Reading List: Overweight Pets, Fake Alli Warning & A Huge Beef Recall
In this week’s nutrition news: More concerns over BPA in plastics, counterfeit Alli sold online and celebrating National Popcorn Day!
Pet owners take note of this new Dutch study. Researchers found that more commonly overweight people owned overweight dogs; cats and cat owners, however, don't have the same kind of link. The study's authors hypothesized that thinner pooch owners had healthy dogs because they're out walking (both their dogs and themselves) more. Since kitties aren’t walked, the same hypothesis doesn’t apply to that group. The takeaway: For the sake of your health and your furry kin, go for walks!
Although the trend for ordering medications online is growing, here’s a good reason to stick to the old-fashioned pharmacy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put out a warning that fake versions of Alli, an over-the-counter, weight-loss drug, are being distributed online. The FDA examined the counterfeit pills and found none of Alli’s active ingredients; instead the active ingredient matches the weight-loss drug sibutramine, a medication that should only be taken with medical supervision. Sibutramine also has a tendency to interact with other medications. Scary!
We’ve told you about the FDA’s plan to investigate BPA (bisphenol-A) in our food supply -- now the federal agency is voicing concerns about its possible health risks. Fetuses, infants and children are at highest risk because the chemical may effect the brain, behavior and prostate gland. BPA has been used since the 1960s in baby bottles, sippy cups and the can linings of some baby formulas and soft drinks. The agency wants everyone to rely on BPA-free items and toss plastics that have the #7 (look for it stamped on the bottom).
Another week, another recall. If you plan on dining out in California, you may want to skip the burger or pasta bolognese. A Southern California meat-packing company recalled a whopping 864,000 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with the bacteria E. Coli. The meat was sold to distribution centers, restaurants and hotels in the area. Although the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) hasn’t had any documented cases of illness, Southern Californians better to steer clear of dishes containing ground beef for the time being.
January 19th was National Popcorn Day! Popcorn can be light-weight snack, but buckets of movie theater-style popcorn aren't the smartest choice. A recent CSPI report revealed the these theater popcorns serve up unbelievably high amount of calories and fat. Instead, try making your own. Freshly popped with no fat added (that would be butter), a cup of popcorn has around 30 calories!