Artificial food coloring makes kids hyper, say British scientists who wish to ban six different colorings. The European Council doesn't plan on issuing any such ban, however, despite the wishes of several powerful consumer and health groups.

Researchers have concluded after the study of 300 kids that there's a link between the colorings, a certain preservative, and hyperactivity in children. The worrisome additives, found in sweets, cakes, and fizzy drinks are: tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), ponceau (E124), allura red (E129), carmoisine (E122) and sodium benzoate (E211). While Britain's Food Standards Agency, a government watchdog group, has called for a voluntary ban on these colorings, an actual government policy may be a long way off.

Further study will be underway. Maybe more conclusive findings will lead to more action.

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Although the United States clearly takes the cake (and devours every last piece of it) as the fattest country in the world, there are many European nations who also seem to be indulging a bit too much these days.

Tipping the scales with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 is -- well, that's us here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Not far behind, however, are the following nations:

~ Italy: 24.3 (The pasta diet - "I never walk pasta good meal!")

~ France: 24.5 (These 'Francy' eaters are chowing on their namesake fries and toast a bit too often)

~ Poland: 24.8 (Sausages Warsaw being eaten by the dozen)

~ Netherlands: 24.9 ("Hollandaise Me")

~ Belgium: 25.1 (Also known as 'Bulgium')

~ United Kingdom: 25.4 (United under what king? The Burger King?)

~ Hungary: 25.6 (Not anymore)

~ Finland: 25.8 ("F" inland, it's time to start jogging to the outer land, too)

~ Greece: 25.9 (Enough said)

BMI plays a crucial role in our cardiovascular health and risk for metabolic syndrome. Clearly, the growing waistline problem is not limited to the borders of the United States, making this a global problem.

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Europe is seeing a resurgence in syphilis, the sexually-transmitted disease. Why the increase all across Europe? Apparently, all the safe sex talk of the last 20 years is being pushed aside as Europeans are taking greater risks in their sex lives.

The largest cause of the resurgence has been found to be in gay men, who are having unprotected sex at a larger rate than in previous years and are causing more syphilis cases.

Even so, more cases in heterosexual people are popping up as well. Just as in Europe, though, syphilis returned from the brink of extinction in 2000 to seeing over 9,800 cases last year in the U.S.

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Many Americans wonder how Europeans are able to stay so relatively thin (comparatively speaking, anyway) when they are known for sometimes eating less-than-healthy foods. To begin solving this mystery, it's first worth mentioning that many Europeans' diets are more healthy than you realize; foods such as fish, olive oil, red wine and many others are quite popular. The major difference, though, has more to do with portion size.

The 3 square meals a day dietary construct is fundamentally American, one that is seldom followed by other industrialized nations. In lieu of eating three large mega-meals, many Europeans will eat several small meals throughout the course of the day. This adjustment, by itself, can have a significant impact on metabolism, as can the size of the portions consumed. Think of it this way: Even if you're eating healthy foods, it's not wise to eat massive amounts of them in one sitting. For example, bananas are healthy, right? Right indeed. But, if you were to eat three bananas in a row, you've just consumed far too many calories, carbs and sugars. Now, apply this logic to foods that aren't particularly good for you, and you'll soon see why eating such large portions of food is a surefire way to pack on the pounds.

Apparently, the new diet trend follows this portion size approach, using specially-designed plates and bowls to ensure that portions are kept under control.

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In the morning, French President Nicolas Sarkozy did what many people in America do every morning. He pulled on his favourite NYPD t-shirt, laced up his running shoes and went for a jog. Sounds pretty mundane, huh? But it's sparked a lot of reaction, both in Europe and across the pond -- because not only is jogging too conservative and American, it's bad taste to be photographed with your knees exposed.

A British Politician has this to say: "The Sarkozy jog, say his critics, is a sad imitation of the habits of American presidents ... as bad as the influx of Hollywood movies ... The very act of forcing yourself to go for a run, every morning, is a highly conservative business. "

And from another source: "No decent conservative would dream of jogging. It's a vulgar, untraditional form of self-advertisement that might frighten the horses. What's wrong with croquet?"

Huh? Am I missing something here? Maybe jogging isn't a political statement -- did anyone consider that Sarkozy might simply be trying to get healthy?

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