OBESITY WARRIORS AT WORK

But they love their work: Power!

Hatred of sweetness: "Here we go again. Another day, another 'scientific' study and another group of doctors using junk science to scare the public. A new study entitled, 'Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women,' appeared in the August 25 edition of the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA). Like many before them, the authors attempt to strike fear into the hearts of consumers."



Fitness vs. fatness: "Does BMI stand for 'Big Malarkey Index?' asks reporter Carolyn Susman in this morning's Palm Beach Post. ... Susman also describes how the Center for Consumer Freedom has pointed out that celebrities like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise are considered 'obese.' She simply asks: 'You wanna tell 'em?' But setting that aside, and forgetting for the moment the government's 1998 decision to shift its definition in such a way that more than 30 million Americans instantly became 'overweight' without gaining an ounce, the biggest problem with the BMI is that it neglects a growing body of scientific evidence showing that peoples' fitness level is far more important than their weight."



France fusses about child obesity: "France is fighting back against an alarming rise in childhood obesity, and candy distributors in public schools are among the first to come under attack. After a series of often stormy parliamentary debates, a decision was reached to remove about 8,000 machines distributing chocolate, candy and sweet drinks in school recreation rooms. The French media generally applauded the decision, the first significant effort to combat what some call 'a new national scourge.' Protests by the National Association of Automated Sales (NAAS) were disregarded. 'The children will leave school buildings during breaks and buy their sweets outside,' predicts Jean-Loup Bariller of the NAAS, which represents an estimated 13,000 employees throughout France."