Watching your waistline? A new report suggests that smoking weed might be for you. Despite munchie myths, it was found that the BMI of the pot smoking community reflects a reduced prevalence of obesity. The study reported in  the American Journal of Medicine sought to better understand the effects of marijuana on insulin levels in [...]

When dining out at a restaurant, you might be getting more than you’re paying for — in terms of calories, fat and cholesterol that is. According to two new studies published in JAMA, even though fast food often gets a bad reputation, smaller chain restaurants may actually be more harmful to your health. And it [...]

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that everyone consume no more than 2300 milligrams (mgm) of sodium per day (about a teaspoon of salt), and that some people at risk consume no more than 1500 mgm. Respected medical associations, especially the American Heart Association (AHA), have been vigorously promoting this rather drastic lifestyle intervention [...]

If you’re in Washington, D.C., you may have seen ads on the city buses accusing the dairy industry of trying to “pollute our milk,” and “dose our children on the sly with ‘deadly’ aspartame.” Well, this is not really the case and not just because aspartame is perfectly safe and diet beverages will not cause [...]

There’s good news for dog owners — having a pet may lower your risk of heart disease, according to a new assessment by the American Heart Association. “Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease,” Dr. Glenn N. Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine and chairman [...]

In an effort to join in the fight against the obesity epidemic, Coca-Cola Co. has made plans to expand distribution of its low-calorie drinks. Coke also has plans to make sure that calorie counts are posted on the front of all coke products around the world. In addition, the company intends to sponsor physical activity [...]

Have you heard? New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had lapband surgery in February. Lapband surgery, a variation of bariatric surgery, involves wrapping a device similar to a band or a belt around the stomach in order to make the stomach smaller, limiting the amount of food it can hold, and therefore resulting in weight loss [...]

The silly season for summer scares is upon us, it seems. A group of self-styled “cancer experts” issued a press release warning of the dangers of cancer-causing substances in grilled meat of just about any type. The group, the American Institute for Cancer Research, warns of the increased risk of colon cancer from meat, especially [...]

Put this one in under “odd news.” Sucking on a pacifier shouldn’t just be for babies, Swedish researchers say — when parents do so, it may actually help protect babies from problems later in life. “Parents sucking on their infant’s pacifier may reduce the risk of allergy development, possibly via immune stimulation by microbes transferred [...]

You may want to think about having a snack before you go grocery shopping. According to new research published in JAMA, going grocery shopping on an empty stomach may actually result in more high-calorie food purchases. Researchers at Cornell University conducted a two-part study. The first part, conducted in a lab, involved 68 participants who [...]

Kudos are due to the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune for their stand against a proposal to levy a penny-an-ounce tax on a wide variety of beverages — including sports and energy drinks and bottled teas, among others. The monies raised via these proposed taxes are aimed, ostensibly, at helping the fight against [...]

If you went by the headlines, you’d be sure that the widespread obesity problem is due to consumption of too much sugar — especially from sodas and other sweetened beverages. But according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you’d be wrong. Examination of data on adults’ (20-60+ years) intake [...]

A new study conducted by the National Toxicology Program, an agency that is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has put yet another dietary supplement in the spotlight. Ginkgo biloba, which has been long-used used to enhance memory — a doubtful claim at best — may have very well graduated from “useless, but safe” to “useless and unsafe.” [...]

On Thursday, April 25th, Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Conn., held a conference entitled “Changing the Community: A Symposium on Childhood Obesity.” The one-day conference included presentations by three speakers, as well as two workshop sessions. The keynote speaker, Dr. William Dietz, former director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity in the Center for [...]

Former ACSH trustee Dr. Henry Miller, now a Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, argues in a recent letter to the Wall Street Journal that the major beneficiaries of genetically modified foods are small, poor farmers. Miller says, “[the] assertion that genetic engineering of crops leaves ‘cash-poor farmers dependent on buying seeds, fertilizer [...]

Once again the Environmental Working Group (EWG) seeks to perpetuate its myth of dangerous fruit — dangerous, they say, because of trace amounts of pesticides found on them. Although their list of the most “dangerous” fruits garners wide attention, there seems to be little attention paid to the science — or lack thereof — in [...]

Many teens somehow believe driving under the influence does not affect their safety, according to a survey published by the insurance company Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Worse still — nearly 25 percent of American teenagers drives under the influence of some drug. Not surprisingly for teenagers, there is a disconnect between [...]

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According to an American Heart Association scientific statement published earlier this week, engaging in an aerobic exercise or resistance training program can be seen as an “adjunctive” therapy to standard medical and dietary therapies for treating hypertension. However, evidence to support the use of biofeedback techniques, isometric handgrip exercise, device-guided slow breathing, meditation, yoga, relaxation [...]

Although last year’s move in California to require labeling of genetically engineered foods went down to defeat, the issue isn’t dead yet. Senators Boxer (D-Calif.) and DeFazio (D-Ore.) have introduced legislation that would require the FDA to mandate labeling of all genetically engineered foods, and those made from genetically engineered ingredients. Proponents of these labeling [...]