Poll: Does Facebook Give Good Health Advice?

Not if you ask Harvard health expert, William Shrank, who calls Facebook the "wild west" when it comes to health information.

This is because of the study his team conducted on the popular social networking site which found that many health recommendations came from those soliciting non FDA approved products and services.

Out of 15 diabetes related Facebook pages, 27% of the comments were from people promoting non FDA sanctioned products or methods.

The Harvard team recommends the following;
"Policymakers should consider how to assure transparency in promotional activities, and patients may seek social-networking sites developed and patrolled by health professionals to promote accurate and unbiased information exchange,"

I admit that there are people on Facebook trying to take advantage of people to make a buck, but I also find fault with the notion that only the FDA and heath professionals have accurate and unbiased information.

How many times has the FDA been wrong? How can the countless amount of anecdotal evidence be ignored which shows the effectiveness of non FDA or medical profession approved treatments?

This really shows the "we are better and smarter than you" attitude some academia seem to have, especially in the face of those that think outside the box when it comes to diet, health, and fitness.

What are your thoughts about the notion that we should only consider health advice from the FDA and health professionals? Participate in the comments and poll below.

Should consumers only consider FDA and Doctor approved products and treatments when dealing with health issues?

Yes No View results

Health polls research 4 Comments

Dad's Fatty Diet May Give Daughters Diabetes

Your old man can give you a lot of things: his hot temper, his big hairy feet, his old broken down Buick - but diabetes?

Apparently so, if you're a girl.

New research found male lab rats eating a fatty diet increases the risk of their female offspring developing diabetes.

Sounds like a bizarre form of mousy nepotism.

For the study, published in the journal Nature, scientists fed one group of male lab rats a fatty diet, and another group a normal diet. No surprise, the rats on the fatty diet became obese and diabetic.

Then they gave the rats a booty call, hooking the boys up with girl rats of normal weight. After 13 weeks, the female offspring of the obese and diabetic rats began showing symptoms of diabetes. Eek! I mean, squeak!

The researchers say the obese dad's sperm may be affected by their metabolic change, and is somehow being transferred into their offspring.

I bet it happens to humans too, but it's probably more nurture than nature.

Odds are if your dad sits down to a big breakfast of steak, eggs, bacon, and sausage every morning, and you grow up thinking there's nothing wrong with that, and regularly nosh your own lumberjack breakfast, you're probably going to run into some health problems later in life too.

My old man eats Cherrios with chocolate milk, sprinkled with sugar, luckily I missed that habit. Then again, I'm not a chick!.

Image credit: USA Today

Food Weird diabetes fat 10 Comments musajen on 3 Nov 2010

The conclusions here are laughable. Mice are herbivores first and foremost. Fat is a miniscule component of their natural diet. What do you expect when you jack them full of something not typical in their diet? It's going to impact their health and infuence factors in their offspring.

Let's feed a mouse a diet contrary to what it is naturally adapted to eating but blame it on the FAT. Fat is not the problem here. A diet unnatural to the subject is the problem.

We see plenty of evidence of this in society today with humans eating a grossly unnatural diet. We can't even name half of the stuff going into processed foods and, anthropologically speaking, we're adapted for a whole foods, hunter/gatherer type of diet.

Reply Zoran on 3 Nov 2010

Hi Musajen, I think you missed and you hit the point at the same time. I guess the thing is that high fat diet is not natural to us, just as it's not natural to mices, but to a different degree ofcourse.
Today we are eating food more than enough to preserve our bodies. We often eat some food only cause it tastes good. Now, I don't say it's wrong, only some of us overdo it and get different response from their bodies then others.

Reply

New Law Basically Outlaws Happy Meals

San Francisco is usually a laid back kind of town; hipsters, peaceniks, folk singers, stoners, and whackos, all living together in perfect harmony.

But on Tuesday, San Francisco passed new legislation that isn't so lovey-dovey, at least not for local fast food restaurants.

"Kid's meals" can no longer be sold with toys unless they meet specific nutritional standards; standards that may threaten McDonald's Happy Meals.

