Food News Round Up: On Obesity, Eating Rodents, & the Economy (Yes, in that order)
by Emily Contois
The past couple of weeks have provided fecund fodder for the food news enthusiast. Any fan of the CDC’s year-by-year ever-increasing obesity map will be intrigued that the 2011 data was released recently, alongside other obesity news. The news also turned up studies of disgust, which you can explore firsthand in articles on cooking up rat and squirrel. And finally, the struggling economy continues to affect life in the U.S. and abroad, especially dining trends.
So, dig in to this edition of Food News Round Up…
Food and Obesity
Obesity remains a key issue both culturally and politically, especially with the release of the CDC’s most recent obesity statistical analysis.
- New 2011 obesity statistics analysis finds 12 states exceeding 30% obesity
- Pondering Mississippi obesity: Southern diet or culture on the skids?
- Study links healthier weight in children with strict laws on school snacks
Food and Disgust
Disgust is an always interesting element of eating. Would you consider rat or squirrel?
- How and why to eat rat meat
- ‘Chicken of the trees:’ A history of eating squirrel
Food and the Economy
As the ‘Great Recession’ continues to be felt by citizens across the globe, the restaurant industry also tightens its belt.
- Dining survey shows New Zealand residents dine out despite economic struggles, but less
- Chefs in Spain must adapt to economic crisis or fail
- In struggling economy, shopping malls grow appetite for sit-down restaurants
- Even for gastrocrats, luxury foods aren’t worth it
Delightful Leftovers
These tidbits of food news defy categorization this week, but should still satisfy.
- Studying India’s changing food culture
- Artist and chef, Julia Ziegler-Haynes, photographs death row inmates’ last meals
- Chef argues story-telling is key to making good food television
- Food waste prompts the most green guilt, survey finds
Emily is a gastronomy student and graduate assistant, editing the Gastronomy at BU blog, January-August, 2012. Check out her research in food studies, nutrition, and public health on her blog, emilycontois.com.