"cnn" news and stories

There is a book that came out recently about our obsession with bottled water called Botllemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It. In it, the author talks about our reliance on bottled water and how tap water is generally as pure or more pure than bottled water.

Americans are getting away from bottled water, but it isn't because of this new book. Apparently bottled water is just too expensive, and in an economic downturn it's one of those luxury items that gets cut. This report from CNN.com interviews several people who have switched to tap water as well as a few calculations of how much you can save by cutting out bottled water.

The report also briefly mentions the environmental aspect of this trend. Refusing to buy bottled water helps cut down on the plastic bottles, which we've been told for years is what we need to do. Are you cutting back or cutting out bottled water for economic reasons?

The Waffle House, a bastion of cheap breakfasts and surprisingly great waffles, now has a reason other than tasty food to be in the news. Musician Kid Rock got a little rowdy in an Atlanta-area Waffle House Saturday night after a show, beat up a male customer (with the help of five of his groupies) and got sent to jail for his actions. Apparently the man they bloodied knew a woman who was with Kid Rock's party. They exchanged words, it got heated and Kid and his friends just got involved in order to defend her virtue. Or something like that.

Let's hope this doesn't sully the reputation of the esteemed Waffle House, as they really do serve of one of the better chain diner breakfasts available. I recently ate one in Hellertown, PA (the morning after a very raucous wedding reception) and was delighted by the awesomeness of the food.

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Apparently, when it comes to food, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Out of sight, out of mind is actually closer to the truth (shall we see how many more cliches I can use before the first paragraph is done?). According to scientists, humans have a very hard time resisting the siren song of the candy jar, because if we see it and it's easy to get to, we're going to have a hard time keeping ourselves away.

Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab has been studying the way people eat, both at home and at work, for years now and have determined that if we see it, we want to eat. According to Brian Wansick, the head of Cornell's Lab, "what really influences our eating are visibility and convenience." Their results make sense to me. If I know that there's ice cream in freezer, it calls to me all evening until I break down and liberate it from it's icy home. However, if I know that there isn't any in there, I may still want it in the abstract, but I'm not going to run out and buy a pint.

What do you guys think? If you know that a treat is only as far away as your co-worker's desk or the freezer or the cabinet over the fridge, how hard is it to resist?

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Do you live in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, or West Virginia? Congratulations, you're the fattest people in the country!

That's the findings of the CDC and the BRFSS. Over the past 20 years, the waistlines of people in those states have increased 25% or more (the data is from 2004). But people in other states shouldn't feel so superior. Every state has increased in the past 20 years. The only state that didn't was Hawaii, and that's because they don't have any data for Hawaii. But come on, poi donuts and Macademia nuts? I bet they're getting bigger too.

Also check out the fittest cities, fattest cities, and how you can stay fit.

Given that it's a new year, perhaps you've decided that 2007 is the year that you finally make that career change into something about which you are utterly passionate. If you're reading Slashfood, we're going to guess that, like us, you're pretty passionate about food.

Obviously, you could give up that corner office with the seven-figure salary and use of the company jet to become a food blogger, but food blogging as a profession is still relatively new and unsteady. Instead, CNN has come up with a list of Ten Jobs That Let You Eat, and we're not talking about doughnuts in the office break room on Fridays. Just be forewarned, though. A job in food is a labor of love. The highest average salary is $56K for a food scientist who has a degree in chemisty or engineering!

Here's the list from CNN, and more details on the link:

• Sommelier
• Event Planner
• Chef
• Quality Control Technician
• Food Scientist
• Caterer
• Dietitian
• Server
• Product Promoter

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