By Barbara Kiviat Saturday, Aug. 08, 2009

Americans have a long, sordid history with borrowed money. In Collateral Damaged: The Marketing of Consumer Debt to America, Charles Geisst, a professor of finance at Manhattan College, takes us through the centuries to explain how we wound up at our most recent — and spectacular — credit bubble. TIME's Barbara Kiviat spoke with him.

By Alice Park Tuesday, Aug. 04, 2009

It's no secret that sedentary behavior contributes to obesity and chronically poor health. But not all sedentary behaviors are created equal, according to a new study that examines the link between blood pressure in children and their choice of inactive pastimes, including watching TV, using the computer and reading.

Researchers in the U.S. and Spain collaborated on the study of 111 children ages 3 to 8 and found that of all the forms of inactivity they examined, television-viewing was the worst. It was linked to significantly higher blood pressure in children — the more TV kids watched, the higher their blood pressure — and the effect held true regardless of whether a child was heavy or at a healthy weight. What's more, other sedentary behaviors, like using a computer, were not associated with similar blood-pressure hikes, according to the study, which was published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Wednesday July 29, 2009

By WINNIE YEOH

GEORGE TOWN: Malaysians consume an average of 26 teaspoons of sugar per person daily, revealed a 2005 survey. And early this year, the country was ranked the world’s eighth highest sugar user.

In the 70s, Malaysians only consumed 17 teaspoons of sugar per person per day.

Tuesday July 21, 2009

AS part of my ongoing outreach activity on anti-smoking and environmental education to school children, I often visit schools, not just in Sabah but also in Kelantan and Pahang where I formerly worked.

From my observation on the food serving practices in the school canteen, I notice with concern that in a number of schools, food and drinks are supplied in polystyrene containers and plastic bags. Besides drinks, even hot soup like noodle soup is served in plastic bags.