I was just thinking about statistical data yesterday and how it can be valid, but totally misleading by its interpretation or context. There are far too many assumptions being made in the name of science by accepting somebody else's interpretations without questioning it.

What makes people obese? With few exceptions one gets fat by taking in more calories than they are able to burn off. It's pretty dam*ed simple.

I think what got me started on it was something my daughter shared with me. She was reading labels at the market on the yogurt containers. Nice healthy food? Sure. But, take a closer look at those new fruit enchanced ones. Look at the FRUCTOSE added, IOW corn sirups. It has even found it's way as an additive in yogurt. Now, you can buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh and wholesome fruit but that takes a little effort. It's in some juices. I found it in cranberry juice cocktail last week. So, the health benefits I would obtain from consuming the juice are negated by also consuming the corn sugars. Please folks, just take the time for one week to read every label on every food you purchase and consume. It's an eye opener.

As for soft drinks? I keep some on hand, but to me they are a "treat" to be consumed as such. I would never even consider that they are a necessary part of of anybody's daily diet, least of all a child's. They consist mostly of sugar and contain caffiene. Add to this that they are rarely served in restaurants in normal serving sizes. What ever happend to the eight ounce glass? The typical serving at fast food joints are now a twenty one ounce mug.

Once in awhile, this isn't going to make or break a waistline. But consumed on a regular basis, as a nation we are killing our children with it. Please look at the new statistics for type II diabetes. It's now becoming a childhood disease. God help us.

Yes suzy and one of the problems I've noticed that the young people I know (age 35 and under), DO NOT COOK!!!

My niece, who is the mom to five kids, and whose husband travels alot on business, doesn't cook. Sure she feeds the kids - fast food or prepared frozen stuff popped in the microwave or oven. She has not ever, prepared a home-cooked meal from scratch. That's the only way you can have some control over what goes into the meal you are eating. The last time I checked there wasn't any sodium metabisulfite or sulphur dioxide in my pantry.

The other young couples I know (nephews and others), the man cooks...again using the word "cook" loosely...maybe "heats up" would be more accurate.

When did cooking become passe'? We're all busy, but as Rachael Ray demonstrates on TV every day, you can prepare a fresh, healthy and delicious meal in about 30 minutes. We need someone to make home-cooking popular again. My kids do cook, I think because they got totally bored with fast foods, etc. and longed for home cooking.

I suppose, maybe, possibly, I can understand someone without the knowledge needed for basic cooking. That's a whole different topic. What I find dismaying is that these non-cooking parents don't make any effort to buy or serve healthy food. I stopped by the local chain-store grocery, and WOW, I could serve a different dinner every day for a month or more, just by buying ready-made frozen and tossing it in the oven or microwave. Not saying these are *great* meals, but they are hundreds times better than the average fast food meal -- the worst I saw still had considerably less fat and less sodium than is listed for McD's 'meals'.

I don't think non-cooking is gender related. My SIL does most of the family's meals because his office is nearer home and he arrives home an hour or more before DD. He is an excellent cook, and presents well-balanced and nourishing meals -and he enjoys cooking!

Unless I'm also making a homemade baked dessert, I consider 30 minutes maximum for preparing everyday meals. There are hundreds of good-tasting, healthy meals that can be fixed in less than 20 minutes -- and I've probably made most of them, lol.

I don't want to beat up on peole who don't cook, because I don't either. If it wasn't for DH, I'd buy all my meals at the grocery store salad bar.

Geezie, alls I said was people should look at labels because the industry is slipping us a lot of hidden salt/saturated oils/sugar and it's even found its way into what most people consider health food. That people are getting obese even when they think they are eating properly because they're getting calorie slammed in foods without knowing it. It's not a value judgement on whether women cook, but what they need to be aware of if they don't.