Top Ten Links of the Week: 4/1/11 - 4/7/11

This week, it's a group of pretty serious links tempered by candy, Batgirl, and a credit card application that will make your head spin. Sweet. (Also! Thank you again so much, sweet readers, for all your good thoughts and donations for Aline on Wednesday. You guys are positively wonderful.) 

1) MSNBC: Sweet! Candy eaters surprisingly slimmer
Get this! Candy and chocolate eaters have “smaller waists, weigh less, and have a lower body mass index (BMI)” than those who forgo Mini-Snickers. Mostly, because they tend to work off the weight, don’t eat that much per day, and weight gain is largely (heh) associated with other things (soda, portion sizes, etc.). Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be mainlining some Jolly Ranchers. 

2) Food Politics: Externalized Costs
In which Marion Nestle elaborates on the human rights, environmental, safety, and health care prices of inexpensive food. I’m not sure how much we can do on a personal level, except to buy ethically when possible. But on a macro/government level, it’s clear certain agricultural and labor policies (especially labor policies) need to change.