New lifestyles, old beliefs fuel obesity in Africa. Africa, a continent usually synonymous with hunger, is falling prey to obesity. It's a trend driven by new lifestyles and old beliefs that big is beautiful. [News Source]

Food good for kids? Fat chance at family restaurants. Youngsters' health comes a clear second as popular family restaurant chains promote junk food over healthier meal options, a damning report reveals today. [News Source]

Cattle, biggest contributor to global warming: UN. The increasing world population, a new UN report warns, would lead to further increase in the number of livestock as demand for meat and milk increases and that would mean emission of more greenhouse gases. [News Source]

Farm animals more damaging to climate than cars. The livestock industry contributes more to the greenhouse effect than cars, the UN food and farming agency said in a report Wednesday which also slammed this sector as a major source of soil and water degradation. [News Source]

Report creates a stink over farm animals. Farm animals are responsible for almost a fifth of the pollution blamed for global warming. [News Source]

Cattle biggest contributor to global warming: UN. The increasing world population, a new UN report warns, would lead to further increase in the number of livestock as demand for meat and milk increases and that would mean emission of more greenhouse gases. [News Source]

Food industry launches challenge to traffic light labelling scheme. The food industry began a campaign yesterday aimed at derailing the Food Standards Agency's proposed "traffic light" labelling system, designed to help shoppers choose healthy options. [News Source]

Restaurants say ban not needed. The Kentucky Restaurant Association argues that a trans fat ban proposal -- especially one without a lengthy phase-in -- isn't necessary since many restaurants are already getting rid of trans fats. [News Source]

Scientists discover how key vitamin absorbed (CBC) Scientists have found how the vitamin folate is absorbed in the intestinal tract, a discovery they say paves the way to test infants who cannot absorb the important nutrient. [News Source]

Fortified milk may cut illnesses in preschoolers (Nutraingredients.com) 11/30/2006 - Milk, fortified with four minerals and three vitamins, cut the occurrence of respiratory infections and days with severe illness, and could be a well accepted means of improving health, especially amongst pre-schoolers in the developing world, says new research. [News Source]

Low vitamin D status may raise cancer risk, say scientists (Nutraingredients.com) 11/30/2006 - Boosting vitamin D levels amongst people with dark skin, a population at greater risk of lower levels, could be an easy way to reduce a number of cancers, say researchers from Harvard. [News Source]

Einstein researchers discover how a key dietary vitamin is absorbed (EurekAlert!) Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found the mechanism by which the B vitamin folate—a crucially important nutrient—is absorbed by the intestinal tract. [News Source]