Here's a way to keep an eye on the waistline....

Only in America? Worried about your waistline or your kids becoming obese? Well, if restaurants follow the lead from the US [is there anything which we don't "copy?" - good and bad!] as CBS marketwatch.com reports:

"Restaurants and other prepared-food vendors could help put a dent in America's significant obesity problem if they offered more low-calorie menu options, informed consumers of items' calorie content and reduced portion sizes, according to a new study.

Whether it's a take-out meal from a supermarket, quick bite at a fast-food joint or lunch at a school or workplace cafeteria, Americans are eating out more than ever. Foods gobbled outside the home account for nearly a third of daily calories consumed, according to a report from the Keystone Center, which was funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration".

The figures quoted in the article are truly awesome and frightening, like:

"......the U.S. shells out $92 billion every year to cover medical expenses related to obesity, the report said. About two-thirds of Americans are overweight and 30% are considered obese; and 15% of kids age 6 to 19 are overweight, nearly double the rate two decades ago. Carrying a lot of extra pounds can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and some kinds of cancer."

The idea of smaller portions [in the US?] or nutritional food on offer being the catalyst to people eating less or better is fascinating. Will it work? Read the full piece here.

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Mahler's Prodigal Son

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