Posts Tagged ‘TODAY’

‘Big Fat Greek Wedding’ star opens up about adopting her daughter: ‘None of us are alone’

17 hours ago

When Nia Vardalos, writer and star of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” reluctantly left her family on Sunday morning to fly to New York to promote her new book, “Instant Mom,” she told her 7-year-old daughter she’d left an Easter basket.

Her daughter Ilaria hugged her and said, “Go get some kids adopted.”

It was a Hollywood happy ending that Vardalos sometimes thought she’d never get. The Oscar-nominated actress and screenwriter, who spoke to TODAY.com in a green room interview, underwent 13 in vitro fertilization treatments and numerous failed adoption attempts before she was finally matched, through the California foster care system, with a 3-year-old girl. Vardalos and her husband were given 14 hours notice before first meeting their soon-to-be daughter.

Vardalos told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie the decade of heartbreak was worth it, because at the end she got the daughter she was meant to have.

“She turned and looked at me, and my first thought was, ‘Oh, I found you.’ That’s it,” she said.

Vardalos, whose daughter is now 8, kept her adoption journey private for a long time and fiercely guards her daughter’s privacy. But she’s speaking out now, and has written a book to help other parents.

“I always think, and a lot of reviewers and studio heads think, why did the success of ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ happen to me? Why? So now I think know. I think I’m supposed to be using my big mouth to talk about adoption,” she told Guthrie.

That’s not to say adoption was easy. Vardalos and her husband, actor Ian Gomez, fell in love at first sight with their new daughter. But the little girl was scared, angry and withdrawn at first. Vardalos, who writes about the challenges candidly in her book, said their daughter was very tentative during their first meeting.

“It was eyes downcast, she was withdrawn. She got very angry the next day. She bit my finger to the point I was like, ‘Medic!’ It was really, really hard. She wouldn’t let us hold her or kiss her,” she said. But things got better. “I’m here today because within six months, by the time we finalized her adoption, she was completely transitioned and loving and attentive and attached.”

Nia and Ian learned as they went along, just as all parents do.

“We were so unprepared that when my husband took off to get groceries, and we’d adopted a 3-year-old, he came back with baby formula, a steak and a teething ring. We had no idea what we were doing. But you learn,” she told TODAY.com. “There’s no way to fully prepare. Just eyes wide open – jump.”

She said she realized that all new moms feel the same cluelessness, regardless of whether you birth an infant or adopt an older child. “These moms at the park that had children the same age as my daughter saw the look in my eyes — dazed, confused, daunted, impotent — that they themselves felt with an infant. They basically said to me, ‘It gets better.’ And I entered this world, a club, that I never thought I could get into,” Vardalos said. “There’s a feeling sometimes in motherhood that you’re alone in what you’re going through, and none of us are alone. We’re all going through the same thing.”

Vardalos hopes her book and the publicity surrounding it will encourage others considering adoption to possibly open their hearts to an older child. Although Vardalos and her husband adopted domestically, her book offers 25 pages of information on how to adopt internationally.“If you’re thinking to go abroad, please do,” she said on TODAY. “Go wherever you think your child is.”

Click here to read an excerpt from “Instant Mom.”

TODAY.com’s Matt Murray contributed to this story.

Article source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35197/f/653442/s/2a41d9d8/l/0L0Stoday0N0Cmoms0Cbig0Efat0Egreek0Ewedding0Estar0Eopens0Eabout0Eadopting0Eher0Edaughter0E1C9178146/story01.htm

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‘Fat Butt Michelle Obama,’ Anti-Gay Remarks Get High School Teacher-Coach …

A high school football coach and psychology teacher has been suspended from his duties for 10 days after he made anti-gay remarks, as well as derogatory comments about First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.

According to reports last week, Bob Grisham, who teaches at Lauderdale County High School in Rogersville, Ala., was caught on tape blaming “fat butt Michelle Obama” for the school’s low-calorie lunches. “Look at her. She looks like she weighs 185 or 190. She’s overweight,” a man identified as Grisham is heard telling students in the recording, which was released by local Alabama news site TimesDaily.

The teacher also reportedly said that “what [gays] do is wrong and an abomination against God,” and, “I don’t like being around queers.”

An investigation into the allegations against Grisham was launched after the audio, believed to have been secretly recorded by a student, leaked to the media. Grisham told the Times Daily in an earlier interview that he “misspoke.”

