Word: fats
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...childhood obesity. More and more countries around the world--even some that have been struggling to prevent starvation--are now wrestling with the dangers of excessive nutrition. The U.S. continues to lead the way, with as many as 37% of its children and adolescents carrying around too much fat. But other countries are rapidly catching up. According to statistics presented recently at the European Congress on Obesity in Helsinki, Finland, more than 20% of European youngsters between the ages of 5 and 17 are either overweight or obese. Children in North Africa and the Middle East aren't far behind...
...children become obese? One important factor is insulin, which enables the body to store extra calories as fat. Physical exercise helps control insulin levels, while certain foods elicit its massive release. For example, ingesting fat alone doesn't prompt a big surge in insulin, but fat combined with starches and sugar does. A child who sits in front of the TV for hours on end, eating potato chips and doughnuts, is an ideal fat-storage machine...
Genetics can make a difference as well. Those who are most susceptible to gaining weight on high-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets are those who are primed to produce high levels of circulating insulin in the first place. Among them are the inhabitants of the South Pacific island of Nauru, who--thanks to a surfeit of cheap, calorie-dense foods, along with a shift away from jobs requiring physical activity--have the unwelcome distinction of being some of the fattest, most diabetes-prone people on the planet...
Product developers at major fast-food chains are tinkering with cooking methods that mimic the mouth-watering taste without all the artery-clogging fat. Producers J.R. Simplot, ConAgra Foods and Canada's McCain Foods are secretly developing oils for a healthier fry and introducing products like frozen wedges roasted in olive oil, rosemary and garlic. Even if those don't catch on, McDonald's and other chains are trotting out alternative side dishes like rice and yogurt. And as a last resort, there are faux fries concocted from rice flour or cornmeal...
...method for deep-frying julienned potatoes and an Idaho researcher figured out how to freeze and refry the potatoes for mass consumption, fast-food chains, where some 40% of the U.S. potato crop ends up, have been serving the same basic burger accoutrement. After health concerns about the high fat content of fries were raised more than a decade ago, McDonald's switched in 1990 from a blend of beef tallow and cottonseed oil to pure vegetable oil in its deep fryers. Now McDonald's and the others are scrambling to respond to concerns about trans-fatty acids...