Title

"Cover Story" piece on obesity in Maine. In 1989, fewer than 10 percent of Main

Authors

Meg Haskell

Source

Maine Times

Date

1-31-2002

Pages

1, 12-15

Abstract

"Cover Story" piece on obesity in Maine. In 1989, fewer than 10 percent of Maine residents were identified as overweight; in 1997 more than 15 percent were. Now the estimate is about 56 percent, with about a third of those considered clinically obese. Health experts agree that the flood of fat has risen on the tide of the fast-food industry, and today, the average American family spends 40 percent of its weekly food budget eating out, much of it at fast food chains. According to Paul Campbell, director of the Maine Center of Public Health in Augusta, Maine leads the nation in the incidence of overweight and obesity in children. Policy experts are considering measures like warning labels and sin taxes on fat-making foods, strict regulation of advertising, and public service messages countering the claims of the fast-food industry. The fight against fast foods is now where the fight against tobacco was 30 years ago, Campbell said. With comments by Dora Mills, director of Maine's Bureau of Health and several physicians. Also with details about commercial programs and products that promise weight reduction.

Subjects

Obesity, Weight loss

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