On Monday, the Lauderdale County Board of Education met to decide the teacher’s fate. On Tuesday, TODAY reported that while Grisham will keep his teaching job at the school, he has been “suspended for 10 days without pay.” Grisham will stop teaching his psychology class until the suspension is up; his coaching job was not discussed by the board, according to TODAY. He will also need to attend “sensitivity training.”

Though some community and board members believe that Grisham’s punishment was overkill, Ralph Young, a member of LGBT group Equality Alabama, told the Times Daily that the board’s decision “sends a mixed signal to gay and lesbian students in Lauderdale County.”

“All students should feel safe, welcomed and able to learn,” Young said. “I don’t think [these students’] concerns were addressed…”

James Robinson of Huntville’s GLBT Advocacy and Youth Services concurred.

“Every time that I listen to this recording, I become angrier and angrier,” Robinson told ABC local affiliate WAAY-TV last week. “This is wrong, unethical, unprofessional, on so many levels, that there should be no question that if it is verified that this happened in a classroom, that this teacher should be removed from his position.”

What do you think — was the punishment too harsh or too lenient? Tell us in the comments below.

Also on HuffPost:

Article source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/06/fat-butt-michelle-obama-high-school-foot-ball-coach-bob-grisham-anti-gay_n_2624756.html

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Cannonball! Fat cat goes swimming to shed pounds

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(NBC NEWS) — The owner of Holly the cat is hoping some regular exercise in a swimming pool might help change the hefty feline’s favorite show from “Maury” to “The Biggest Loser.” 

Weighing in at 18 pounds, the 13-year-old cat has been taking regular swims since May of last year at the Olde Town Pet Resort in Dulles, Va., while wearing a life vest. The pool is usually only used by dogs for exercise, mobility and therapy, but Holly has joined the action and occasionally shows the dogs how it’s done by kitty-paddling. 

“It’s the only physical activity this cat has,” Olde Towne publicist Mayra Ruiz-McPherson told TODAY.com. “Otherwise, she is a one thousand percent couch potato.” 

Holly’s owner and Olde Towne employee Dani Lawhorne was trying to figure out a way to get her obese kitty some activity when she gave the pool a try. 

“It was more an experiment than anything,” Ruiz-McPherson said. “(Lawhorne) saw that the cat didn’t get too upset when she gave it baths, so she thought, ‘I wonder what would happen if I placed her in the pool?’”

The cat comes to the pool about every other week, according to Ruiz-McPherson. The rest of the time, she enjoys watching Maury Povich’s daytime talk show and moving as little as possible. 

“When I was talking to the owner, she said what the cat loves to do is lay in blankets all day long and watch TV, and her favorite show is when Maury Povich does the paternity test,” Ruiz-McPherson said.

NBC NEWS

Article source: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/295635/82/Cannonball-Fat-cat-goes-swimming-to-shed-pounds

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Tiny the (formerly) fat cat loses half his weight, gets adopted

Fredericton SPCS

Tiny wore a special tie made of black velvet and Swarovski crystals to his adoption day party on Jan. 12. He weighs 16 pounds now, down from over 30.

Just over a year ago, shelter workers at the Fredericton SPCA in New Brunswick, Canada, found Tiny the cat in a cardboard box near their front door. He weighed over 30 pounds and was severely stressed.

But life has changed a lot for Tiny since then. After a year of focused diet and exercise, he’s lost half his body weight and now, he’s been adopted.

The SPCA held an adoption day party Saturday, where Tiny’s foster parent Nancy Garon made their relationship official.

“It was a nice way to celebrate all the work, dedication and time that went into Tiny,” LeeAnn Haggerty, the director of education at the shelter, told TODAY.com. “She’s really bonded with him and it’s nice for everyone to know that he’ll be doing well in Nancy’s care.”

Fredericton SPCA

Tiny was weighed-in every Tuesday, and the shelter posted photos of him to his Facebook account. Tiny is a much slimmer feline now, weighing in at 16.75 pounds on Jan. 11.

Tiny showed up to the festivities wearing one of his signature bowties, made by some of the many volunteers who have faithfully tracked his progress. In fact, donations and sales of Tiny’s Ties, a line of ties for felines, have already raised $10,000 for the Fredericton SPCA. 

When Tiny first came to the shelter, he was a nervous kitty, refusing to eat for the first couple of days. That’s when Garon, who had recently rescued a puppy, stepped in to become his foster mom.

Now just 16 pounds, Tiny can once again enjoy the pleasures of being a cat, from grooming to chasing a laser beam against the wall. 

