Pharmacy giant CVS has told workers in the Bay Area and around the nation to reveal their weight and other health information, or pay extra for health coverage.

The company announced Wednesday what it called “A Plan for Health,” that features a mix of rewards and penalties for employees.

Among the measures, employees must report their weight, body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Workers must also be tobacco free or enroll in an addiction program by next year.

Employees who refuse will have to pay $50 more for health coverage each month, totaling $600 a year.

In a video released by CVS, a top executive said the plan is progressive and cutting edge. “These changes aren’t just about costs, they’re about us, each of us taking personal accountability for our own health,” said Lisa Bissacia, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

“(CVS Executives) better get some pretty good legal counsel and decide whether your policy is really legal, because the policy as announced is not legal,” said Richard Schramm, a Bay Area employment lawyer.

Schramm told KPIX 5 the company is trying to tell employees what they can and can’t do on their off time.

CVS Ordering Workers To Reveal Weight, Health Info « CBS San Francisco

The study, conducted at Pennsylvania State University, reportedly found that eating poorly not only worsens moods, it also doesn’t do much to alter moods positively before or during meals.

“There was little in the way of mood changes right before the unhealthy eating behaviors,” said Kristin Heron, Ph.D., research associate at the Survey Research Center at PSU was quoted as saying by PsychCentral. “However, negative mood was significantly higher after these behaviors.”

The negative emotions experienced after treats are said to be primarily connected to concerns regarding body image and maintaining a proper diet.

Researchers reportedly collected data for the study by asking 131 women with unhealthy eating habits and self-image concerns – but who did not exhibit signs of an eating disorder – to travel with handheld computers that prompted the participants several times daily to answer questions about dietary choices and mood at a given time.

Study co-author Joshua Smyth, professor of biobehavioral health, was quoted as saying by PyschCentral, “This study is unique because it evaluates moods and eating behaviors as they occur in people’s daily lives, which can provide a more accurate picture of the relationship between emotions and eating.”

Study: Comfort Food Could Worsen Mood « CBS Atlanta

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘you are what you eat’, and now some believe food choices may actually contribute to anger and violent behavior. Jeff Resnick believes it; he even knows what sets him off. “I can get irritable, absolutely, when I’ve had too much of the carbs,” he said.

Nutritionist Nicolette Pace says carbs can make you feel good, but it doesn’t last. “They don’t give your body what you need to cope with day-to-day stresses,” she said.  Pace agrees that there is a connection between anger and food. “Deficiencies in nutrients, magnesium or manganese, vitamin C, or some B vitamins may make a person hyperactive towards a stressor, a short fuse so to speak,” she explained.

Pace and other nutritionists say if you eat plenty of fish, eggs, beans, fruits and green leafy vegetables, you should have the nutrients you need. However, people who tend to eat a diet loaded with processed or packaged foods could find themselves more easily irritated.

Dr. Drew Ramsey says it’s all about the brain. “The gears just don’t run as well, so you are going to feel more irritable,” he said. According to Ramsey, without the proper nutrients, the body can’t make chemicals like serotonin which is necessary for clear thinking and good mood.

Experts Say Food May Contribute To Anger, Violent Behavior « CBS Boston

Lawmakers in Mississippi — the most obese state in the nation — have overwhelmingly approved what they’re calling the “anti-Bloomberg bill.”

It would ban communities from requiring restaurants to post calorie counts on menus or limit portion sizes, as Mayor Bloomberg tried to do with his proposed ban on large sodas.  Also forbidden: any local rule banning toys from being distributed with kids’ meals.

The governor is expected to sign it.

Its author, state Sen. Tony Smith, owner of the Stonewall’s BBQ chain, which serves dishes like the Lil’ Piggy, said government has no business telling people what they cannot eat.

“If we give government a little more control of our personal rights – where does it stop?” he said.

If customers “want to supersize, they’re going to figure out how to do it, whether that means buying two or whatever,” said Smith, whose restaurants only service sodas 20-ounces at a time, a serving size that Bloomberg‘s ban would outlaw.

Mississippi passes ‘anti-Bloomberg bill,’ banning local limits on portion sizes and requirements to post calorie counts – NY Daily News

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Wednesday for the revival of a Soviet-era physical evaluation program that required all schoolchildren to pass fitness tests.

