to eat dirty snow (especially the yellow variety) are left wondering whether to stop them from tasting the new-fallen stuff, too, because of Pseudomonas syringae, bacteria that can cause diseases in bean and tomato plants. But experts say there's no need to banish snow-eating along with dodgeball, unchaperoned trick-or-treating and riding a bike...

Variety reports that Meryl Streep will be playing Julia Child in a Nora Ephron confection. While Ms Streep is an actress of the first rank, the choice of her to play Julia Child is peculiar because they were at opposite sides of the great food divide. Ms. Child was a person who valued taste in food and taught an adoring public how to make it better. Ms Streep, on the other hand, was a willing tool in the politicization of the way food is grown, serving as a high profile spokeswoman for environmental partisans who falsely suggested to petrified parents...

WASHINGTON - A Montgomery County Councilman railed against a popular school fundraiser Thursday, comparing a McDonald’s McTeacher Night to inviting children to a tobacco shop....McTeacher Nights, held at local McDonald’s franchises, involve school staff working the registers while students and families stop in to eat. In exchange, the franchise donates a percentage of the night’s profit to the school. This year, PTAs at Baker Middle School in Damascus and Cedar Grove Elementary in Germantown sponsored such fundraisers. The flap over McTeacher nights arose during committee meetings in Rockville, where representatives from the Center for Science in the Public Interest presented...

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS FROM SERVING 1 FOOD TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OBESE, BASED ON CRITERIA PRESCRIBED BY 2 THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO 3 PREPARE WRITTEN MATERIALS THAT DESCRIBE AND EXPLAIN THE CRITERIA 4 FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A PERSON IS OBESE AND TO PROVIDE THOSE 5 MATERIALS TO THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO 6 MONITOR THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS 7 OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9 SECTION 1. (1)...

FEBRUARY 1--Mississippi legislators this week introduced a bill that would make it illegal for state-licensed restaurants to serve obese patrons.

Robert Fliegel was craving a Hydrox. The 52-year-old computer consultant says he always liked the way the chocolate sandwich cookie, which he found crisper than Oreos, "stood up to the milk" when dunked. But Mr. Fliegel, who used to be able to devour an entire package of the crème-filled biscuits in a sitting, couldn't find them in any stores near his East Stroudsburg, Pa., home. Only when he went online a few months ago to try to order some did he learn the truth: Hydrox is dead. In 2003, without warning or announcement, Kellogg Co. killed off the cookie --...

After banning plastic bags from chain grocery stores and bottled water from City Hall, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has set his sights on soda - working up a plan to charge a new city fee to big retailers of sugar drinks. "The bottom line is that there is a direct nexus between high-fructose corn syrup drinks like colas and Big Gulps and obesity among schoolkids," Newsom said Friday. The idea of taxing soda to combat obesity - which is being touted as the first in the nation - has been roiling around in health circles for some time, including...

SPARTANBURG, South Carolina (CNN) — Fred Thompson wants the government to keep its hands off your dinner plate. *snip* "I'm telling you, I don’t think that it’s the primary responsibility of the federal government to tell you what to eat," Thompson said to applause when asked if his health care plan included any details on preventative care, a priority for Democratic candidates. *snip Thompson, ever a fan of small government, said healthy living should be the responsibilities of families first. "We shouldn’t be looking at the federal government in Washington first and working our way down, it ought to be...

OLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov 29 (Reuters) - Public health advocates on Thursday called for tighter restrictions on salt content in food, arguing that cutting the nutrient's overuse by most Americans could save thousands of lives annually. Excessive salt in Americans' diets is a major factor in high blood pressure and increases risk for heart disease, while most Americans exceed recommended limits, according to health experts. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) cited these factors in urging stricter regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at a public hearing, held on Thursday at the FDA. Trimming the...