Fredericton SPCA

Nancy Garon bonds with Tiny on his adoption day, which took place exactly a year after she first welcomed him into her home.

“As soon as he lost the first six pounds you could start to see the changes,” Haggerty said. “To not be able to groom yourself must’ve been pretty frustrating. When he walked, he used to take a few steps, but now he runs all over the place. He is a very playful cat.”   

No one knows precisely how green-eyed Tiny came to be so overweight, but his vet, Dr. Nicole Jewett, told TODAY.com last summer that free access to food and problems with portion control were probably his downfall. She put him on a strict calorie-controlled diet and the pounds started melting away.

Fredericton SPCA

Tiny is much more mobile now and will soon be an “ambassador” for the SPCS to raise awareness for pet health and shelter adoptions.

These days he’s on a maintenance diet, though he requires less food than before: two cans of wet food a day and a ¼ cup of dry kibble, as opposed to the 3 cans he once ate. 

A devoted set of Facebook followers and volunteers have rallied behind him the entire time, posting words of encouragement and delight over his success on his popular page.

“A lot of people could relate to his journey of weight loss — I know I could,” Haggerty said. “And 50 percent of pets in households in North America are overweight, so a lot of us have overweight pets at home.” 

Now, there’s one less.

More:
15 animals all dolled up for ‘Dress Up Your Pet Day’
World’s loudest cat? Merlin’s purr could drown out a classroom of children
Say hi! Panda cubs wave, relax in adorable pics

Article source: http://animaltracks.today.com/_news/2013/01/16/16531211-tiny-the-formerly-fat-cat-loses-half-his-weight-gets-adopted

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Al Roker: I’m never going back to fat

TODAY’s Al Roker opens up about his struggles with binge eating and weight loss, as featured in his new book “Never Goin’ Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle for Good,” and Dr. Nancy Snyderman offers her take on his lifestyle change.

He’s seen the seen the scale hit 340 pounds. But today Al Roker says he’s finally figured out how to control his weight — and he says he’s never going back to the way he was.

TODAY’s popular weather and feature anchor has written about his weight-loss journey in a new book, “Never Goin’ Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good.”  On Thursday, he opened up to Matt Lauer about his struggles.

“I’m thrilled about where I am,” Roker said. “Life is terrific; I wouldn’t trade it for a moment. But you always wonder where you would be if ‘x’ hadn’t happened. I’m thrilled that I’ve finally got to this place at 58 years old. I finally got it figured out. I feel good about it.”

A decade ago, Roker made headlines after undergoing gastric bypass surgery and slimming down to 190 pounds from a peak of about 340. But after he shed the fat-guy image, old habits returned. When his mother was hospitalized five years ago, Roker turned to junk food for solace and regained 40 pounds: proof that it’s possible to “eat through a bypass,” he said.

“I went back,” Roker told TODAY’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, in a recorded segment that preceded his live interview with Lauer. “And I hated it. I know what I have to do now to keep that from happening again.”

Four years ago, Roker told Snyderman, he was able to “put on the brakes” and bring his weight down through a combination of diet, including a cleanse, and exercise. He embarked on a 28-day detox during which he cut out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy and gluten. By the end of the four weeks, he had lost 28 pounds.

TODAY

In addition, he altered his diet permanently: Today he eats only whole, unprocessed foods that are high in protein and low in carbs. And he embarked on a “slow method” workout regime that involves three 30-minute exercise sessions each week. Strength training creates more lean body mass, which in turn burns more calories, Snyderman explained.

Lauer asked Roker what led him to binge before he altered his lifestyle.

“It was one of those things where, to a certain extent, you don’t feel worthy …  you’re going to be found out as a fraud, you’re not as good as you think you are, all those different things combined,” Roker said. “And, I like food. But beyond having a good piece of steak or something like that, I’d have to have two steaks.”

In his book, Roker writes about how his weight put pressure on his marriage to fellow TV journalist Deborah Roberts. Even when she pointed out his lack of discipline or low self-esteem, he told Lauer, it didn’t get him to change.

“It brings you up short, but even that wasn’t really enough to say ‘you’ve got to do something about this,’ and that’s the problem,” Roker said. “People think that the folks in their life who are overweight, ‘I’m going to just help them.’ It’s not a help. We know we’re fat.”

Today, Roker added, he is feeling good and enjoying a special relationship with his scale, living by that number. “I weigh myself in the morning and at night, because this way I know where that number is. Dr. Nancy thinks I’m nuts.

