Could Seaweed be the Key to Tackling Obesity? Study Finds it Reduces Fat Uptake

ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2010) — Seaweed could hold the key to tackling obesity after it was found it reduces fat uptake by more than 75 per cent, new research has shown.

Now the team at Newcastle University are adding seaweed fiber to bread to see if they can develop foods that help you lose weight while you eat them.

A team of scientists led by Dr. Iain Brownlee and Prof. Jeff Pearson have found that dietary fibre in one of the world's largest commercially-used seaweed could reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body by around 75 per cent.

The Newcastle University team found that Alginate -- a natural fibre found in sea kelp -- stops the body from absorbing fat better than most anti-obesity treatments currently available over the counter.

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Photo credit: Kelp forest off coast of California. (Credit: iStockphoto/Tammy Peluso)

Lou Dobbs Suggests "A Real Political Storm in the Making" Over Meatless Monday Lunch Program at Baltimore Schools

Embedded video from CNN Video

Lou Dobbs did a segment on his Monday show on how "Meatless Monday" is being adopted by the Baltimore city school district in an effort to cut costs and get children to eat healthier food. The segment showed schoolchildren eating vegetarian chili and grilled cheese sandwiches. CNN reported that they found no parents who objected to the policy. Er, it's healthy food. Why would they complain? There's nothing wrong with starting a conversation with children in their formative years about embracing vegetables as a regular part of their meals.

CNN also noted opposition to the one-day-a-week of vegetarian food by the American Meat Institute, which is a trade group that represents meat processors and packers with obvious financial interests in meat consumption. Why am I not surprised about that move? They are deliberately ignoring the fact that there is widespread obesity in this country and the school lunch is often high-calorie. Other school districts ought to embrace it. CNN chose to ignore the obvious and chose instead to report that the AMI is concerned that "students are being served up an unhealthy dose of indoctrination." The institute's Janet Reilly claims the policy was depriving students and parents of "choice."

After watching the segment, Lou Dobbs pompously described this as "a real political storm in the making." Really Lou, is that the best you could do? The bigger question is why are you still on CNN?