By Ken Walker- It’s been almost a decade since Morgan Spurlock released his award-winning Super Size Me, which reviewed all the problems his experimental “Mickey D’s” 30-day diet caused. (You can watch a copy online here.) I remember when news of the documentary surfaced, I scoffed, “That’s ridiculous. Nobody would eat solely fast food all…
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By Ken Walker- I have co-authored or edited six health-oriented books the past three years, including Jumpstart!, which Siloam Press released this week. This process has proved quite educational. Still, it took a good part of those three years before a message emphasized by most of the authors I have worked with sank in: Drink…
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Second of two parts By Ken Walker- If all Rick Warren did in his new book-and-small-group curriculum was lament our nation’s problems with obesity, it wouldn’t be worth much. However, The Daniel Plan goes much further. Co-authored with Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman—also New York Times bestselling authors—the book reviews such information as…
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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- After the national spotlight fell on Huntington in 2006 thanks to the popular We Are Marshall movie, it returned a few years later when Jamie Oliver’s production crew came to town to film his award-winning mini-series for ABC. Yet more proof of the long-term impact of Oliver’s visit surfaced recently with the…
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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- Everyone who appreciates crucial timing likely did a double take last week when two significant events occurred on the same day. First, the American Medical Association called for obesity to be treated as a disease. In addition, 18 big-city mayors called for a ban in food-stamp recipients being allowed to use those…
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