Alabama has plenty of problems. There’s one problem, however, many of us can see every time we look in a mirror.
The below stories encompass an occasional series examining the spread of obesity and related health problems in Alabama, and the bigger questions facing our society as a result.
Bob Davis: Changing our health — and our lives They marched around my hometown like a small army of security guards, walking an early morning beat as the sun rose. When I was growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it seemed the pattern was set for the older generations in my west Alabama hometown.
Alabama high schoolers near top in obesity, soda consumption Obesity rates in Alabama high schools are among the highest in the nation, according to a federal study released Friday. Alabama teens also outstrip almost all of their peers in consumption of soda, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a nationwide study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that monitors health behaviors of teens.
Star to host discussion group, film screening on Alabama's obesity problem The Star will host a screening of the HBO documentary “Weight of the Nation” at 7 p.m. June 21, followed by a group discussion on what Anniston and surrounding communities can do about rising levels of obesity here and across the nation. Admission is free and everyone is encouraged to attend.
JSU’s slimmer 4: Take ’em on tour That sound you heard is opportunity landing squarely in the laps of minders at Jacksonville State University. Let’s encourage them to make the most of it.
Does church make you fat? Churchgoers tend to be overweight Bishop Reinaldo Whyte lost 30 pounds after his wife, Jenniffer, became a Zumba instructor. But he’s had a hard time convincing people that staying in shape is his duty as a Christian — or that obesity is something churches should address.
Liquid candy: Soda’s role in Alabama’s obesity epidemic “Is sugar toxic?” 60 Minutes asked in a recent report. Three researchers, writing recently in Nature magazine, floated the idea that sugary sodas are so dangerous they should be treated like alcoholic beverages, meaning underage children shouldn’t be allowed to drink them.
A full plate of fat: The state’s obesity crisis has many causes The reason for Alabama’s statewide health epidemic isn’t a rise in childhood obesity, or our passion for Southern cuisine, or our preference for driving instead of walking to work. It’s because Alabama doesn’t have enough skinny people. Follow that?
MISSION
The Mission of the PEFA, Inc. is to develop support in a coordinated effort to assist and motivate students who are "at-risk" to achieve their maximum potential. To this end, it is not...