The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has released their report card for companies that market food to kids. Out of 128 companies evaluated, nearly 75 percent of them are getting a failing grade.

CSPI is concerned about the fact that food marketers continue to aggressively target children with unhealthy foods, despite high obesity rates. That shouldn’t come as a surprise though, should it? Companies are built to make money, not think about what would help parents and their obese children. They are making their products cheaper (i.e. processed and unnatural), so they are cheap enough for average consumers to buy as much of it as possible.

Even though kids naturally gravitate more towards Lucky Charms than a bran cereal, there are sweet and healthier options for breakfast. But, back to the story at hand…

For many of us, it has been a long snowy slog this winter. But the end is near, and spring is just around the corner. While it may not match the annual New Year’s resolution everyone makes, spring is also a time of renewal. The scent of flowers begins to fill the air, and we start shedding our layers of clothing… which reminds us that by hibernating for the winter, we now have a few extra unwanted pounds.

Do you have some extra weight that you need to shed before bathing suit season arrives? Then, it’s time to do some spring cleaning in your kitchen. Here are five ways that will shape up your eating habits, and your waistline:

1. Grocery Shop Wisely

If it’s not in your kitchen, you won’t eat it. That may be a simple mantra, but its importance is profound. If you are even the least bit weak when buying snack foods, don’t shop for food when you are hungry. Better yet, go grocery shopping right after a meal. That may be a little difficult – who wants to grocery shop at 7 p.m. after a long day of work? But if you can do it, you may cut thousand of calories a month.

Well, not being fat. But, eating certain fats is not only good, but necessary for optimal health. You should also realize that you don’t have to totally eliminate so-called “bad” fat, such as saturated and trans fats, from your diet; the key is to minimize. Once you do that, it’s time to recognize the fats that are beneficial to your health.

The good news of certain fats being healthy has been pretty well propagated in recent years. But, many people still don’t know it. Or, if you do know, you may not know which name they go by and where you can find them. Here’s the 4-1-1 on healthy fats:

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats have an amazing trait: they have the selective power of lowering LDL “bad” cholesterol, while increasing HDL “good” cholesterol. So, where do you get these wonder fats? Nuts like peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios are all good sources of monounsaturated fats. Other sources include avocado, canola oil, and olive oil. Monounsaturated fats have also been found to help with losing weight.

How is this for horrifying health news: Sitting in a chair for most of the day puts you at risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and an early death. And, it’s more than one new study that has validated these claims.

I know what you’re thinking: “Well, I work out and eat right, so I have nothing to worry about.” If that’s all it took, then this news would not be particularly horrifying. The shocking part of the findings is that this applies to everyone.

The first reason for this is the most obvious. Sitting down, aside from sleeping, is about the most passive thing you can do. Even little things like chewing gum will increase your calorie burning. Standing in place can also burn calories, as you will tend to tense your leg muscles, shift your legs, and engage the muscles in your upper body.

Celebrity reality shows are one the great train wrecks of current pop culture. If the subjects aren’t simply celebrity has-beens from long-gone eras, they are those who have continued to hang by their fingernails onto their need to be famous.

VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club 7 (wow, there were six others?!) parades out a few stars of yesteryear (Bobby Brown, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Nicole Eggert of Baywatch). But. Then there are those people who are famous for being on a different TV show, which by today’s standards makes you a star! That’s right, people like Tanisha Thomas and Jay McCarroll are now career reality TV personalities. Hey, it’s a living I guess.