Free Republic

* Many CEOs are angry with the Obama administration thanks to three new cases challenging parts of his 'wellness program' * In order to participate in the 'wellness program' and receive a low health care rate under Obamacare, employees must take a physical * Now it is being argued in three cases that forcing someone to take a physical for work violates the Americans with Disabilities Act * The CEOs now have a number of ways they can undermine Obama because of this developmentLeading U.S. CEOs, angered by the Obama administration's challenge to certain 'workplace wellness' programs, are threatening to...

While most Americans put on a few pounds for Thanksgiving, the federal government has been spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars researching why obese girls don’t have sex.The National Institute for Health grant allocated $466,642 to the Magee-Women’s Research Institute to study the sexual habits of obese girls, including how often they have sex and why they are less likely to use protection when they do.“Obese girls consistently report having fewer dating and sexual experiences, but more sexual risk behaviors [i.e., condom nonuse] once they are sexually active,” the study abstract states.Money from the 2014 study will also be...

The number of overweight and obese people has skyrocketed over the past thirty years, jumping from 857 million in 1980 to more than 2 billion in 2013. That's approximately a third of the world's population. In 2010 alone, between 3 and 4 million people died due to complications from obesity. While the United States is often pegged as the standard-bearer for overweight populations, there are more than a few countries tracking close behind. With people in the world becoming more sedentary thanks to desk and computer jobs and more and more gaining access to high calorie, high fat foods like...

Thanks to the FDA’s calorie labeling regulations announced Tuesday, major changes will soon be coming to the food and restaurant industries. The regulation itself is nothing new; it became law in 2010 as a provision attached to the Affordable Care Act, but final rules were delayed for the past few years, thanks in large part to heavy opposition from grocery stores, pizza chains, vending machines, convenience stores, and movie theaters. Although some concessions were made, none of these industries were fully spared. By November 2015, these establishments will be forced to post calorie information on menus and menu boards, which...

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered how a previously unknown hormone serves as a messenger from fat cells to the liver and are investigating the potential of developing a new treatment for metabolic disorders.

Unhealthy eating habits could become an issue of national security. The Department of Defense says that obesity is affecting the number of Americans eligible to serve in the military. Jessica Kartalija reports now there’s a push for kids to eat healthier. Recruiting for our military is facing a growing challenge. “I am very concerned about the reduced number of men and women who can meet all of the qualifications required to serve in our armed forces,” said retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Steven Tomaszeski. Now, retired admirals from Maryland are releasing a report, citing obesity as the number one reason...

Now that global warming has been tamed by record breaking cold spells across the nation, former Vice-President Al Gore is looking for new worlds to conquer. That new world appears to be the establishment of a “national policy on food.” “Under current rules, what a person eats is largely left up to each person to decide,” Gore pointed out. “Judging from the rates of obesity, it seems clear that the idea that letting individuals choose what to eat is not working. It is way past time that experts in the field of nutrition be given the authority to determine healthier...

The federal government has invested over $10 million developing and promoting a video game about a young teen that must escape a town full of fat people, as a method to fight obesity.The National Institutes of Health (NIH) paid for the development of two video games that promote healthier eating, including “Escape from Diab,” a “nightmare” fictional city where people are only allowed to eat junk food.“The story centers around five children who must get healthy enough to escape the evil King Etes,” explains Archimage, Inc., a computer game company that received $9,091,409 to develop the games. King Etes is...

And you’ll never guess why! Well, unless you guessed “global warming,” which is what you did the moment you saw Al Gore’s name. He cannot and will not shut up about it. And I, for one, don’t want him to.Here’s the President of the Environment: It’s time for a national policy on food. Brilliant essay in today’s Washington Post: http://t.co/bvGjpej5wN— Al Gore (@algore) November 9, 2014 If Al Gore thinks it’s brilliant, it must be hilarious. Let’s take a look!

