Food Research: Muscadine grape seed oil may help reduce obesit ♦ Sugary drinks linked to high death tolls ♦ 'Fitness' foods may cause consumers to eat more, exercise less

Dietary guidelines for Americans shouldn't place limits on total fat intake Researchers call on the American federal government to drop restrictions on total fat consumption in the forthcoming 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

'Fitness' foods may cause consumers to eat more, exercise less Weight-conscious consumers are often drawn to foods such as Clif Bars and Wheaties, whose packaging suggests that they promote fitness. But according to a new study, such "fitness branding" encourages consumers to eat more of those foods and to exercise less, potentially undermining their efforts to lose or control their weight.

Getting children to embrace healthy food If the packaging has an appealing design, primary school children also reach for healthy foods, a study shows. The method developed in the study can be used, the researchers say, to investigate how the appeal of school milk or whole-grain sandwiches can be increased.

Muscadine grape seed oil may help reduce obesity Most of the seeds and skin from grapes used for wine production winds up in waste streams. But scientists have found that the oil extracted from Muscadine grape seeds produces a form of Vitamin E, which can help reduce fat.

Sugary drinks linked to high death tolls worldwide Consumption of sugary drinks may lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide, according to research. In the first detailed global report on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages, researchers estimated deaths and disabilities from diabetes, heart disease, and cancers in 2010. In this analysis, sugar sweetened beverages were defined as any sugar-sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, sports/energy drinks, sweetened iced teas, or homemade sugary drinks such as frescas, that contained at least 50 kcal per 8oz serving. 100 percent fruit juice was excluded.