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Obesity and health insurance may go together

Owning health insurance makes you prone to weight gain, claims a new study by a trio of American and UK economists. The authors researched the relationship between weight gain and health insurance and found that those who held private insurance experienced a body mass index increase of 1.3 points, while public insurance increased BMI by 2.1 points.

North Korea embraces fast food

North Koreans living in the country’s capital have taken a liking to their first U.S.-style fast food outlet, Samtaesong, according the nation’s official news channel. Serving hamburgers, french fries, waffles and beer, the restaurant has been a hit with Pyongyang residents since it opened last month. The company is already making plans to open locations in other parts of the city.

Are organic foods more nutritious?

A meta-analysis of food studies completed over the past 50 years shows that organic and non-organic foods are virtually equal in terms of nutrient content. Looking closely at the two food types, the UK-based study authors found no significant difference in vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc and copper content. The Oregon-based Organic Center, which promotes organic food, says its review of food studies found higher levels of healthy antioxidants in organic fruits and veggies. Advocates of organic food also point out that conventional foods may contain dangerous pesticides.

New legislation would toughen food safety rules

Food safety activists are asking the House of Representatives to vote in favor of the new Food Safety Enhancement Act to help protect the public from the dangers of salmonella, E. coli and other food-borne dangers. The act would give the FDA the power to demand more information during inspections of food facilities and create a system that would make it possible to trace and source foods in case of a food poisoning outbreak. If the new bill is passed, food plants that are deemed high risk would have to be inspected by the FDA. every 6 to 12 months.

Garlic does its best work raw

If you’re worried about your heart, you can forget about your breath: The latest study to look at garlic’s potential heart health benefits shows that fresh, raw, crushed garlic is better for you than the dry stuff. The results were based on findings from animal studies and will be published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

(By Margaret Thomas for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 30th, 2009 and is filed under Nibbles: diet news shorts, Uncategorized. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.