Representative Tyrone Yates, citing rising heart disease and obesity rates, says he will introduce a bill to ban trans fats in Ohio restaurants. Yates’ bill, if passed, allows restaurants to phase out the use of trans fat in deep-frying over a year’s period of time. The Ohio restaurant association has just learned of Yates’ proposal, and hasn't seen it yet. In an e-mailed statement, the group says it supports the gradual elimination of trans fats through a voluntary, incentive-based approach, rather than an outright ban.

A Manhattan federal judge handed the city a supersized setback yesterday when he junked a rule forcing fast-food restaurants to post calorie contents on menus. Judge Richard Holwell found the regulation violates federal law, which says eateries don't have to list calorie counts on the menu if they voluntarily post them someplace else - like the Internet. City Health Department officials contend customers need the information more at the counter than the computer and vowed to keep fighting to force-feed it to them. "It is unfortunate that some restaurants are so ashamed of what they are serving that they would...

A Fresno elementary school became the latest to ban cupcakes and other sugary treats in favor of healthier snacks this week. School officials at Roosevelt Elementary School say the move is part of a districtwide initiative to improve student nutrition. As part of the effort, the school substituted its "Donuts with Dad" event scheduled for later this week for one called "Fruit with Dad." Officials say they're also giving students more whole-grain bread and reduced-fat cheese, and cutting out high-sugar breakfast cereals and soft drinks in vending machines.

Consumers, not just factory workers, may be in danger from fumes from buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn, according to a warning letter to federal regulators from a doctor at a leading lung research hospital.

BRANDON, S.D. (AP) Mom's brownies and other homemade goodies have been banned from grade schools in the Brandon-Valley School District. The ban is intended to protect kids who are allergic to nuts. The "no shared treats" policy means no more suckers, cookies or even apples. And it means shared treats will not be allowed at Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's parties in grade-school classrooms. School district officials say the ban will be strictly enforced. Although the district no longer allows shared treats in elementary schools, students may bring their own snacks from home. The ban does not apply to Brand Valley...

Whether restaurants should eliminate artificial trans fats from their menus has been a topic of sizzling debate in Madison, and Marv Miller, owner of the Greenbush Bakery, had been one of the skeptics. He wasn't sure that a trans fat-free oil could replicate the consistency and quality of the partially hydrogenated oil he used to fry doughnuts. But now, the bakery has made the switch to oil with zero trans fat, Miller said. The shop found a company called Bunge Oils that makes a new, non-trans fat cooking oil and made the switch about a week ago. "Bakery is pure...

CARMEL, N.Y. - Putnam County wants to stop handing out free doughnuts at senior centers because of health worries, but patrons say they're old enough to decide what they eat. The Office for the Aging has been getting free "day old" doughnuts from local doughnut shops, delis and stores, and then passing them out at the county's five centers. But nutritionists have questioned if the doughnuts are good for the over 65 set, which is susceptible to high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. The issue has been turned over to the Putnam County Legislature which will debate in the...

Would Jesus Eat at McDonald's? Saturday 11th Aug 2007 by David Paulin The intellectual elite of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have in recent years joined ranks with the radical left. Its members vilify Israel, apologize for Islamic terrorists, and cheer on the Palestinian cause. Now, these Presbyterians have another villain: the Big Mac. America’s most famous hamburger is emblematic of the dark underbelly of globalization, according to David Hadley Jensen, an associate professor of something called “constructive theology” at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. On top of that, McDonald’s and its iconic burger are even at odds with...

Despite objections from restaurant owners and food-industry officials, the King County Board of Health on Thursday banned artificial trans fat and required nutrition labeling for menu items in chain restaurants. With the vote, King County joins a handful of jurisdictions in the country to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant meals and becomes only the second to require nutrition labeling on menus. While most restaurant owners and their supporters testified against the trans-fat ban -- most said they're already getting rid of trans fats but they simply hate mandates -- they saved their harshest words for the nutrition-labeling requirement. Chris...

