Among other frightening catastrophes that are happening in the world today, the so-called "obesity epidemic" that Europe and the US is on the brink of, is a worrying one, and it appears that governments are working towards cracking down on fat people. However, there is a growing body of scholars and scientists who discredit claims that this is a killer disease that is spreading exponentially.

BMI now Reduced
The Body Mass Index (BMI), which is the calculation of height squared divided by weight squared, is something that many take to be a truthful indication of "good" and "bad" body types. However in 1997 and 1998..

Maybe the world seems a bit upside down already, but when it's discovered that diet coke makes you put on weight, we seriously need a reality check. It has been found by researchers at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, that artificial sweeteners can actually cause the body to gain weight rather than aid it to lose weight.

Researchers Susan Swithers and Terry Davidson fed 27 rats with either real glucose or saccharin to monitor any changes in weight.

Their findings reveal that the super-sweet taste of..

Would you believe that in the world of European Michelin stars, Germany is now second on the list to France? Amazing but true. The world of fine dining in Germany has grown, such that 9 of its restaurants now hold the sought-after 3 Michelin stars.

Unadventurous cooking
Catching up with the French, who currently have 28 3-starred restaurants, has been a long time coming for the Germans, who have always held the stereotype among other Europeans as being a little un-adventurous when it comes to their kitchens. According to Juan Amador, owner of the Amador restaurant which has recently been awarded its third star, this about-turn in German cuisine has been quite a recent event..

Amazingly, Muffins, Puddings and breakfast Cereals all contain high salt content, and 97% of people interviewed did not understand this fact and the hidden risk to their childrens health. Over 80 per cent of our salt intake comes from processed foods in Europe and the USA according to CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health). Intuitively no-one expects salt to be included in sweet products but sadly this is widely practised. CASH ran a survey on the parenting website..

In 1983 it was revealed that leaded petrol could seriously stunt children's growth and intelligence, and thankfully it was phased out by the year 2000. Now there is a new nemesis for our children's health which may be just as lethal, and those are E-numbers. Since research conducted in the 1970's highlighted a link between artificial food colourings and behavioural problems in..

It appears that more and more Europeans are putting "healthy chocolate" high on their shopping list- or at least their shopping lists- but can there be such a thing? According to data collated by the Zurich-based chocolate company Barry Callebaut, 27% of people in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany and the UK buy some sort of "functional" chocolate each month- meaning chocolate that claims to contain a health benefit of some sort. The market research company Euromonitor reports that the market for "functional foods" has grown by an average of 15% each year over the past four years, and over a quarter of us want the "bad" food we eat to be good for us in some way. Types of so-called "healthy chocolate" include those which are pumped full of..

Many people claim that when dieting, you are restricted to such tasteless and boring foods that we are prone to losing our way very quickly. The allure of our favourite fatty foods is perhaps too strong! Well this may be about to change, as scientists are creating a way to "lock in" the fat that creates that great taste in desserts..

In the UK, the British adore Indian cuisine. It could be said, that they love it more than any other modern culinary import as it is an industry worth £3.5 billion. So why now, after such dazzling success over the years, is the curry trade falling on hard times? Firstly, UK government regulations surrounding temporary work permits have tightened dramatically in recent years, meaning a great shortage of skilled chefs. Secondly, the price of rice worldwide has increased dramatically in only..

Porridge oats again hit the headlines this month, this time for the enduring quality of reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Since 50% of Europeans die every year from cardio vascular diseases, this is a timely reminder of this simple foods' health benefits. The authors of the review conclude that "given the numerous positive evidence-based reviews of oats and cholesterol reduction, the consumption of oats..

Not so long ago porridge was viewed as a healthy but boring start to the day and was associated with the sort of watery gruel fed to prisoners or the sick. Now it has been decided by a huge growth in sales, that porridge is now not only excellent for your health, but also very fashionable. In Europe, oat sales grew by 81% between 2000 and 2005 and in the UK alone 47 million gallons of porridge..

The UK debate on obesity rumbles on and the UK government claim to be working to improve nationwide issues such as child obesity and the onset of Type 2 or "diet affected" diabetes. So why, in such a climate of anxiety over expanding waistlines, are McDonalds sales rising in the UK? For the fast-food giant, 2007 was one of its hottest years yet, and in December alone the British made more than 88 million visits to the junk-food..

"..this survey shows that the salt levels in some of these meals are staggeringly high" says Prof. Graham MacGregor of Consensus Action on Salt and Health. Worst offenders were found to be Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Excess salt in our meals has been found to increase blood pressure which can lead to more serious conditions..

We could inceasingly see big brother taxes on food to persuade us what to eat. Applying a so called 'Fat Tax' to unhealthy foods changes peoples buying habits and persuades them to buy more healthy options, so says a study lead by Buffalo Uni in New York. UK academics have also suggested that 3,000 deaths could be avoided if the government were to apply a targetted Fat Tax..

Coca Cola will soon be sold in a new type of 'self chilling' bottle. The new invention by the leading drinks manufacturer could change the way we drink our Coke, with this idea then there will be no need to add ice and therefore over-dilute the drink. Twisting off the bottle top will activate the internal self chilling mechanism..

60% of us European consumers are looking for healthy snacks that are both convenient and indulgent according to a recent Datamonitor report, leaving the food manufactureres scratching their heads. We are apparently now looking for healthy snacks, the idea is to be able to snack freely, but without the downside consequences of high calories and overprocessed junk foods. In contrast to this however ..

New EU studies show that Italians are piling on the pounds as they abandon their traditional Mediterranean Diet in favour of highly processed and fast foods with high sugar and fat content. The EU quotes 35% of the population are now officially obese or overweight. Rising to the challenge a small town in the north of Italy..

Losing weight by enjoying your food would at first glance seem a contradiction in terms, but the combined benefits of better digestion and enjoying a stress free approach to meal times can lose you 20 pounds every year without changing your diet. The Slow Food organisation quotes many benefits to relaxing at meal times..

Apparently our kids are never too young to start brand indoctrination, and McDonalds, Kinder and Haribo are leading the pack. New Media Age magazine reckon they are targetting kids online using cartoons and games on their heavily branded websites..