By Barbara Kiviat Saturday, Jul. 17, 2010

The average American drinks a gallon of soda a week, which delivers roughly 1,000 calories and no nutrition. The average American is also overweight or obese. Could changing one of those things help change the other?

A growing number of elected officials think so, which accounts for a spate of proposed new taxes on soda as a way to discourage consumption while at the same time raising money to fund other obesity-fighting initiatives. Some 20 states and cities, from New Mexico to Baltimore, contemplated soda taxes this spring.
(See the top 10 bad beverage ideas.)

MALAYSIA – July 8, 2010 – Malaysian parents are generally aware of the activities being conducted online by their kids and the dangers they may encounter from exposure to inappropriate content, giving out personal information or meeting with people in real life. However, they are still underestimating the actual risks and the amount of time their kids spend on each activity.

Kids are spending an average of 19 hours online per week while their parents think they only spend 11 hours. Only 4 in 10 parents say that they always know what their child looks at online. Almost nine in 10 children have been exposed to negative experiences online which have impacted them emotionally.25 percent of children think their parents have no idea what they do online but only 3 percent of parents admit to being in the dark about their children’s online activities. In fact, 40 percent of parents are confident they know what their child looks at online.

By Jeffrey Kluger Thursday, Jul. 08, 2010

This year, like every year, has been a busy one for America's chickens. What the birds lack in smarts they make up for in work ethic, laying about 78 billion eggs annually (or 6.5 billion dozen), supplying a $7 billion industry. GM should be doing so well.

Like any other workers, hens turn out economy, premium and luxury products — known as factory, cage-free and organic eggs — and consumers pay accordingly. A recent survey conducted in one random city — Athens, Ga. — found factory eggs going for $1.69 per dozen, cage-free for $2.99 to $3.59, and organic for $3.99 to a whopping $5.38.

By Sean Gregory Friday, Jul. 02, 2010 
 
Millions of parents know the drill. Stevie wants to go to McDonald's for a Happy Meal, because along with his burger and fries comes the ultimate little kid payoff: a toy. It's a cheap little thing, and he'll get sick of it in three hours. Still, it's a toy. Go ahead — you just try denying little Stevie his wishes.

If one health advocacy group has its way, parents will never have to face this common dilemma again. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has sent a demand letter to McDonald's that threatens to sue the company unless it stops using toys to market Happy Meals to young children. "By advertising that Happy Meals include toys, McDonald's unfairly and deceptively markets directly to children," the CSPI writes in the letter. The Center claims that since marketing to children under 8 is "inherently deceptive," the company is violating consumer-protection laws in states like Massachusetts, Texas, California and New Jersey. "These children are not cognitively developed enough to know they're getting anything but a free toy," says Stephen Gardner, litigation director for CSPI.
(See the 10 worst fast-food meals.)

By SUZANNE DALEY
Published: June 27, 2010

MADRID — This was the deal that Gema Díaz, 34, thought she had made: When she took a job with this city as a purchasing agent 12 years ago, she knew her salary would be low.
But the income would be reliable. She could expect steady raises, manageable hours, six weeks of vacation, a good pension and the usual benefits — from free health care to subsidized housing.