Category Archives: junk food

US Government Contradicts Itself in Promoting Cheese

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

[Addendum (Dec. 14 2010) — it seems the NYT article cited below may have been misleading. See this blog entry here. Thanks to reader Anastasia for notifying me.] I love cheese. Probably too much. If I ate as much of … Continue reading →

Posted in health, junk food, marketing, public policy, USDA | 2 Comments

In Praise of Industrialized Food

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Check out this piece, by Rachel Laudan, in the Utne Reader: In Praise of Fast Food. (It’s worth noting right up front that the title of the piece is misleading. It’s not a defense of fast food, in the McDonalds … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, factory farms, fast food, health, industrial, junk food, labour, natural, science, values | 2 Comments

Energy Drinks

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Caffeine is popular. Most North American adults consume some every day, usually delivered via a hot beverage (coffee, espresso, cappuccino, tea, etc.). It’s very likely the world’s most widely-consumed drug. But it’s also entirely unregulated. Combine that fact with the … Continue reading →

Posted in health, junk food, kids, labeling, regulation, safety | Comments Off on Energy Drinks

Health Foods, Junk Foods — All Processed

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Nestlé (the food manufacturing giant based in Switzerland) has just announced its plan to expand into the realm of health food. According to the NYT: Nestlé announced the creation of Nestlé Health Science as well as a research body, the … Continue reading →

Posted in health claims, industrial, junk food, nutrition, science | 3 Comments

Eat Your Veggies!

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

I love vegetables. In fact, I never met a vegetable I didn’t like (except ones that are poorly prepared), and veggies make up most of my diet. Alas, the same cannot be said for everyone. See this story, by Kim … Continue reading →

Posted in consumerism, ethics, health, junk food, kids, marketing, subsidies, taste | 1 Comment

KFC Uses Women’s Buns as Ad Space

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Advertising is often contentious. Food advertising is perhaps doubly so. Add to that accusations of objectification and commodification of women’s bodies, and you’ve got yourself a marketing ethics case-study. Here’s the story, by Bruce Horowitz, for USA Today: KFC pays … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, ethics, fast food, health, junk food, marketing | 1 Comment

The Junk Food Diet (Stunt)

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

[Spoiler: no, this is not a new miracle diet.] Hey, guess what! You can lose weight by eating junk food. Huh? Lose weight by eating junk food? No, it’s not the latest nutty tabloid headline; it’s an experiment that an … Continue reading →

Posted in diets, junk food, nutrition | 1 Comment