“Over the New Year’s holiday, I gained three pounds, and I’m working back to get that off again,” he revealed. “I know I don’t want that number to keep going up.”

More from TODAY Health:

Fructose may trick your brain into overeating

Holiday hangover? Here’s the case for a ‘dry’ January

How to make your New Year’s resolution stick

Article source: http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2013/01/03/16325496-al-roker-im-never-going-back-to-fat?lite

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Anchor Called Too Fat For TV Is Now International Role Model

NBCNEWS.COM – Jennifer Livingston never imagined she’d be the subject of school
lesson plans. She never expected to see her words emblazoned on pins and
T-shirts. She never thought she’d receive heartfelt messages from
children in other countries seeking her advice about how to deal with
bullies.

But that is her new reality. The Wisconsin news anchor
sparked a viral firestorm in October when she stood up for herself on
camera after a viewer criticized her weight and called her a bad example
for her community. Almost three months have passed since then, and
Livingston is still hearing from kids and adults who view her as a
much-needed hero in the anti-bullying crusade.

“I didn’t think I
was doing anything that was extraordinary — I really, truly didn’t,”
Livingston said when TODAY.com caught up with her at the close of 2012.
“I’m overweight, and it doesn’t bother me necessarily that people point
that out.

“What got to me was the way the viewer said, ‘You’re such a bad role
model, you’re such a bad person, you should go hide under a rock.’ It’s
head-scratching that anyone would make that connection.”

Looking
back on the whole experience, Livingston, 37, said she’s happy it
resulted in real discussions about the boundaries of bullying in
classrooms and homes all over the world. She also shared a nagging
worry: Did her actions inadvertently result in the bullying of the man
who characterized her as too fat to appear on television?

“I’ve
really had some guilt that people are now bullying this guy who I said
was a bully,” Livingston said. “The backlash he got over this – people
waiting outside his home for days trying to track him down, magazines
and shows using his name and showing his picture from Facebook…He
really, aggressively had anger thrown at him, and I never meant for that
to happen.”

Critic’s name revealed
Social media helped catapult
Livingston’s story from a local level to an international one in a
matter of days. It all began when she received this email message from a
viewer:

Hi Jennifer,

It’s unusual that I see your
morning show, but I did so for a very short time today. I was surprised
indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn’t improved for many
years. Surely you don’t consider yourself a suitable example for this
community’s young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the
worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to
maintain. I leave you this note hoping that you’ll reconsider your
responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a
healthy lifestyle.

Livingston shared the message with her
co-workers at WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wis. — including her husband, fellow
WKBT anchor Mike Thompson, who posted the email on the station’s Facebook page. Thompson did not include the viewer’s name.

Local
radio stations began calling Livingston, and as soon as she spoke out
on camera about the issue, national television shows including TODAY
started calling.

As the story mushroomed, Livingston’s station contacted the viewer
and invited him to talk about it on air. He declined to do so, but
issued a statement offering to help Livingston transform herself “for
all of her viewers to see.” His one request: Please use his entire
statement or use none of it. His statement included his name, Kenneth
Krause.

“If I had to do it over again, I would have pushed to not use his name,” Livingston said.

Livingston
has not seen Krause, a personal injury lawyer, in person since the
barrage of media coverage in October — although she expects she’ll bump
into him at some point in La Crosse, a city of about 50,000.

“I
think that in his mind, he was trying to make a positive change … and
take a stand against the obesity problem that we have in this nation,”
Livingston said. “I just think his approach was inappropriate.”

Right
around when Livingston’s very public stand was garnering international
attention, a news station in Shreveport, La., fired an on-air
personality who stood up for herself in a Facebook comment. KTBS 3 News terminated black meteorologist Rhonda Lee after she responded to a viewer’s racially charged comments about her hair.

“I know I absolutely would have responded (to that viewer), and my
station would have encouraged a civil discussion of something negative,”
Livingston said. “To make a policy that you’re only going to address
positive comments seems really, really backward, especially in a day and
age when we’re trying to engage viewers more, not less.”

‘A really special thing’
Livingston is a mom of three girls, including a 1-year-old baby. Her
oldest daughter, who just turned 11, was in a classroom that discussed
the issue of bullying in light of Livingston’s experience.

“It’s a really, really special thing to know that I have made that kind of impact on the kids of today,” Livingston said.

She’s also been astonished by the number of adults who have reached out to her.

