Hey guys!  (Sorry it has been a while, I was busy finishing up my first year of college!)  I just wanted to direct your attention the way of this CNN post on how California school lunch regulations are working and how we can continue to improve!  How does your school compare? Five years ago, California passed some of the strongest school-food legislation in the nation in hopes of combating childhood obesity. These rules limit the kinds...

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Hey Guys! Twin Cities Public Television, the University of Minnesota Extension Program, and the Minnesota Department of Health recently teamed up to create a super-cool documentary about Farm to School in Minnesota.  You can hear from local farmers, health advocates, and economists on the benefits of Farm to School, what initiatives have been taken, challenges they face, and why Farm to School should be a priority across Minnesota.  This video is awesome for a number...

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Hey guys! I just discovered a super interesting story on obesity around the world.  Obesity has health consequences everywhere, but it is seen differently in different countries.  Check out this article from the MinnPost! By Susan Perry | 04/16/12 Courtesy: U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program The tiny Pacific nation Nauru tops a recent list of the world's most overweight countries. The British newspaper The Guardian ran a summary report on Saturday about “The Weight of the...

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  As I formulate this blog lounging in my bed, I am thinking of everything I have left to do today.  There are the things I have to do, like reading and studying for classes and deciding on my class schedule for next year.  There are the things I want to do, like talk to my friends and make fun plans for outside of school.  And then there are those things I should do.  The...

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Is is just me, or are all of the coolest stories in public health happening lately?  The most recent development?  A federal magistrate judge has ruled that the federal government has to follow its own rules. Namely, one created 35 years ago banning non-medical use of penicillin and tetracycline in farm animals in an effort to prevent the creation of antibiotic resistant superbugs. Check out the story from the New York Times below.   Steps...

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Pink slime.  It sounds kind of like what they used on Nickelodeon back in the day, but cuter.   Um, it is not. Pink slime is actually ammonia-treated fatty beef trimmings.  It is used as filler in beef foods like hamburgers and used to be used in pet food.  It is not only unappetizing, but it has been found to be less healthy than 100% ground beef, and the ammonia treatment they use to try...

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Hey guys!  Remember my scary blog post about GMO foods?  Well, a US campaign wants to do something about it.  Just Label It wants the FDA to label GMO foods, and they created this cool infographic to get the word out.  Check it out and share with your friends! You can also sign the petition by clicking this link. Quotation of the Week:  We may find in the long run that tinned food is a...

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  You may be wondering why I keep posting about campaigns against sugar sweetened beverages.  If you missed the Liquid Lies campaign, or if you want to learn more details about a policy that could have a HUGE effect on obesity, this Q and A session is for you!  Many states are now considering a sugar sweetened beverage tax to promote the health of those who live there- here are the details. So what is...

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  Hey everybody, I’d like you to meet Catalyst’s new friend, Kick the Can!  Kick the Can, which wants to give “the boot” to sugary drinks, is a nationwide home base for beverage advocacy programs.  The website includes soda facts, great graphics, soda’s link to the obesity epidemic, advocacy tools, videos from campaigns across the country, and ways you can take action to expose the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and the obesity epidemic.  Kick the...

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Guys, have you seen the adorable Chipotle short film about a farmer who changes his family farm into a big factory farm, but changes his mind as he looks at the ill-effects of the system?  The commercial is adorable, but underneath that, it includes some of the biggest fast food industry issues of today.  Check out the commercial here. What does this commercial mean? Chipotle is different from other fast food chains.  They have 100%...

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