First of two parts By Ken Walker- With many loosening their belts or other clothing after Christmas dinner, it is likely they will turn their attentions to a New Year’s resolution to “lose weight.” However, such vows have a high failure rate. In working on a story for the January issue of Mature Living I…
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By Ken Walker- I used to hate the cliché, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” However, after watching Huntington making lemonade in recent years, I am a bit fonder of this saying. The lemon came in the form of national headlines labeling us the “nation’s fattest city,” based on a Centers for Disease Control…
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By Ken Walker- Obesity remains a problem in West Virginia and a dozen other states, according to a story on the most recent annual study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Five years ago, a CDC report on the Huntington area’s nation-leading problems with obesity and its related diseases prompted grassroots action, as well…
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By Ken Walker- In my last blog I wrote about Cabell Huntington Hospital taking over the operation of Huntington’s Kitchen, the healthy-cooking-classes initiative that sprang up after Jamie Oliver filmed his ABC mini-series here. Equally exciting when it comes to such grassroots-driven activity is the Wild Ramp. The healthy foods market opened in downtown Huntington…
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By Ken Walker- While Mayor Michael Bloomberg has (at least temporarily) lost his bid to crack down on the serving of supersize drinks in New York, the battle over America’s sugar-laden foods will rage on. Given the limited nature of public discussion in today’s information-overloaded society, those opposed to Bloomberg’s attempt to limit restaurants and…
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By Ken Walker – The year before Jamie Oliver came to Huntington, West Virginia to film his award-winning ABC mini-series, the area’s obesity epidemic cast a bleak shadow over the state. How bleak? In our book, Winning the Food Fight, Steve Willis wrote about a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control that reviewed…
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By Ken Walker- The danger of emphasizing healthy living is sounding like a broken record or offending those who struggle with their weight. But since I still know what that struggle is like, I believe this message is one that never goes out of style. Besides the vegetarian lifestyle I adopted, the constant reminders of…
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By Ken Walker- The idea that grassroots action can make a long-term difference can often bring ridicule, as shown by Steve Willis’ appearance with Jamie Oliver on the David Letterman show. Steve writes in our book, Winning the Food Fight, “As Jamie discussed his efforts to alter Huntington’s eating habits, Letterman ridiculed the idea that…
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