After tiny upstart carrier Samoa Air announced it would start charging passengers based on how much they weigh, travelers reacted by calling the pricing model wacky, impractical, even discriminatory. But it’s only one of several weird, possibly unwelcomed ways that flights might be priced down the line.
obesity
Everything You Need to Know About Trick-or-Treating and Halloween Candy (And Then Some)
Which candies do trick-or-treaters crave the most? How old is too old for trick-or-treating? Just how common is it for parents to stealthily munch their kids’ Halloween candy when no one’s looking?
Will Banning or Taxing Soda Really Make Us Healthier?
The taste of soda may be sweet, but the potential consequences of those empty calories — obesity, diabetes, higher mortality, and skyrocketing health care costs — are not. In response, many states and cities in recent years …
Got Milk? Increasingly, the Answer Is No
According to recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, U.S. milk sales came to about 6 billion gallons last year. Sounds like a lot, but it’s actually the lowest total since 1984. Why are we drinking less milk?
The Movement to Ban McDonald’s, Coca-Cola From the London Olympics
Junk food giants McDonald’s and Coca-Cola could find themselves left at the starting blocks after the London Assembly voted to call for a ban on Olympic sponsors that produce high calorie food and beverages.
The Unexpected Effects of Walmart Coming to Town
Homeowners, local chambers of commerce, and town planners alike all have some assumptions about Walmart. It’s often assumed that when a new Walmart opens in town, it’ll kill small businesses and may even hurt the local real …
Why Being Overweight Could Earn You a Lower Salary
Many forms of discrimination persist in the workplace, but a new study highlights a prejudice that most people wouldn’t even think about: obesity bias.
Why We’re Eating Fewer Happy Meals
Kids are less likely to order kids meals now. For the past five years, there has been an annual decline in the number of fast-food child meals that come with toys. In 2011, Happy Meal and other child meal sales were down 6%, from …
Study: How Supersizing Makes Us Feel More Important
5 Hypothetical New Taxes That Americans Actually Support
If ever there was a truism, it’s that everybody hates taxes—this week especially. Or do they? In at least a handful of situations, a surprisingly large portion of Americans favor introducing new taxes or jacking up the rates on …
Casino’s ‘Fat Tuesday’ Promotion Rewards Overweight Gamblers by the Pound
We hear a lot about the high costs of being overweight—that, for instance, obesity adds $150 billion to our annual health care costs. Yesterday, though, at a casino in Florida, there was a financial bonus for being heavy: …
Hostess, Maker of Twinkies, To File For Bankruptcy
Talk about sweet sorrow: Hostess Brands, manufacturer of lunchbox staples like Twinkies, Hohos and Ding Dongs, is planning to file for bankruptcy this week, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The company, which also makes …