On Tuesday, with a veto-proof vote of 8 to 3, San Francisco officials passed a law that would allow restaurants to give away toys with kid's meals only if the meals have less than 600 calories, contain fruits and vegetables, and include drinks with no excessive fat or sugar. The law takes effect December 1, 2011.

The first thing that comes to mind is McDonald's Happy Meals. Since 1979, when Happy Meals were first introduced, McDonald's has used the kids' meal, specifically the free toy, to directly market to kids.

McDonald's might not state it that frankly, but come on, we all know what those cheap plastic "made in China" toys are really for - "Mommy I want McDonald's!"

Here's a Happy Meal commercial from 1979, in Klingon:

San Francisco officials say the law is designed to help combat childhood obesity; hard to argue against that. But McDonald's isn't happy about it. A spokesperson for the company said they are disappointed with the new law, and called getting the free toy in a Happy Meal "part of a fun, family experience."

No doubt, a law like this is one of those evil "progressive" initiatives so many Americans are scared of. And yes, it is very big brother-ish. And yes, it is the government putting the screws to private industry. But, are there any other solutions out there? We have a lot of fat kids! Just look!

Backyard Chicken Coops: Good Idea or Not?

The issue of whether or not urban centers should allow backyard chicken coops has sparked an ongoing debate in my neck of the woods (insert "crying foul" joke here).

Vancouver city council recently amended an animal control bylaw, making it legal to keep chickens on many more residential properties. Residents who own land of less than an acre are allowed up to 4 hens in their backyards.

Other urban areas in the US have already approved such a by-law including New York, Seattle and Portland.

Here are some of the stipulations that come with owning chickens;

Coops must be between four square feet and ten square feet in size, and cannot be kept in front yards or on apartment or condominium balconies.Other fowl such as roosters, ducks and turkeys are not allowed, and eggs produced by the hens cannot be sold commercially.When hens reach the end of their lifespan of up to six years, they cannot be killed by the owner, but must be taken to a slaughterhouse or veterinarian for slaughter or euthanasia.Backyard Coops: The ProsUrban sustainability: fresh, locally grown eggs can reduce carbon footprint.Good for communities and families as an educational tool.Instil discipline in children.Backyard Coops: The ConNoise: backyard chickens can produce noise and in smaller quarters neighbors may not appreciate it.Odour: (yes I'm going to use another "foul" joke).Disease: we had a run of avian flu a few years back and the little critters can spread disease.Urban predators: chickens may attract coyotes, foxes and other geographically-specific predators.

Where do you come out on backyard chicken coops?

Image source: laura_zz

Food Media Watch backyard chicken coops free range chickens 18 Comments Robert on 4 Nov 2010

And this is their idea of progress.

Please, proceed to disguise the descent into mediocrity, poverty, and socialism... as increased "sustainability." It's clearly fooling us all.

Reply

Grasp This Painful Truth to Improve Your Health

You want to be healthier, fitter, happier -- that's why you're here, right?

Recognizing the importance of good health has a lot to do with seeing the "bigger picture." So, what is the real secret to improving your wellbeing long-term?

I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all way to do things, but here is one very simple fact you definitely need to understand...

Nobody is responsible for your health, but you!

The sooner you realize that, the better.

There are many things in life, which you simply cannot entrust to others. And, although you may try to delegate the responsibility of your health to diet gurus, health professionals, even your employer, or the government, ultimately you are the only person who can take care of that problem, and do it right.

So, next time you go to make an unhealthy lifestyle choice, remember that your actions will always have a consequence -- the choice to do/ or not do something is made by you alone.

Rather than viewing this responsibility as a heavy burden, though, see it as something that you can do, change, and accomplish. It's a gift -- feel empowered by it!

Image source: nkzs

Health health 8 Comments Cupsi on 5 Nov 2010

"So, next time you go to make an unhealthy lifestyle choice, remember that your actions will always have a consequence"

Just vomit the food up

No bad consequence necessary

Reply Nicole

Baloney and Marshmallows For Lunch

Supermarkets are scary. Just stand in line and watch what people buy, it's startling. Blue yogurts, canned meat, and "fruit" flavored breakfast cereals.

Nasty stuff, right? Now, most people don't pay attention to other shoppers, but I'm a jerk. I take mental notes so I can pass judgment. Try it. It's a lot of fun!