Putin, a judo enthusiast and a regular swimmer, said that the restoration of GTO, the Russian acronym for Ready for Labor and Defense, would teach children “to stand up for themselves, their family and, in the final run, the Fatherland.”

GTO, which was introduced in 1931 under Soviet dictator Josef Stalins rule, required all school and university students to regularly pass physical training tests. Those managing to qualify would receive silver- or gold-colored badges.

In its early years, the GTO program focused heavily on tests intended to make children ready for Red Army service. The program gradually lost its scope and prestige over the years and ceased to exist with the 1991 Soviet collapse. Since then, schools largely have been left on their own regarding physical education.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told a government meeting chaired by Putin that his agency would work to introduce the physical training standards nationwide by 2016.

Putin said that Russia needs to pay more attention to physical training because it lags behind other countries. He said that Russian children now are in “significantly worse” physical shape compared to a few decades ago.

Putin Urges Revival of Soviet-Era Fitness Tests – ABC News

“The court finds that the regulation … is laden with exceptions based on economic and political concerns,” Justice Milton Tingling wrote.

Scheduled to begin at midnight, the law would have restricted the sale of sugary drinks to no more than 16 ounces.

The law would have exempted a variety of retailers — including 7-Eleven, seller of the iconic “Big Gulp” drinks, because it is regulated by the state, not the city.

“The effect would be a person is unable to buy a drink larger than 16 ounces at one establishment but may be able to buy it at another establishment that may be located right next door,” Tingling wrote.

The lawsuit was brought by a group of business associations — including the American Beverage Association, the National Association of Theatre Owners of New York State and the New York Korean-American Grocers Association.

The opponents argued that the city had overstepped its authority. Among other things, they said, the rules would disproportionately hurt small and minority-owned businesses.

“The court ruling provides a sigh of relief to New Yorkers and thousands of small businesses in New York City that would have been harmed by this arbitrary and unpopular ban,” the American Beverage Association said in a statement.

The mayor’s office quickly vowed to appeal the decision. City officials believe the health department has the legal authority to use the ban to fight an “obesity epidemic,” according to a tweet from Bloombergs office.

Nearly 60% of New York City adults and 40% of city schoolchildren are overweight or obese, according to the decision.

But critics have decried the rules as a sign of the growing “nanny-state” and an unfair intrusion on personal freedom.

Judge halts New York City ban on large sugary drinks – Mar. 11, 2013

Mayor Michael Bloomberg may be one of the world’s biggest proponents of government action to promote public health, but Hizzoner has his limits. In his weekly radio appearance on John Gambling’s radio show, the mayor was asked whether he would consider ordering mandatory gym memberships and he admitted that’s taking things too far.

“Well, you have to be practical about what legally you can do and what people will do,” said Mr. Bloomberg. “The nice thing about the soda thing is it’s really just a suggestion. So, if you want to buy 32 ounces,  you just have to carry it back to your seat in two cups. And maybe that would convince you to only take one, but if you want two you can do it. I think government’s job … is to give you advice, not to force you do things.”

Mr. Bloomberg did note, however, that the government does force behavior under certain circumstances. Nevertheless, he said forcing physical exercise “probably” crosses the line of acceptability.

“Although there are some things we try and force you to do,” he continued. “If there’s asbestos in the classroom or your  office building, we force you out. If you want to drink and drive, we try and stop you–although sometimes not as successfully as you’d like. … I think some of these other things–calorie counts we’ve done in chain restaurants so you can see what you’re eating–[are okay]. But when it comes to forcing you, … the only thing the government can do practically–and I think should do–is education. Exercise is great for you, but how do you convince people to do it? And should you force them to do it? Probably not.”

Bloomberg Says Government ‘Probably’ Shouldn’t Force People to Exercise | Politicker

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is set to be the first to offer special seats for obese fans.

FIFA told The Associated Press that the seats will be offered to conform to Brazilian legislation, although international supporters will also be entitled to them.

The World Cup Bill in Brazil requires that at least 1 percent of seats in each stadium be made available for disabled people, a category that includes the obese, wheelchair users and those with impaired mobility.

To qualify for a ticket, people are required to submit a medical certificate that proves they have a body mass index of 30 or more, as recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and World Health Organization.

GOOAAALLL! Obese fans score special fat seats for 2014 World Cup in Brazil – Washington Times