Month: October 2013

Some of them are shapely and healthy looking, and look good on camera. … Like they had been starving themselves to lose weight, and that is probably what … Celebrity slim diet, the basic idea is to educate people and not to depict food as …

By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Many young athletes still do not admit when they have suffered a head injury despite increased awareness about the risks of concussions in children and teenagers, U.S. health advisers said on Wednesday, urging sports leagues and government agencies to take more action. Various groups have tried to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, and sports leagues have implemented rule changes aimed at preventing them. Professional leagues, including the National Football League, are also wrestling with the issue amid complaints from some players about long-term impacts on the brain. But there is still not enough data on how to prevent and treat them, the experts said in an analysis of sports-related concussions in young athletes from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.

By Dana Feldman and Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A small Southern California city has sued the makers of the popular Sriracha-brand hot pepper sauce, saying tear-inducing odors emanating from its chili processing plant in town are creating a public nuisance. Irwindale officials said they plan to ask a Los Angeles County judge on Thursday for a court order forcing Huy Fong Foods to immediately halt production of Sriracha (pronounced sir-RAH-chah) at its chili factory while review of the case continues. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, says the company has denied a problem exists and refused to take action to abate fumes powerful enough to prompt some “residents to move outdoor activities indoors and even to vacate their residences temporarily to seek relief.” Since mid-September, Irwindale, about 20 miles east of Los Angeles, has received numerous reports from residents complaining of “strong, offensive chili odors” that cause eye and throat irritation and headaches, the suit says.

NEW YORK (AP) — Smoking may be a bad habit — but New York City lawmakers want their residents to be older and wiser before deciding to take it up.

A lobbying group for major U.S. food manufacturers continues to run afoul of campaign finance laws in the way that it has contributed funds to block a measure that would require labeling of genetically modified foods in Washington state, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the state’s attorney general. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he will amend a lawsuit filed October 16 to raise the total amount he alleges the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) illegally concealed to $11 million, from the $7.2 million in the original complaint. GMA represents some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies and is lobbying heavily against the measure known as I-522 that is set for a public vote in Washington state on November 5. GMA is the largest contributor to the “No on 522” campaign.

Family of late soul singer Marvin Gaye sued R&B recording artists Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement on Wednesday, accusing them of stealing from the Motown legend's musical composition for the hit single "Blurred Lines." The suit was filed as a counter-claim to a case brought preemptively by Thicke and Williams in August seeking a court ruling to establish that "Blurred Lines" did not infringe on Gaye's rights to his 1977 hit, "Got to Give it Up," as members of his family had said publicly. The suit by three of Gaye's children cited excerpts of magazine interviews given by Thicke to support their contention that he had admitted to drawing on "Got to Give it Up" when producing and recording "Blurred Lines." Thicke sang the raunchy, percussive R&B song, which topped song charts around the world this year and ranked as the biggest U.S. pop hit of the summer, at this year's MTV Video Music Awards in a provocative performance featuring pop singer Miley Cyrus.

By Roberta Rampton and David Morgan BOSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that "bad apple" insurance companies, not his signature healthcare law, are to blame for hundreds of thousands of people losing their coverage in the past few weeks. As administration officials scrambled to fix technical problems on an online insurance marketplace that is central to the success of the Affordable Care Act, Obama blamed private insurers for a separate problem that has critics questioning his honesty. The president has repeatedly promised that people who are happy with their health plans would not have to change coverage because of the law, known as Obamacare. But the termination of individual policies has given his Republican opponents additional ammunition to criticize the program they have tried to stop since its inception in Obama's first term.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says “it’s illegal” for her to obtain insurance on the exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act. Rep. Cory Gardner accused her of lying.