The federal committee charged with creating nutrition guidelines for Americans is calling for fat interventions at workplaces.During a presentation at the sixth meeting of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on Friday, the committee said government needs to take “bold action” to fight obesity.The solutions included “comprehensive” obesity interventions in “health care, the community, public health facilities, and work sites.”“The public should monitor body weight and engage with providers in evidence-based approaches aimed at achieving and maintaining healthy body weight,” the panel said in a presentation on “Food and Nutrient Intakes, and Health.”The committee, which is responsible for creating...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is paying a researcher $17,500 to make students at New Mexico State University wear a fat vest for “weight sensitivity training.” The 20-pound fat vest will be worn for an “empathy exercise” so non-obese students can experience what it is like to be obese. The premise of the project is to fight “weight prejudice.” “Weight prejudice (a.k.a. anti-fat prejudice and weight bias) is the presence of negative beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward individuals who appear to be overweight or obese,” a grant awarded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture explains. The grant...

f you think we have it bad with Michelle Obama, who is not a nutritionist, using government to tell you what you what you can and cannot eat, wait until you see who has been put in charge of ‘health’ for Belgium. When you think of the word ‘health,’ what comes to mind? Is it someone who is physically fit? What about someone who is actively shedding pounds and eating in a healthy manner? If this person was tasked with leading a nation as the ‘Minister of Public Health’ in the fight against obesity, would you trust advice, policies, and...

(CNSNews.com) – In the first two years since First Lady Michelle Obama launched her ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to fight childhood obesity in 2010, teenage obesity rates increased, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 2009-2010, 18.4 percent of children ages 12-19 were classified as obese, according to the CDC. Since then, from 2011-2012, one in five children ages 12-19 or 20.5 percent, were classified as obese, an increase of 11.4 percent. The CDC has been tracking these data since 1966-1970, and at that time only 4.6 percent of teens were classified as obese. “The...

For many young professionals far from their schools days and a ways away from having children of their own, the battle over healthier school lunches seems of little relevance. But in Washington, D.C., the policy debate has become an all encompassing issue highlighting the intricate network of lobbyists, corporations and associations all with a financial stake in a policy that was otherwise born of good intentions. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was passed in 2010, offering $4.5 billion in new funding over 10 years. However, the details of the new program have yet to be implemented due to a growing...

The cremation of an oversized body apparently helped set ablaze the roof of a crematory Wednesday when the smokestack overheated and set roofing material on fire. The fire at Southside Cremation Services, in the 1600 block of Crump Street, started shortly after noon and was extinguished by Richmond and Henrico County fire crews by 12:43, according to the Henrico County Division of Fire. Manager Jerry L. Hendrix Sr. said Wednesday afternoon that he’s received a go-ahead to resume cremating an 800-pound cadaver that created excessive heat and oil during a cremation

A slender woman set up dates on Tinder using her real profile picture, then showed up looking much different than her picture. First they set up dates for a slim, attractive woman on Tinder. Using body adhesives and make up, they made her appear 100 pounds heavier, and then set up a hidden camera to record the men’s reactions. The reactions ranged from surprised to rude to just plain mean. Of five Tinder matches, only one stayed for the entire date, and even he joked with her, asking, “Do you like to eat?” The Huffington Post called the men’s reactions...

Search for the word “fat” on Twitter and you’ll likely find a torrent of criticisms, insults, and jokes at overweight people’s expense. Now researchers have undertaken such an experiment in a much more systematic way, across a variety of platforms — and what they’ve found may give the public health community a look at the reality of being overweight online.

A division of the Agriculture Department is making $31.5 million in funding available to help people on food stamps obtain healthier foods. The department’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is making the funding available to help those enrolled in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which offers nutrition assistance to millions of low-income Americans. "Too many struggling families do not have adequate access to nutritious food," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday as he announced the new funding. "Helping families purchase more fresh produce is clearly good for families' health, helps contribute to lower health costs for the country,...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is said to be suffering from gout, a hereditary disease which he seems to have inherited from his father and grandfather. The ruling North Korean leader, who is believed to be his early 30s, has not been seen in public for more than three weeks. He also skipped the regular session at the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang on Thursday amid increasing speculation that he is severely ill.

MARIETTA — Federal food regulations going into effect this school year are affecting certain teachers’ lesson plans as well as the lunchroom menu. Limits on the calorie counts of foods that may be sold to students have interfered with the special education and culinary arts programs at Marietta High School, said Principal Leigh Colburn. The special education students sold coffee and food such as muffins to teachers and students every morning last year, but Colburn said the calorie counts of those items fall outside the new regulations because they’re more than 200 calories, which is the limit for a snack...