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- 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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By Ken Walker- Even those who didn’t catch a news report about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s recent lapband surgery likely saw a clip from David Letterman earlier where Christie joked about his weight problem. Obviously, since soon after that appearance the governor checked into the hospital, he felt a sense of desperation and urgency…
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By Ken Walker- Now that three years have passed since Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution aired on ABC Television, it is reasonable to ask whether many people around Huntington still care about healthy lifestyles. Is the excitement that stirred then still alive? After participating in the volunteer crew that helped stage the latest Healthy Huntington Day…
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By Ken Walker- It is that time of year when chocolate eggs are all the rage, but after our Easter sugar rush subsides, it is worth looking at the literature continuing to emerge about the links between sweets and obesity. This problem threatens not only our nation’s health, but the future of our most precious…
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By Ken Walker- Absent court intervention, New York’s ban on super-sized sweetened beverages will take effect next week. Of course, regardless of whether that state’s supreme court intervenes, the “nanny state” debate will rage on far into the future. I have mixed emotions about Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s step. Having lost weight after double-bypass surgery, I…
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