- So apparently I’m not being an alarmist when I fret over the future of our brains. Study shows kids spend every waking minute online. In related news, parents “can still make rules and it still makes a difference.” You don’t say!
- The founder of Taco Bell died and much to my surprise, his last name was Bell. When I relayed this bit of information to my husband, he was quiet for a second and then asked, “What was his first name?” (If that is not hilarious to you, I don’t know what would be.)
- Interesting article on snacking culture, though it doesn’t reach a satisfying conclusion, which to me is: Fifty years ago when we did not have rampant obesity and metabolic disorders, people were mostly drinking whole milk, eating delicious fatty meats, and not subjecting themselves to spinning and Pilates. Guess what didn’t exist? The snack food industry. (Read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food.) A nutritionist quoted in the article says kids will self regulate. But we already know nurture can trump nature, and if adults are constantly offering snacks, eventually kids will lose touch with hunger.
- Do you read Tayari Jones’ blog? You should. She always finds the best links for writers. For instance.
- Story on NPR this morning about areas of Haiti where communities are coming together to help each other though outside aid is not reaching them. Moving.
6 comments for this post
Hmmm. What was his first name? That is a crack up.
Sara Reply:
January 21st, 2010 at 11:19 am
@Lisa Nowak, I’ll give you a hint: it wasn’t “Taco”
Guess what didn’t exist? The snack food industry.
Yes, but obesity rates jumped more recently than 1960.
If I go back and watch movies from the Seventies or the Eighties with big crowd scenes, or documentaries with cross-section-ish groups of people, I mostly see skinny people. Say Koyaanisqatsi (1982) for example.
Sara Reply:
January 21st, 2010 at 7:21 pm
@MDSF, I think that’s the time it took habits to trickle down a generation.
I agree about the snack food industry, but take it a step further. I’ve read recently that between 60 and 80 of processed foods contain sugars and various version of corn syrup and starches, which are not necessarily good for us (especially in high doses). In the earlier generations, meals were cooked at home. Real meals made of real food. Most families didn’t use all the time-saving processed foods that are available now. They ate vegetables and meats and dairy not packed with preservatives and chemical additives. They were also more active because there were only a few tv stations. A lot of different factors have gone into the obesity epidemic, but marketing junk foods to children was a big step in the wrong direction.
Sara Reply:
January 26th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
@Meg, Agree. When I say “snack food industry,” in my mind that’s “processed food industry,” but you’re right – people are using frankenfood at all meals these days, not just at snacktime…