“My
editorial sparked memories of them being bullied when they were younger
— painful memories that they still carry around today,” she said. “The
loudest voice people seem to hear is the bully, the cruelest person in
their lives. It can be a very scary thing to stand up to that person,
but sometimes when you do, it can be amazing.”

Livingston
said she didn’t want to take sides on the specifics of Lee’s situation,
but she acknowledged being baffled by the Shreveport station’s policy
about interacting with viewers.

Article source: http://www.khq.com/story/20463939/anchor-called-too-fat-for-tv-is-now-international-role-model

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Anchor called too fat for TV is now international role model

TODAY

Wisconsin news anchor Jennifer Livingston made headlines

around the world in October when she spoke out on camera to a viewer who said she was setting a bad example for her community because of her weight.

Jennifer Livingston never imagined she’d be the subject of school lesson plans. She never expected to see her words emblazoned on pins and T-shirts. She never thought she’d receive heartfelt messages from children in other countries seeking her advice about how to deal with bullies.

But that is her new reality. The Wisconsin news anchor sparked a viral firestorm in October when she stood up for herself on camera after a viewer criticized her weight and called her a bad example for her community. Almost three months have passed since then, and Livingston is still hearing from kids and adults who view her as a much-needed hero in the anti-bullying crusade.

“I didn’t think I was doing anything that was extraordinary — I really, truly didn’t,” Livingston said when TODAY.com caught up with her at the close of 2012. “I’m overweight, and it doesn’t bother me necessarily that people point that out.

“What got to me was the way the viewer said, ‘You’re such a bad role model, you’re such a bad person, you should go hide under a rock.’ It’s head-scratching that anyone would make that connection.”

Looking back on the whole experience, Livingston, 37, said she’s happy it resulted in real discussions about the boundaries of bullying in classrooms and homes all over the world. She also shared a nagging worry: Did her actions inadvertently result in the bullying of the man who characterized her as too fat to appear on television?

“I’ve really had some guilt that people are now bullying this guy who I said was a bully,” Livingston said. “The backlash he got over this – people waiting outside his home for days trying to track him down, magazines and shows using his name and showing his picture from Facebook…He really, aggressively had anger thrown at him, and I never meant for that to happen.”

Courtesy Jennifer Livingston

Eighth-graders at Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School in Toronto, Canada made these buttons for news anchor Jennifer Livingston. The handmade buttons feature words from Livingston’s on-air editorial in response to a viewer’s criticism.

Critic’s name revealed
Social media helped catapult Livingston’s story from a local level to an international one in a matter of days. It all began when she received this email message from a viewer:

Hi Jennifer,

It’s unusual that I see your morning show, but I did so for a very short time today. I was surprised indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn’t improved for many years. Surely you don’t consider yourself a suitable example for this community’s young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain. I leave you this note hoping that you’ll reconsider your responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Livingston shared the message with her co-workers at WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wis. — including her husband, fellow WKBT anchor Mike Thompson, who posted the email on the station’s Facebook page. Thompson did not include the viewer’s name.

Local radio stations began calling Livingston, and as soon as she spoke out on camera about the issue, national television shows including TODAY started calling.

As the story mushroomed, Livingston’s station contacted the viewer and invited him to talk about it on air. He declined to do so, but issued a statement offering to help Livingston transform herself “for all of her viewers to see.” His one request: Please use his entire statement or use none of it. His statement included his name, Kenneth Krause.

“If I had to do it over again, I would have pushed to not use his name,” Livingston said.

Livingston has not seen Krause, a personal injury lawyer, in person since the barrage of media coverage in October — although she expects she’ll bump into him at some point in La Crosse, a city of about 50,000.

“I think that in his mind, he was trying to make a positive change … and take a stand against the obesity problem that we have in this nation,” Livingston said. “I just think his approach was inappropriate.”

Right around when Livingston’s very public stand was garnering international attention, a news station in Shreveport, La., fired an on-air personality who stood up for herself in a Facebook comment. KTBS 3 News terminated black meteorologist Rhonda Lee after she responded to a viewer’s racially charged comments about her hair.

Livingston said she didn’t want to take sides on the specifics of Lee’s situation, but she acknowledged being baffled by the Shreveport station’s policy about interacting with viewers.

“I know I absolutely would have responded (to that viewer), and my station would have encouraged a civil discussion of something negative,” Livingston said. “To make a policy that you’re only going to address positive comments seems really, really backward, especially in a day and age when we’re trying to engage viewers more, not less.”

