Calories

Now that Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and other sugary soda producers are planning to list health information on vending machines, calorie counts aren't just for the likes of McDonald's and fast food joints. In full view of consumers, the machines will have a “Calories Count” display alongside messages such as “Check Then Choose” and “Try a Low-Calorie Beverage,” according to the American Beverage Assn. trade group. Labels listing the number of calories per container will be affixed to selection buttons.

Holiday revelers can gain an average of 5 pounds each holiday season, according to studies and surveys. Trouble is, those who are overweight tend to gain more, and few of us ditch the extra poundage when the new year begins. (So much for all those resolutions.) It all adds up over time, leading to midsection sprawl. If you take a tip from Santa Monica food blogger Andrew Wilder to pause to consider what you are about to eat, you could save yourself plenty of excess calories. And that makes room to enjoy a treat that really counts, like a slice of mom's pumpkin pie. Here's a look at how overindulging in traditional holiday offerings can easily translate into 3,600 calories, or the equivalent of 1 pound: Four Candy Corn Oreos: 300 calories Three miniature Three Musketeer bars: 190 A second heaping of turkey, gravy and stuffing: 500 A second slice of pecan pie: 450 A second cup of eggnog: 350 A second slice of Christmas prime rib: 350 A second slice of Christmas fruitcake: 325 One extra Hanukkah jelly doughnut: 350 One extra potato latke: 250 Four extra glasses of Champagne punch on New Year's Eve: 500 - Rene Lynch

The war on fat-making, sugar-rushing sodas has begun. New York City's Board of Health, acting on the wishes of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has adopted a rule banning sales of big sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, concession stands and other venues. The regulation puts a 16-ounce size limit on cups and bottles of non-diet soda, sweetened teas and other such bad-for-you beverages. Those needing an intense glucose fix can still obtain big-gulp-size drinks at supermarkets and convenience stores.

McDonald's will soon begin posting calorie counts at its more than 14,000 U.S. locations, both on the menu board inside the fast-food restaurant as well as on the drive-through menu. That means customers will soon be face to face with the fact that a large order of those crispy, salty, golden brown slivers of deep-fried goodness will pack on 500 calories. Our sister blog, Money & Co., reports that the menu change comes as "diners increasingly demand more healthful dietary options and nutritional disclosures.

Calorie counts will be posted alongside images of juicy burgers on McDonald's menu boards nationwide starting next week, much as they have been in California for more than a year. Yielding to growing customer demand and acting ahead of pending federal rules, the fast-food giant said it would replace all inside and drive-through menus at its more than 14,000 U.S. locations with new signs with nutritional details. Analysts said they expect other major chains to follow suit soon.

Soon to be listed among the Big Macs and McFlurrys on every McDonald's menu board and drive-through across the country: calorie counts. As diners increasingly demand more healthful dietary options and nutritional disclosures, the world's largest hamburger chain says it's embracing both transparency and better ingredients. Starting Monday, calorie counts will be posted at its more than 14,000 U.S. locations. That means customers will know off the bat that four pieces of Chicken McNuggets have 190 calories and that a McCafe Iced Mocha has 260. QUIZ: Whopper?

For 10 years, Joe Cordell has been living a life diametrically opposed to that of most Americans: Instead of eating too much, he's deliberately been eating too little. The 54-year-old St. Louis lawyer was inspired by the science that suggests that calorie restriction of this type could significantly lengthen a creature's life span, as well as ward off diseases of old age. We spoke with Cordell about how he got into calorie restriction, what his daily diet is like -- and what his wife of 21 years and his two teenage daughters feel about it. We asked him what he felt about a new study that didn't prolong the life of calorie-restricted monkeys -- although it did seem to help ward off cancer.

For 75 years, scientists have documented a curious fact: If rats and mice eat 30% to 40% fewer calories than normal, they live 15% to 40% longer than is typical for their species. The observation has offered humans hope that our own maximum life span could one day be extended, enabling people to live well past their 100th birthday. A new study of monkeys pours cold water on that notion - while at the same time offering some heartening health news. Among a colony of rhesus monkeys tracked for more than 20 years, animals whose calories were restricted to 30% below normal lived no longer, on average, than monkeys whose eating was unrestricted, scientists found.

Just in time for the London Olympics, McDonald's is kicking off a promotion that focuses not on quarter-pounders and caramel frappes but instead on “favorites under 400 calories.” The chain has been getting grief for being one of the main sponsors of the games - something about a fast food giant whose products are often linked to obesity backing an event featuring the fittest, most health-conscious humans alive. McDonald's new menu platform may dial back some of those concerns.