All you can eat: Big ideas

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Updated November 1, 2012

All you can eat

Our culture is a 24-hour buffet of supersize fries and 2-for-1 pizzas. No wonder it's so hard to pass on seconds. Here's how you can take control and avoid the fat traps

By Diane Peters

First published in Chatelaine's May 2003 issue.

Big ideas

The anti-fat revolution has begun. Here's how it's getting started:

Responsible fast food American lawyer John Banzhaf has already sued the tobacco giants. Now, he's slapping a handful of food companies with a lawsuit, claiming they're responsible for making fast-food customers fat. He's a long shot to win, but supporters hope legal action might spur restaurants to improve the nutritional value of their food.

Fewer ads Ads for fast food and breakfast cereals often target kids too young to know or care about the difference between nutritious food and junk. As a result, the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Ottawa wants to ban junk food advertising aimed at children. Similar legislation is already in effect in Quebec.

Tax junk CSPI thinks there should be no GST on fruit juices, salads or vegetables served in restaurants. Canada already has a tax levied on snacks and pop; CSPI's Washington office wants its government to adopt a similar tax on a national basis.

Thinner cities Dense housing, grid-patterned streets and tons of parks and walking paths keep us well: that's the theory behind the Healthy Communities movement or neo-urban design. To get involved, find your local Healthy Communities network.


		Intro
		Our genes
		Our homes
		Our work
		Our supermarkets
		Our restaurants
		Big fat lies
		Big ideas


		The great health resolution
		The joy of eating


		Quiz: What kind of eater are you
		Lower fat meal plan
		Daily eating log
		Guide to serving sizes
		Healthy meals in our Recipe File


		Talk fat in our Nutrition + diet forum

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