Blog Posts by FatFighterTV

Hooked on coffee? Scientists say they may know why. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other food and fitness headlines making news this week.

Coffee cravings may be genetic
Need a caffeine fix? You might be able to blame your genes. New research finds differences in two specific genes drive people to have more - or less - of the world's most popular stimulant.

Also see: Hidden calories and fat in coffee creamers

Movie theaters, bowling alleys don't have to list calorie counts
You may soon see calorie counts across the nation's chains... but not in movie theaters. The FDA has proposed a rule that would require chain restaurants and other businesses that serve food to post calorie counts on their menus and menu boards. But movie theaters, bowling alleys, and other places whose main purpose is not to sell food are not included.

Also see: Accurate calories on menus? Don't count on it

New York considers banning fast food toys
First San Francisco passed a law to crack down on

Which nut has twice as many antioxidants than any other? Is it in your diet? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other food and fitness headlines making news this week.

Walnuts higher in antioxidants than other nuts
Want more antioxidants in your diet? Go nuts! Specifically... walnuts. Researchers say walnuts have almost twice as many more antioxidants and a higher quality of them than any other nut. That's right - even more than more popular nuts like peanuts, almonds, pecans, and pistachios.

Also see: Healthy Recipe - Walnut Blueberry Banana Bread

Consumer group urges warning or ban on food dyes
You see artificial food coloring in things like cereals, snacks, and drinks. But do these dyes cause hyperactivity in kids? The Center for Science in the Public Interest says yes, and wants those foods banned or to have them at least carry a warning. Thursday, an FDA panel recommended that the agency further study the link between food coloring and childhood hyperactivity, but said

Ads for quick weight loss have been around for decades. Now you can see the wild diet promises from yesteryear. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Decades of dieting delusions on display
Apparently, looking for a quick way to lose weight has been around for quite awhile. And ads that promise amazing results have been, too - like taking a salt bath, eating "bile beans" or shaking pounds off with an electric massage belt. Now posters of these ads and a collection of old diet books will be on display for several months at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Also see: Beware of bogus weight loss claims

Costco switches to sustainable seafood
Costco says it's going to stop selling 12 species of fish that environmental groups have identified as being over-fished: Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, bluefin tuna, Chilean sea bass, Greenland halibut, grouper, monkfish, orange roughy, redfish, shark, swordfish, skates, and

15 states have been newly named part of the "diabetes belt." Is your state one of them? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Do you live in the "diabetes belt?"
The southeastern U.S. is already known as the "stroke belt." Now the region has also earned the unhealthy title of "diabetes belt" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because close to 12 percent of people there have diabetes compared to 8.5 percent in the rest of the country. The 15 states in the diabetes belt are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas ,Virginia, West Virginia and Mississippi.

Also see: Great. Now 1 in 3 of us will have diabetes by 2050

Kids think food tastes better if cartoon character is on box
Give kids the same cereal in two different boxes - one with a cartoon character on it and one without - and guess what happens? The children think the

How many diet sodas do you have a day? It's possible you may be hooked. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Can you be addicted to diet soda?
It's not as addictive as a drug like nicotine, but a new report finds the rituals that go with diet soda and the artificial sweeteners in it can make some people psychologically - and even physically - dependent on the soft drink in ways that mimic more serious addictions.

Also see: Junk foods may be as addictive as cocaine

Is BMI going bye-bye?
BMI (body mass index) my be getting some competition. Scientists have come up with a new way to measure whether you are overweight without using a scale. The new technique is called Body Adiposity Index, or BAI. It relies on height and hip measurements and is supposed to be more flexible than BMI, a ratio of height and weight.

Also see: Killer muffin tops

Hidden veggies may help you lose weight
Here's a great way to add more veggies to your

Before you give your beloved pet that treat, chew on this: More than half of our furry friends are now overweight. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

More than half of U.S. dogs and cats overweight
Fido and Fluffy are having some serious weight issues. A new study from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) finds about 53-percent of cats and 55-percent of dogs are overweight or obese. APOP says pet obesity is a serious problem and it's getting worse with more obese pets this year than ever before.

Also see: How do you petsercise?

Why tomatoes have been pricier lately
Cold weather this winter in Florida, Texas and Mexico has hurt tomato crops, making supplies limited, quality lower and prices higher until late March or mid-April. Some restaurants are even cutting back until things get better. The cold snaps could also make lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, and other veggies hard to get and more expensive for

Move over red wine. An ice cold brew may be good for our hearts, too. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Can beer keep your heart healthy?
We often hear about how red wine can be good for the heart. But what about beer? A new report from the American Dietetic Association (ADA) shows beer has a lot of nutrition and heart benefits. The ADA says drinking beer moderately can increase the good (HDL) cholesterol, lower the bad (LDL) cholesterol, and reduce the risk of gallstones and type 2 diabetes.

Also see: Heart-Healthy Recipe: Oven-Fried Okra

Group urges FDA to ban "caramel coloring" in soda
Should the food coloring used in dark soft drinks be banned? The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) thinks so, and is urging the Food and Drug Administration to do something about it. The CSPI petitioned the FDA to ban the caramel coloring approved in colas and other dark-colored sodas because the group says it is made

Wait a minute - eggs have less cholesterol than they did 10 years ago? How'd that happen? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Eggs have less cholesterol than they used to
Here's some interesting news that might make you egg-cited. A new report finds eggs have less cholesterol now than they did 10 years ago - 185 milligrams compared to 215 milligrams. Researchers say the drop may be because of changes in hens' diets or the way they are bred.

Also see: Is it safe to eat food after the "Use By" date?

Strokes up dramatically in young and middle-aged
Here's a sign that obesity rates are changing who gets cardiovascular disease. New numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show while strokes are dropping in older Americans, they're going up dramatically in the young and middle-aged. The CDC finds the biggest increase in strokes - 51 percent - is in men 15-34 years old. In women in this age group,