Menu labeling, trans fat ban approved by the Board of Health Thursday, July 19, 2007 KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - People will be able to make more informed food choices and have a safer food supply as the result of today’s action by the King County Board of Health to require menu labeling in King County chain restaurants and to eliminate artificial trans fat in all King County restaurants. Board of Health members expressed strong support for the decision that will improve the dining experience and the health of the community in the fight against obesity and chronic diseases such...

The waistlines of Americans continue to grow and a new study estimates that by 2015, 75 percent of adults will be overweight and 41 percent will be obese. The percentage of adults in the U.S. that were obese increased from 13 percent in the 1960s to 32 percent in 2004... The proportion of overweight and obese Americans has increased at an average rate of 0.3 to 0.8 percentage points a year. Poorer Americans and some minority groups have been affected disproportionately...

If you were watching calories, would you go for the chicken Caesar salad at Chili’s or the classic sirloin steak? Subway’s tuna or roast beef sandwich? A Starbucks chai or a cappuccino? Demand for calorie labels on restaurant food is sweeping the country. New York City is ahead of the trend — a law requiring calorie counts to be posted next to prices in some restaurants went into effect July 1, though it will not be enforced until October. But some 20 other states and localities are considering measures that would require chain restaurants to provide calories or detailed nutritional...

King County May Ban Trans Fats At Restaurants   POSTED: 7:53 am PDT July 10, 2007 UPDATED: 2:12 pm PDT July 10, 2007  SEATTLE -- Restaurants and food services would be required to stop using trans fats under a proposal the King County Board of Health will consider later this month. The ban would affect 10,000 licensed kitchens in the county. "We can see no good reason to --- absolutely zero good reason -- why they should continue to put that stuff in any food product," said Julia Patterson of the King County Board of Health. According to a...

NEW YORK - Don't expect to see the calorie count for Burger King's Double Whopper with cheese on the menu anytime soon. Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's are among the chains planning to defy New York City's new rule that they begin posting calories on menus Sunday. Other big fast food eateries like Taco Bell and KFC aren't saying whether they will comply, but with just days to go until the deadline, the menu boards in their Big Apple restaurants remain unchanged. All are hoping a New York Restaurant Association lawsuit in federal court will get the new regulation thrown...

SEATTLE – First, Washington State banned indoor public smoking. Now, the City of Seattle may ban employees from making microwave popcorn. No kidding. A memo from the Fleets and Facilities Department addressed to "Employees at Civic Center Buildings" says there has been several evacuations in recent years due smoke alarms being tripped by burning popcorn. The memo states that in the past three years, there have been eight evacuations at the Justice Center, which includes jail cells and courtrooms, because of burnt popcorn. That's more than 400 people evacuated each time. There have also been several evacuations at City Hall...

Left-Wing Food Group Wants to Whack Toucan Sam Posted by Julia A. Seymour on June 14, 2007 - 14:17. That’s right, a food police group has turned cereal killer. What's worse, the media don't see any foul play.Fruit Loops cereal’s brightly colored mascot Toucan Sam, along with Sugar Smack’s Dig ‘Em and Rice Krispies’ Snap, Crackle and Pop are likely to be axed due to an agreement between Kellogg Company and the food police group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).“Early Show’s” Hannah Storm was happy about the announcement. She called getting rid of the popular cartoon figures...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker, has agreed to raise the nutritional value of cereals and snacks it markets to children. The Battle Creek, Mich., company avoided a lawsuit threatened by parents and nutrition advocacy groups worried about increasing child obesity. Kellogg intends to formally announce its decision Thursday. The company said it won't promote foods in TV, radio, print or Web site ads that reach audiences at least half of whom are under age 12 unless a single serving of the product meets these standards: -No more than 200 calories. -No trans fat and no...

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey's health department is escalating the battle against the bulge by starting a new Office of Nutrition and Fitness to better coordinate programs aimed at preventing obesity. The agency is particularly needed in New Jersey — possibly the first state to create such a government body. The Garden State has the highest percentage of overweight and obese children under age 5, at 17.7 percent, according to a 2004 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New Jersey also has many black and Latino youth, who are more likely to be overweight than white...