"the weight of a nation"

[gh]

way-favorable review of new HBO series (already in repeats) about the U.S.'s obesity crisis.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z1uxp2n4BZ

[Marlow]

Scary and sad:

More than two-thirds of adults are overweight and one-third are obese.
One-third of our children and adolescents are overweight and 18% are obese.

The cheapest food is also the least healthy. The category not only includes all kinds of packaged, processed foods, but, of course, fast food offerings, which have become the plaque-building lifeblood of the American diet.

One-fourth of American teens drink an average of four sodas a day, which is the equivalent of an entire extra meal in terms of calories.

A landmark study followed overweight kids through adulthood to monitor their health. The study was key in proving that cardiovascular disease begins in childhood.

[gh]

you want scary, try this bit: <<Some 40 to 50 % of food eaten by kids is consumed at school, and school cafeterias often offer prepackaged, unhealthy food.>>

[Conor Dary]

Interesting article related to this in the Science section of the NYTimes today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/scien ... ef=science

[Marlow]

you want scary, try this bit: <<Some 40 to 50 % of food eaten by kids is consumed at school, and school cafeterias often offer prepackaged, unhealthy food.>>

Oh great. I must teach at the ONE school that has totally eliminated sodas and chips!