March 20, 2019 — Scientists at the University of California at San Francisco have discovered that tobacco companies once owned food and beverage companies. Philip-Morris bought General Foods in 1985 and then Kraft in 1988. This arrangement lasted until 2007 when Philip-Morris sold all of its ownership of Kraft and the old General Foods brands. RJ Reynolds acquired Pacific […]
March 15, 2019 — Living large in a world designed for much smaller people presents daily challenges. On top of that, coping with everybody’s bias makes it even harder. Sometimes it’s just implicit. Restaurants and offices might not have any place for you to sit. Public transportation is a hostile environment. But then there’s the explicit stuff. Some strangers […]
March 9, 2019 — Is food a problem or a pleasure? In promoting healthy choices, could it be that we actually nudge people in the opposite direction? New research in Psychological Science suggests, once again, that this might be the case. Nicolette Sullivan and colleagues conducted a series of experiments to arrive at this finding. In short, they found […]
March 3, 2019 — Siri, what should I eat? Well, that cheesecake looks good. In the New York Times today, Cardiologist Eric Topol explains that artificial intelligence (A.I.) tells him cheesecake and brats get an A+ for his personalized nutrition needs. In contrast, oatmeal and squash get a C-. But there’s just one problem. Topol likes the oatmeal and […]
March 2, 2019 — Eggs are coming on strong, but your beloved cheeseburger is under siege. Certain political pundits say that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is going to take away your cheeseburger. However, the truth is that the real threat to that cheeseburger comes from market forces. The Endangered Cheeseburger Consumers simply don’t want as much red meat these days. More […]
February 17, 2019 — The consumer market for activity trackers is shrinking. Smartwatches have put a dent in the sales trend for Fitbit’s old bread and butter product – the fitness tracker. Of course, the company has responded with a pretty good smartwatch to compete with Apple. But a big part of its strategy is to make a buck by helping […]
February 9, 2019 — Pets not only make great companions, but they can also help you recover after suffering from physical and mental afflictions. Here are just some of the benefits having an animal buddy can offer while you’re healing. Better Mental Health Having an animal companion helps you become mentally healthier. Pets are capable of lowering loneliness, stress, and anxiety […]
January 22, 2019 — Is this a millennial dream? Or instead, a caricature? Recess is coming at us with a distinctive vibe for sparkling water – infusing it with hemp extract and “adaptogens.” The brand promises balance and clarity. Can this be what’s replacing soda for generations to come? Tapping All the Trends In case you haven’t noticed, big soda’s […]
January 16, 2019 — Diets are out and healthy eating is in. Maybe we’re imagining it, but the deluge of miracle diets typical of January is a little subdued this year. Yes, there’s some buzz about keto diets and intermittent fasting. However, we are also seeing more interest in resisting all the diet hype. Giving voice to the resistance, […]
January 3, 2019 — January has arrived and thus, so has the annual ratings of “The Best Diets” by U.S. News & World Report, guided by a distinguished panel of experts. However, here’s the thing. There is not just one best diet. In fact, the top two “diets” on this list – the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet – […]
