Abdominal Obesity (FCS80021/FY1347)

Figure 1. To prevent or treat abdominal obesity, change your exercise and eating habits. You can do this by eating healthy foods, controlling portion sizes, and getting regular physical activity.Santa Claus, Winnie the Pooh®, and Shrek® … what do these three characters have in common? You probably know them for being jolly and for having extra fat around their waists, also known as “abdominal obesity.” Although this may be cute in fairy tales or movies, abdominal obesity can be a serious health risk in the real world. Abdominal obesity, also known as central adiposity, is a buildup of fat tissue around the waist or midsection. It is a risk factor for certain health conditions. Read this 4-page fact sheet to find out more about the health risks of abdominal obesity and ways to prevent or treat it. Written by Erica Bub, Karla Shelnutt, and Gail Kauwell, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, February 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1347

Food Processing: The Meat We Eat (AN283)

Figure 1. All meat sold in the United States must meet USDA-FSIS inspection standards, including any meat that is processed.Meat processing technology is used to produce many of the foods we enjoy, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken nuggets. Recently, the media has focused on certain meat products, giving them names such as “pink slime” and “meat glue.” The names of these products might have many people wondering what we are eating and how the meat we eat is produced. Part of being a good consumer is learning about what you eat, from how the food is made to whether the food is safe. This publication discusses the facts about meat processing so you can make knowledgeable decisions about the meat you eat. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Erica L. Bub, Keith Schneider, Chad Carr, and Matt Hersom, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, December 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an283

Facts About Energy Drinks (FCS80017/FY1324)

Young woman drinking energy drinkYou can’t walk into a supermarket these days without seeing a wide selection of energy drinks, many claiming that they do everything from boosting your energy to helping you focus. In fact, energy drinks are so popular that, on average, Americans drank about 15 cups per person in 2007. But what’s in a typical energy drink? Do they really work? And are there any health risks from consuming them? This 4-page fact sheet was written by Erica Bub and Karla Shelnutt, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1324