More of the Same

A recent study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on America’s obsession with food states, “If you want to reduce obesity, reduce food intake”. No, really? And how much time, energy and money did this little jewel of information consume? It never ceases to amaze me how we are continually deluged with scientific studies reporting the obvious. Dr. Barry Popkin, the senior author of this particular study, goes into great detail of how the obesity epidemic managed to creep up on unsuspecting Americans; starting with increased portion sizes, to unlimited snacking, which left us believing that we should also be drinking gallons of liquid refreshments to stay hydrated after all that eating. Dr. Popkin concludes that to reduce American obesity the number of meals we eat each day and the size of those meals should be greatly reduced. While Popkins numbers are interesting; we’ve gone from 1,800 calories daily in 1977, to over 2400 calories daily by today’s standards, it still doesn’t change the fact that this is far from new information. Tell us something we don’t know.