Half-Baked Science on Acrylamide
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Wednesday, April 25, 2007
When you next visit a Kentucky Fried Chicken eatery in California, you will encounter something new: a warning label proclaiming that KFC French fries, baked potatoes, and chips "contain acylamide, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer."KFC and other fast food establishments had been sued by California's Attorney General's office (under the state's Prop 65 regulations) for failure to warn consumers about "carcinogens" -- so they decided to   Read Full >>

Throwing More Calories at the Obesity Crisis
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, April 13, 2007
As they advise parents and school administrators how to fight our nation's childhood obesity epidemic, perhaps the self-appointed nutrition advocates at the Center for Science in the Public Interest ought to ponder a query posed by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When Alice asks the Cheshire Cat "which way (should) I go from here?" the Cat responds, "that depends a great deal on where you want to get to."When it comes to downsizing our   Read Full >>

The Corzine Crash: Seat Belts Save Lives and Prevent Injuries
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, April 13, 2007
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was severely injured last night when the SUV in which he was riding collided with another car, causing his vehicle to tear into a guardrail along the Garden State Parkway. The Governor was in the front passenger seat and was not wearing a seatbelt. As a result of the impact, Corzine was sent hurtling into the back seat of the car and suffered multiple serious injuries, including over a dozen broken bones and a leg injury that was so grave that his femur protruded   Read Full >>

SweetN' Lowdown, Thirty Years On (from TCSDaily.com)
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, March 9, 2007
A shorter version of this article appeared on TCSDaily.com on March 9, 2007:Thirty years ago this week -- on March 9, 1977 -- the Food and Drug Administration announced its intention to ban what was then the only artificial sweetener, saccharin.  The ban was prompted by a Canadian study suggesting that saccharin caused bladder cancer in rats.  The FDA was following the dictates of the so-called "Delaney   Read Full >>

ACSH Statement for Senate Hearing on FDA Regulation of Tobacco
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H., Gilbert Ross, M.D., Jeff Stier, Esq.
Publication Date : Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Elizabeth Whelan M.P.H., Sc.D.Gilbert L. Ross, M.D.Jeff Stier, Esq.forThe American Council on Science and Health“The Need for FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products”Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and PensionsFebruary 27, 2007Mr. Chairman:The mission of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is to promote sound science and to inform policy debates about public health, providing independent scientific evidence and analysis to clarify the scientific record in order   Read Full >>

More Ice Warnings, Fewer Fat Warnings
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, February 16, 2007
New York City flew into a panic recently over the minuscule problem of trans fats -- yet the much more significant dangers of an ice storm seem to leave us unfazed. Perhaps the late Dr. Robert Atkins would appreciate the irony. He famously harangued Americans to avoid carbs as a (dubious) method of combating obesity -- but it was a tragic slip on an icy street that killed him four years ago. Last week's ice storm was also an imminent threat to the life and health of New Yorkers, as should   Read Full >>

In New Jersey, Taxes Can Make Your Fat
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, December 15, 2006
Given the national trend toward the use of taxes and regulations to combat obesity, a recently passed new tax in New Jersey seems completely unproductive and counterintuitive: the Garden State has slapped a 7% tax on health club memberships.Just when we should be giving people incentives to work out, New Jersey is penalizing consumers for doing so.  What's next, a tax on diet soda?New Jersey and obesity: perfect together.Across the nation, government agencies are considering measures   Read Full >>

Trans Fats: Anatomy of a Scare (from American.com)
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Wednesday, December 6, 2006
This article first appeared on December 6, 2006 on the website of The American:NEW YORK -- Yesterday morning, I watched as the New York City Health Department voted unanimously to ban the use of trans-fatty acids (trans fats) in all New York City restaurants. The ban will be phased in gradually, but   Read Full >>

Are Foods "Addictive"?
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Thursday, November 30, 2006
Food companies are under attack, standing accused of causing our nation's obesity epidemic. The latest salvo against "Big Food" is that they sell foods that are "addictive" -- as addictive as the nicotine in cigarettes, say some.Needless to say, any comparison of food and cigarettes is absurd, ludicrous. For starters, food is essential, food supports life. Cigarettes are an optional and deadly habit.Why are   Read Full >>

Death by Trans Fats? Not Quite (Testimony Before New York City Council 10/30/06)
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Monday, October 30, 2006
I oppose the New York City proposal to ban trans fats (TFAs) in local restaurants because it will not make New Yorkers healthier. Indeed, such a move may actually contribute to the toll of premature death by diverting our attention from the real causes of heart disease. My organization is releasing a full report on trans fats and health today. You can find it at: http://acsh.org/publications/pubID.1415/pub_detail.asp High levels of   Read Full >>