Junk Food News and Research

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Direct link between childhood obesity and junk food advertising

A team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public health (HSPH) and the Children's Hospital in Boston have found that children who spend more time watching TV were more likely to eat more of the calorie-dense, low nutrient foods advertised on television.

24 Apr 2006

25% of British school children are clinically obese

According to researchers over 25% of British school children are clinically obese and they lay the blame squarely on junk food and a lack of exercise.

24 Apr 2006

Breakthrough in fight against childhood obesity

What children eat has a greater influence than physical activity on their body weight, a Deakin University study has found.

18 Apr 2006

Enter Prince Charles! into the obesity debate

Prince Charles has entered the obesity debate and has cautioned the British public against becoming like the 'super size' Americans.

29 Jan 2006

Institute of Medicine reports on food marketing aimed at kids

The Institute of Medicine's report on food marketing to children is a milestone that marks the beginning of the end of junk-food marketing to kids.

15 Dec 2005

Poor diet and little exercise makes Scottish kids fatties

Health experts say that Scottish children are among the most overweight in the world.

14 Dec 2005

Junk food ads aimed at kids endangers their health

The Institute of Medicine says that the majority of food and drink advertising to children promotes unhealthy choices and can lead to poor diets.

7 Dec 2005

Ads with gristle blood and bones to shock kids off junk food

A heart charity in the UK has launched a campaign to shock children away from junk food.

7 Nov 2005

Studies outline dangers of mixing stress, deprivation and tempting foods

Two studies in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience show that when animals are stressed, deprived and exposed to tempting food, they overeat, with different degrees of interaction.

7 Nov 2005

Seaweed extract, alginate, could be used to increase the fibre content of junk food

The highly-fibrous seaweed extract, alginate, could be used to increase the fibre content of cakes, burgers and other types of food which usually contain large amounts of fat and a low degree of healthy nutrients, say the team.

27 Sep 2005

Television advertising is packed with junk food

For young Americans, the "food landscape" in television advertising is packed with junk food, according to a new study.

25 Aug 2005

Magazines aimed at African-American and Hispanic women publish twice as many adverts for potentially health-damaging products

A study published in the open access journal, BMC Public Health, shows that the content of advertisements in black or Latino magazines may contribute to the lower health status observed in African-American and Hispanic populations in the USA.

18 Aug 2005

Bill Clinton leads childhood obesity fight

Former President Bill Clinton, famous for among other things, his love of fast food, says he has firsthand experience of how unhealthy eating habits can do to a young body.

8 Aug 2005

At last the news we really wanted to hear - chocolate is good for us!

Following new research that has discovered that flavanols, a plant chemical that occurs in cocoa beans, were good for human health, confectionary maker Mars, a privately owned company, yesterday unveiled new research showing that cocoa, the central ingredient in most of its products, has properties that can be used to treat diabetes, strokes and vascular disease.

27 Jul 2005

Wealthy kids are not always healthy kids

An international team of researchers from the UK, Estonia, Denmark and Norway, have found that children from poorer families are not necessarily less healthy than those with more affluent and better educated parents.

23 Jul 2005

Wealth doesn't always equal health

Across Europe, children from poor families don't necessarily have worse health than children with more affluent and better educated parents, say researchers in this week's BMJ.

21 Jul 2005

BMA calls for tough action to tackle childhood obesity in Scotland

School meals should adhere to strict guidelines on sugar and fat content, all unhealthy food and fizzy drinks vending machines in schools should be banned and there should be no junk food advertising or sponsorship. These are the some of the recommendations in the BMA’s report Preventing Childhood Obesity, launched yesterday [22 June 2005].

22 Jun 2005

Soy appears to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, aid weight loss

A quick trip through the health-food section of any grocery will reveal several labels touting soy content, but most Americans do not know much about soy beyond a vague idea that it is a healthy food.

8 Jun 2005

Doctors in the UK demand that junk food television advertisors pay for public health messages

Delegates to the British Medical Association's public health medicine and community health annual conference want a 'fairness doctrine' adopted by advertisers, and the motion has been backed and put forward by alcohol addiction and research council chairman Dr Noel Olsen.

5 Jun 2005