Physically active less likely to get some cancers

Japanese men who are physically active have a 13 percent lower risk of developing cancer, while more active women are 16 percent less likely to get the disease, according to a study from Japan’s National Science Centre. The link between activity and cancer had never before been studied in Japanese people, though the effect has been seen among other nationalities. In men, getting more activity helped prevent colon, liver and pancreas cancer, while women seemed to be protected from cancers of the stomach…

Salmonella search problems blamed on terror law

As the number of people sickened by salmonella in the United States hit 1,000, officials suspected jalapenos may be at least part of the culprit, and others blamed the confusion on an antiterrorism law that was supposed to protect the food supply in case of bioterrorism. The law says that importers, processors and distributors have to keep track of where produce comes from, but because boxes of produce are often repacked before going to stores, that data isn’t really helpful. There’s also no consistent paperwork for the program, and retailers don’t have to keep track of where produce came from. While the Food and Drug Administration says it lacks authority to require trace-backs on produce, others say they could do it and that a fine system is in place in California…

Alice Waters wants Obama to have a sustainable White House

Speaking at an event in Aspen, local food guru Alice Waters said she talked briefly with presidential candidate Barak Obama about food issues early in the campaign. He said he’s read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and though he doesn’t know as much as he should about food, he’s particularly concerned about the obesity epidemic. Waters says Obama should appoint a “kitchen cabinet” to advise him on choosing his chef for the White House, and she dreams of a day when there’s a vegetable garden on the White House lawn…

Intelligentsia to dump large size

Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee says it’s getting rid of the venti (a.k.a. large) size coffees at its stores starting in August. The company says the 20-ounce size is like a Big Gulp, and fine coffee is not meant to be enjoyed that way. Coffee is best when it’s hot and fresh, and most people don’t drink fast enough for a coffee that big to be delicious all the way through. Other companies say they’re not dumping the big size, and Dunkin’ Donuts says Chicago is the one market in the country where their 20-ounce size is the most popular…

Suburbanites say no to kids’ ball field

Finally, a story that illustrates a bit of all that’s wrong with America today. Some teens in Greenwich, Conn., turned a vacant lot into a Wiffle ball field so they’d have a place to play in their neighborhood, and residents started calling their lawyers. They complained that the field, built on public property worth more than a million dollars, didn’t have a permit, brought a bunch of loud kids close to their backyards, was potentially dangerous and that the land was meant to protect the surrounding homes from floods. As one of the kids said, “They think we’re a cult. People think we should be home playing ‘Grand Theft Auto.’” Which would be so much better than getting actual exercise.

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

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 and is filed under Beverages, Celebrities and politicians, Childhood obesity, Exercise and fitness, Food miscellaneous, Food safety, Foreign stories (non-U.S.), Japan diet, fitness, food, Kids and families, Nibbles: diet news shorts. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.