Would you like suicide with your fries?

You have to wonder at our culture when a restaurant uses as its main method of marketing, the fact that its food is not just unhealthy but actually dangerous.

Seriously, the "Heart Attack Grill" in Las Vegas doesn't just pretend that it's food is fine (like McDonalds pretends) but it actually promotes the fact that it is serving dangerous foods and warns you that its food will kill you.  Their slogan is "Taste Worth Dying For."

It's all very funny and of course no one takes it seriously.  Until a customer has a heart attack while eating the "Triple Bypass Burger".  If that doesn't give you some idea of how unhealthy their food is then how about the fact that their 29 year old, 575 lb spokesperson died last year.

"But I don't eat that kind of food," I hear you say.  Well, if you are living in North America or Western Europe, then I have an 90% chance of being right if I say - "Yes you do."  Perhaps you don't eat an 8,000 calorie (that's about 4 days worth of calories for an average person) "Quadruple Bypass Burger" everyday, but you probably regularly eat what goes into one.

If you are interested in building a healthy future for yourself and don't want to end your days like 90% of others in the West, with a heart attack, cancer or from the side-effects of diabetes or the many other degenerative diseases caused by our diets then read this book: Eat to Live."

And if you don't care then good luck, and remember to think the same thought as the WWI soldiers as they ran towards the machine guns: "I'll be okay, it's the other guys who'll get mowed down."

(Thanks to Emily Boller for drawing my attention to the article.)

How to screw up a scientific study

All too often the media publicizes the findings of a study without any sort of thought or logical analysis. A scientist says "this study shows that ..." and the press mindlessly repeats it. Never mind that the interpretation of the data is incorrect, a scientist said it, therefore it is gospel.

It reminds me of the middle ages where anything a priest said was blindly believed.

What this is all leading to is my comment on the recent idiotic media reports that fruits and vegetables provide only modest protection from cancer. Despite 50 years of research and over 15,000 studies that prove that fruits and vegetables provide major protection from cancer, a single, poorly executed and poorly interpreted study says otherwise and the media trumpets it. It just goes to show that you really have to pay attention and question everything.

For an accurate analysis of that recent study: Fruits and vegetables provide only modest protection from cancer?

Food: Healthy or Unhealthy

Which foods promote health and which don't? Here is an article that gives you some accurate, science based data. I think you will be surprised.

What are true health-promoting and disease-promoting foods?

The big question: Organic or Conventional?

Some people swear by organic produce, others say there is little or no difference between organic and conventional. Here is an article that helps clarify the issue: Which foods should we buy organic?

Consumer Beware: "All Natural" can be anything but.

Isn't it great to know that we are being well protected by the FDA from the false claims by food manufacturers? Just kidding! The FDA doesn't do that. Just look at this article about products that claim to be "All Natural": Don't be fooled by "all natural" claims on foods and grocery products.

There is also an accompanying cartoon. Just click on the picture on the right.