Blog Posts by FatFighterTV

A major U.S. city bans free toys in unhealthy restaurant meals for kids. Will others follow suit? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

New SF law limits Happy Meal toys
San Francisco just became the first major city in the U.S. to pass a law that cracks down on giving away free toys with unhealthy restaurant meals for children, like McDonald's Happy Meals. The new law would only let restaurants include toys with kids' meals that are less than 600 calories, have fruits and vegetables, and include drinks without a lot of fat or sugar. Santa Clara county passed a similar law earlier this year.

Also see: Consumer group threatens to sue McDonald's over Happy Meal toys

Will obesity rates reach 42 percent?
I really hope this prediction does not actually happen. Researchers at Harvard University say obesity in America won't plateau until 42 percent of adults are obese. And they think having overweight friends is part of the

Breakfast on the run doesn't have to be a disastrous way to start your healthy day. Many fast food restaurants now have some good-for-you choices. The key is knowing which ones they are. ShopSmart - from the publisher of Consumer Reports - just rated the best and worst choices at seven popular chains, based on calories, fat, and sodium. Here is it's take on three of them.

STARBUCKS

• PICK IT: Perfect Oatmeal (pictured above): 140 calories, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Sodium 105mg, Sugars 0g, Protein 5g, Fiber 4g

• SKIP IT: Raspberry Scone: 500 calories, Saturated Fat 15g, Sodium 650mg, Sugars 18g, Protein 8g, Fiber 2g

• PICK IT: Ham, Egg & Cheese Wake-Up Wrap: 200 calories, Saturated Fat 4.5g, Sodium 640mg, Sugars 1g, Protein 10g, Fiber 1g

• SKIP IT: Sausage, Egg & Cheese On Croissant: 640 calories, Saturated Fat 17g, Sodium 1,250mg, Sugars 6g, Protein 22g, Fiber 2g

A judge orders McDonald's to pay a former employee $17,500 because he gained 65 pounds while he worked there. Is the restaurant really to blame? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Seriously? A judge orders McDonald's to pay obese employee $17.5K
Is this for real? A Brazilian court has ruled that McDonald's must pay a former franchise manager $17,500 because he gained 65 pounds while he worked there for a dozen years. The 32-year-old man says he felt forced to sample the food each day to make sure the quality was high and that the restaurant's free lunches for employees added to his caloric intake while he was at work.

Also see: Best and worst breakfasts on the go

Great. Now 1 in 3 of us will have diabetes by 2050
One in three people in the U.S. will have type 2 diabetes by 2050. That's the grim prediction from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One in three. Think about it for a minute. This is

Should tater tots be banned in school? Would that help fight childhood obesity? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Should tater tots be banned in school?
First, chocolate milk was under fire. Now, tater tots may be on the chopping block at schools. The government is thinking about limiting potatoes kids get through school lunch programs to help fight the obesity epidemic. But potato growers are fighting back, arguing spuds are high in potassium and vitamin C and should not be considered junk food.

Also see: School lunch tricks to get kids to eat healthy

Bust belly fat with whole grains
You know whole grains are better for your health than refined ones. Now research shows they might also be better for your waistline. A new report from Tufts University finds adults who ate three or more servings of whole grains a day and had no more than one serving a day of refined grains had 10 percent less belly fat than those who did

Can hiding chocolate milk behind plain milk help kids choose healthier foods in school? It's part of the new lunch line psychology. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

School lunch tricks to get kids to eat healthy
How do you get kids to choose healthier foods at school? Trick them, of course. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving food behavior scientists $2 million to come up with marketing tricks to get kids to pick fruits and veggies over cookies and French fries. Some of the ideas include hiding chocolate milk behind plain milk, putting the salad bar near the checkout, and selling fruit in pretty baskets. Previous research from Cornell's Food and Brand Lab also shows getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables is all about presentation.

Also see: Buh-bye chocolate milk?

Front of food packages under fire
Wouldn't it be nice if you could know what you're getting when you pick up a box of food without having

Ever since more of us have been choosing to eat cleaner, more natural foods, "All Natural" labels have been popping up on food products left and right. Naturally, companies want a piece of the healthy food trend purchasing pie. But did you know some of the foods labeled "All Natural" have ingredients in them that either don't exist in nature or have been chemically modified in some way? Things like high fructose corn syrup, modified corn starch, and partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat). So, what does it mean to have the "All Natural" label on a food package?

Also see: Do you eat more junk foods if they are labeled "organic?"

A spokesperson from the Food and Drug Administration tells FatFighterTV the agency has not formally defined the meaning of "natural," but it "has not objected to the use of the term on food labels provided it is used in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and the product does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances."

To

Do you have a job where you sit at a desk all day? That could explain the extra weight you've gained. FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Is your desk job making you fat?
Those extra pounds around your waist may come from sitting at your desk all day. A new report from the University of Montreal finds adults had fewer calories in 2004 than they did in 1972, and physical activity during free time went up over a similar time period. But researchers say people have become less active at work over the last three decades, and this decreased activity may partly explain the rise in obesity rates.

New York wants to ban using food stamps for sugary drinks
New York took a swipe against soft drinks when it pushed for a "fat tax" on sugary beverages. Now it's striking out against obesity again by asking the U.S. government to ban people from using food stamps to buy sugary drinks. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York

Did you stock up on canned pumpkins last year because you heard there was a shortage? Is this year going to be any better for pumpkin lovers? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

The Great Pumpkin Shortage is over!
It's over. Done. Gone. The nearly year-long canned pumpkin shortage has come to an end! Just in time for pumpkin baking season. Heavy rain ruined last year's harvest. Some areas around the country were out or low on canned pumpkins or had to sell them at a higher prices. But now, the country's top producer says this year's crop is A-OK and cans are popping up on store shelves.

Disney joins fight against childhood obesity
The Walt Disney Company is going to try to work some of its magic in Michelle Obama's Let's Move program to fight childhood obesity. You'll see public service announcements as part of the "Magic of Healthy Living" campaign featuring the First Lady, teen idol Nick Jonas, and other celebrities