Last week, I was at the store, minding my own business - not really - and watched some lady buy quite the lunch for her kids.

So this lady gets in line behind me and she's yammering on her cell phone, not even a regular one, it was one of those pseudo Secret Service ear pieces, for people who are wildly self-important. "Red team go! Red team go!"

I was ignoring her until she said, "I'm just picking up lunch for the kids." There's nothing wrong with that, until I noticed what she was piling onto the conveyor belt: sliced white bread, packaged baloney - not even the fresh stuff - and a bag of marshmallows. Wow, major parenting fail!

Listen, I'm not a parent. I don't want kids. I don't even like children. They're annoying and they smell. But how can you slap a piece of baloney between white bread and call that a meal fit for a child? The answer is, you can't.

I don't even want to know what the marshmallows were for. If she puts them on the sandwich, Child Protective Services need to be notified.

Her kids will probably grow up and be some of those annoying people who, at 35 years old, still only eat three things and pout about trying new foods.

Image credit: Warner Video

Teens and Kids Weird parenting sandwiches 22 Comments Karen on 6 Nov 2010

ahahahahah My boyfriend and I do the same thing when we go to the grocery store! lol We look at people and their purchases and makes wild guesses. For example "no wonder she is the size of an elephant..." or "they are obviously having taco night..." or "...she must be having a bunch of people over for dinner..." etc We don't always make negative comments, we just like to people watch and try to guess things about people. It is amazing what you can learn about a person by looking at what they buy at the grocery store.
My brother works in a grocery store and sometimes I shop at his store. He is not allowed to ring me through the till but his coworkers can. He has told me that his fellow employees always comment to him about my purchases. "That was the most vegetables I ever rang through the till.." its pretty funny.

Reply

Sprinkle Crystals on Your Food and Lose Weight

Is it just me, or are diet aids getting more and more weird?

We've had "Le Whiff" - chocolate you inhale. And now, the latest upcoming craze is crystals.

Tiny crystals that you sprinkle on your food. Doesn't sound too appetising, does it?

The crystals, called Sensa granules, enhance the smell of food, meaning that it tastes better (smell can count for up to 90% of what we experience as the "taste" of a food). They were developed by the neurologist Dr Alan Hirsch (from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago) back in 2008.

The Sensa website claims that:
By enhancing smell, Sensa Tastants were designed to help speed up the process and trigger your "I feel full" signal, so you eat less and feel more satisfied.

Sensa is currently on sale in America, costing $59 for a month's supply of the crystals. Other countries are expected to start selling them soon. Dieters are enticed by the promise they can carry on eating exactly what they already eat, without counting calories or exercising: the only change is that they sprinkle Sensa crystals on every meal and snack.

Some experts, however, are sceptical about the use of Sensa as a diet aid. Dominic Dwyer (a neuropsychologist at Cardiff University in the UK) said the idea behind Sensa was sound, but warned:
A mouthwatering smell from food can simply make us eat more. This stuff would have to be very carefully used.

What do you think? Would you pay $59 a month to sprinkle tiny crystals on your food? Would you be satisfied with less food if it tasted really good?

Weird dieting sensa 3 Comments

Poll: What's Your Worst Diet Excuse?

It seems that it's part of the human condition to make excuses for things.

Excuses why we were speeding, why we didn't have our homework, why we're broke, and of course, why we're fat or unhealthy.

The Mirror.co.uk recently published The World's Worst Diet Excuses. They list the excuse, why it is just an excuse, and what can be done to "beat it".

I think this list is good food for thought because it challenges the thinking and the excuses people have told themselves for so long that they believe they are true.

Which of the 10 dieting excuses have you been guilty of making now or in the past? Participate in the poll and comments below.

Image Credit: FreakingFitness

What's your worst diet excuse?

1. Diets don't work for me. 2. Regular meals are impossible. 3. I have wheat intolerance. 4. It's my hormones. 5. I've got a slow metabolism. 6. It's my medication. 7. It's in my genes. 8. I'm big boned. 9. It's water retention. 10. I suffer from insomnia. View results

Diets diet myths polls weight loss 11 Comments