Exposure in the womb may lead to obesity

Studies involving mice showed that even minute exposure to common chemicals found in plastic bottles and pizza boxes in the womb caused mice to be heavier than those who didn’t have such exposure. One of the chemicals studied was the infamous Bisphenol A, which is used in plastic containers and has been shown to leach out. Female mice who were exposed to the chemical in the womb weighed more than other mice, even with the same diet and activity level. Mice exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid, found on the inside of popcorn bags, among other places, were smaller at birth but gained weight later…

Indians say Americans should go on diet

A popular theory about the increase of food prices is rising demand from rapidly developing countries like India and China. Earlier this month President Bush said the growing middle class in India was making prices soar, but Indians say that just isn’t true. The average American consumes 50 percent more calories than the average Indian, says the head of the Center for International Trade, Economics and Environment. If Americans cut back to the level of middle class Indians, there would be more food for everyone, and money spent on liposuction here could then be funneled to people who need food, he said…

Obesity needs to be treated like smoking

A public health researcher says that in order to combat obesity, world governments need to treat the problem like they have treated smoking. Speaking at the European Congress on Obesity, professor Boyd Swinburn said that could mean regulating how junk food is marketed, requiring schools to serve healthy meals and encouraging more exercise. He says regulations that restrict advertising or selling cigarettes to minors have stopped a lot of young people from smoking, and a similar attitude is needed to cut obesity rates…

Australia’s top model contestants told to slim

The judges on “Australia’s Next Top Model” are under fire for encouraging the contestants to lose weight. Most of the girls are already quite thin, but both the judges and the contestants have been teasing girls about their weight. A recent episode showed one 17-year-old contestant pelted with water and insults, while a 16-year-old contestant who weighs 132 pounds was told by a judge to hit the treadmill because of her “jelly botty.” The host of the show says it’s important to emphasize fitness and health with the girls, not losing weight…

Beyonce’s Def Jam diet

Finally, the Huffington Post has been searching the web and consulting experts about the “Def Jam detox,” which was mentioned in a story about rumors that Beyonce Knowles is pregnant. A friend said she usually does the diet when she gains a little weight, but not now. The speculation about the meaning of the term is pretty funny (especially those that guess the only solid food allowed is jam), but in reality we think it’s just another term for the Master Cleanse, which she used to get super-skinny for Dreamgirls.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

Subscribe to our RSS feed | Weekly e-mail updates | Follow us on Twitter

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 and is filed under Nibbles: diet news shorts. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.