The week that was....

RIP Slimming & Health
I'm sad to report the demise this week of Slimming & Health. In the world of magazines, S&H was the little engine that could – hard-working, reliable, solid and useful. Sadly, forced to live at a company that wants everything to be the Orient Express, its value was no longer appreciated. Demise is in fact an inappropriate way to describe its closure as sales were solid and readers were loyal to the end but unfortunately it will no longer grace our newsstands. In fact, it was one of the few women's titles to experience growth in readership last quarter. With news outlets reporting that supermarket sales are up, eating out is in decline and the health market is growing, you would think this would a prime time for a mag like S&H. Seems it's not so. As someone noted to me when informed of the closure, 'It's a shame as it was the only mag with anything useful in it.'



Say NO to liquid calories
Despite the best efforts of CHOICE, that guy who is suing Coco-Cola on the basis of misleading claims and my ranting to anyone who will listen, Vitamin Water continues its assault. A friend informed me that a PR delivery was frantically snapped up by her colleagues like it was a miracle health tonic. Armed with my ranting in her head, said friend was a lone voice in the chaos, willing people to PUT DOWN THE LOLLY WATER. 'It's cordial,' she urged. She's not sure anyone heard over the slurping or in the haze of the resultant sugar high but the crusade continues.

Don't be fooled by the words on the bottle – energy, focus, revive, vitamin – this drink will not make you healthy. Vitamin Water is better named Sugar Water as a bottle contains 27g of the stuff, or about the same as a chocolate bar and not much less than a can of Coke.

Some highlights from their website include celebrating that it's 'Gluten Free!' (as opposed to gluten-rich regular water I normally drink?) and that yes, it contains sugar but it's 'a proprietary blend of crystalline fructose and pure cane sugar.' Phewf, now that I'm fooled into believing that the sugar is healthy because it's pure, and confused into thinking the made-up-in-a-laboratory sugar is better for me, I can happily gulp down litres every day. Thanks Coca-Cola for caring about my health.