‘A really special thing’
Livingston is a mom of three girls, including a 1-year-old baby. Her oldest daughter, who just turned 11, was in a classroom that discussed the issue of bullying in light of Livingston’s experience.

Courtesy Jennifer Livingston

Students at King George VI Public School in Chatham, Ontario, Canada made T-shirts bearing words from Jennifer Livingston’s on-air editorial.

“It’s a really, really special thing to know that I have made that kind of impact on the kids of today,” Livingston said.

She’s also been astonished by the number of adults who have reached out to her.

“My editorial sparked memories of them being bullied when they were younger — painful memories that they still carry around today,” she said. “The loudest voice people seem to hear is the bully, the cruelest person in their lives. It can be a very scary thing to stand up to that person, but sometimes when you do, it can be amazing.”

Friend TODAY.com writer Laura T. Coffey on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or read more of her stories at LauraTCoffey.com.

When Wisconsin news anchor Jennifer Livingston received a message from a viewer criticizing her weight, she decided to speak out about it on air, calling the viewer a bully. NBC’s Mara Schiavocampo reports and Livingston explains why she needed to address this letter publicly.

More from TODAY:

• Too fat for TV? Anchor fires back at critic; outpouring ensues
• Video: Anchor’s critic won’t back down over fat comment
• KLG and Hoda issue a challenge to viewer who criticized anchor’s weight
• Eating disorders, weight worries still stalk women after 50, study finds
• Video: Top stories that had women talking in 2012

Article source: http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2012/12/28/16194156-anchor-called-too-fat-for-tv-is-now-international-role-model?lite

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Could fat-blocking Pepsi actually work? Don’t count on it

TODAY’s diet and nutrition editor Madelyn Fernstrom quizzes Kathie Lee and Hoda on what you can and shouldn’t eat from the refrigerator or freezer after your power goes out, including dairy products, condiments, fruit and  meats.

TODAY diet and nutrition editor Madelyn Fernstrom gives a lesson on Halloween candy, sharing five fun facts, including the most popular candy and which candy does not cause weight gain.

According to recent reports by the Food and Drug Administration, five deaths over the past five years may be linked to Monster Energy, a popular drink that is high in caffeine. NBC’s Tom Costello reports on the FDA’s findings, and cardiologist Dr. Nieca Goldberg and TODAY nutritionist Madelyn Fernstrom discuss the deaths.

Pepsi Co. Japan

Pepsi Special has an aftertaste that is “crisp, refreshing and unique,” according to Suntory International, which is distributing the new cola in Japan.

A soda that claims to prevent the absorption of fat in your body is launching in Japan this week. What’s next, cavity-reducing candy?

PepsiCo is rolling out the the new cola, “Pepsi Special,” which contains dextrin, an indigestible fiber ingredient that is also used in some baked goods.

This is not the first time soda has had a weight-loss spin. The Japanese company Kirin Beverage has a sugarfree soda targeted to men in their 30s that also contains dextrin. Extra caffeine, 200 milligrams, in the Celsius energy drink claimed to “burn fat” and raise metabolism. And Coca-Cola’s Fuze Slenderize energy fruit drinks have been around for more than a decade, promising their blend of minerals help the calorie conscious slim down.

Somehow we have this love-hate relationship with soda that we want it to have some redeeming health features. Maybe that’s because nearly half of Americans drink at least one glass of soda a day, according to a recent Gallup survey. We have to make ourselves feel better about consuming all those empty calories.

Now we have fat-blocking soda. The “science” to this claim is that a non-digestible starch called dextrin, which is classified as fiber is added to regular Pepsi. Dietary fiber does help to absorb dietary fat, so technically, this is true. Despite the flimsy connection, this kind claim is not illegal in Japan.

The Japanese approval process is lenient for these kinds of fortified foods, and this soda certainly won’t harm anyone — it’s safe. But don’t expect this on US shelves anytime soon. The FDA regulates foods and beverages and monitors health claims made by these products. The FDA prevents soda and candy from being fortified with nutrients. (Fiber is a nutrient).

The bottom line is, as you well know — when it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Pepsi Special is being distributed in Japan through the soft drink maker’s partnership with the beverage company Suntory Holdings Limited.  A call to Pepsi’s headquarters in Purchase, N.Y. wasn’t returned. Updated, Nov. 14: A Pepsico spokesperson responded: “The food and beverage category in Japan has many unique products. In this case, our partner Suntory is launching a low-calorie, fiber-infused beverage to compete with similar offerings already in the marketplace.”