Tag: obesity
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California Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Sweetened Beverages
Nearly 20 organizations reportedly testified last week about the purported link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity at a special joint hearing of California’s Senate Select Committee on Obesity and Diabetes and the Senate Health Committee. Several researchers reportedly linked sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and obesity, but an American Beverage Association representative cited research showing that 5.5…
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Senators Introduce Legislation to Bolster Food Safety, Humane Slaughter Practices; Restrict Food and Beverage Advertising to Kids
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has reportedly introduced the Growing Safe Food Act (S. 2758) to “help educate and train farmers and food processors in food safety.” Similar to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) now stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Growing Safety Food Act would create “a national food…
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Litigation Could Foster Weight-Based Discrimination by Employers
According to a news source, employers may have more reason to avoid hiring overweight employees after a workers’ compensation board in Indiana and the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that employers must pay for weight-loss surgery if their obese employees suffer weight-related injuries on the job. With no laws banning employment discrimination against the obese, beyond…
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Smart Choices Program™ Halted Pending Review by FDA, Connecticut AG
The food industry has reportedly halted a new front-of-packaging (FOP) labeling campaign pending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. According to an October 23, 2009, press release, the Smart Choices Program™ voluntarily postponed active operations after FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg indicated “that the agency intends to develop standardized criteria on which future front-of-package nutrition or…
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Demonstrators Protest “Fat-ism” Outside London Mayor’s Office
Members of the “Size Acceptance Movement” reportedly protested outside the mayor of London’s office recently, urging him to ensure that employers are not prejudiced against overweight people. The group claims that surveys show 93 percent of employers would rather employ a thin person rather than an overweight one even if such individuals are equally qualified.…
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North Carolina Raises Health Insurance Fees for Obese State Employees, Smokers
The North Carolina State Health Plan (SHPNC) has reportedly approved fee increases for state employees who use tobacco or whose body mass index (BMI) qualifies them as obese. Under the new arrangement, private contractors hired by SHPNC will monitor workers’ weight and take saliva samples to test for cotinine, a nicotine derivative. The plan requires…
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Study Questions Effectiveness of South Los Angeles Fast-Food Restaurant Ban
A new Rand Corporation study claims that South Los Angeles’ 2008 ban on new or expanded fast-food restaurants is unlikely to improve residents’ diets or reduce obesity because the area actually has a lower concentration of these establishments per capita than other areas of the city. Researchers apparently discovered that South Los Angeles has an…
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Groups Launch National Initiative to Fight Obesity
More than 40 retailers, non-governmental organizations, and food and beverage manufacturers have launched a national initiative to reduce obesity in the United States by 2015, especially among children. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation aims to provide tools to help people achieve healthy weights through “energy balance—calories in balance with calories out” in three areas where…