The politics and science of obesity
Anyone who doesn’t know there’s a obesity crisis going on has no doubt been living their entire life on a catwalk. Adults are fat, kids are fat, there seems no end in sight, and a McDonald’s Crispy Ranch Snack Wrap has 340 calories and 17 grams of fat.
For those who hunger to understand the physiological, political and cultural implications of obesity, the California Science Center is sponsoring a panel discussion titled "The Science and Politics of Obesity: Who’s Policing Your Plate?" as part of the center’s Science Matters speakers program. It’s being held Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the center's Wallis Annenberg Building.
"A lot of issues have been in the paper recently about obesity," says Diane Perlov, senior vice president of exhibits. "This seemed like a very timely issue — New York passed a ruling on transfats, and there are other legislative issues dealing with obesity." Panel members include Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, who will speak on the toll obesity takes on the body; Dr. Antronette K. Yancey of UCLA’s department of health services, who will address the disparities in communities that don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables or safe parks; Manal Aboelata, program director of the Prevention Institute in Oakland, who will tackle corporate and government responsibility; and J. Justin Wilson with the Center for Consumer Freedom in Washington, D.C., who will examine consumer responsibility. KNBC-TV Channel 4's reporter Conan Nolan will moderate.
The panel coincides with "Body Worlds 3", a reprise of a provocative exhibit at the science center featuring plastinated cadavers and body parts, the better to see what’s really inside the human body (it runs through Sept. 7). One particular specimen is a cross section slice of a 300-pound man whose fat encroached upon his vital organs. Seeing that is a wake-up call for many who see the exhibit. Says Perlov, "You think of fat as being just underneath the skin."
Reservations are required; register online, or call (213) 744-2420.
--Jeannine Stein
Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

It takes about 30 seconds to hunt down a bag of tasty potato chips or fresh doughnuts in the grocery store. But shoppers can roam for hours trying to fill their carts with food that is healthy and tastes good. That's why Fitness magazine has come up with a second installment of its annual Healthy Food Awards.
Americans don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, reports the study, which used 2001-02 data from a government survey of thousands of Americans. And when we do eat a vegetable, it tends to be a spud. Tomatoes and white potatoes make up 46% of our vegetables, in fact. Half the spuds were eaten as chips or fries.
Posing for a "Got Milk?" ad wearing a milk mustache has become a symbol of stardom. Brooke Shields is the latest "Got Milk" cover girl, following Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay and Laila Ali. But some nutritionists are warning consumers they won't achieve a Brooke Shields-like body by consuming dairy products.