Hong Kong

This year, I spent spring break in Hong Kong- a city where visibility is currently less than 8 kilometers for 30 percent of the year. Air is the source for many respiratory infections and asthma in the area, which is why many people wear face masks while out on the street. They even have stores that sell only face masks.


Los Angeles air even seems clean to me since I returned from my trip, as I no longer sneeze due to the dust in the air. Perhaps people in LA could adopt face masks to protect themselves from bad air, such as when bush fires occur.

Air pollution in Hong Kong recently reached its highest levels since records began. This is partly due to the large number of factories over the border in mainland China. But there is hope for them, as people are starting to reduce comsumption levels, which will eventually lead to less waste and pollution.

I was surprised at the environmentally friendly habits that the people in Hong Kong had. For example, many of them bring reusable bags with them to the grocery store. Some stores even offer a slight discount if you bring your own bag. At nearly every store that I went to where I declined a paper or plastic bag for my purchase, the salesperson thanked me for doing good for the environment. It made me feel feel virtuous and earth friendly, which is one of the reasons why the most of us recycle. It also helps that the Chinese are naturally thrifty, and households tend to reuse many things. But there is always room for improvement, as the household recycling rate is only 10 to 14 percent, compared to over 30 percent in England.

Hungry?

I was listening to the radio the one day, and I heard Taco Bell advertise their 'Fourthmeal'. 'Fourthmeal'? Really? Do Americans really need another meal?

According to the American Obesity Association, more than half the nation is overweight- 65%. And nearly one-third are obese. Why has the obesity epidemic hit America the hardest?

With our current lifestyle, it is easy to eat, it is easy to be lazy. Just because everything is so convenient. Technology and modern society has made it easier to be obese.

Cheap, tasty food is abundant and it tempts you constantly- fast food advertisements on the radio as you commute to work, billboards featuring juicy, succulent burgers, that oh-so-convenient drive-through on your way home. Between 1980 and 2005, the price of food fell 14 percent relative to non-food items, so it is not surprising that we are eating more food. Not only are we eating more food, we are eating more unhealthy food.

People today are strapped for time. There are only so many hours in a day and we have to work, commute, run errands, and watch our favorite television shows. Who has time to prepare a healthy home-cooked meal? So people tend to stop by that drive-through on the way home. And buying that combo meal is cheaper than just a burger alone. More bang for our buck- we get a side of oil-drenched fries and sugar-laden soda with our juicy beef patty slathered in some secret dressing. All it took was five minutes, and we didn't even have to get out of our car. In 1957, a burger contained little more than one ounce of meat, but by 1997 that same meat wad had grown to six ounces. Today we have McDonald's Angus Third Pounder. The average American now consumes almost 60 pounds of frozen potato products per year, more than triple the amount consumed per person in 1965.

At the same time, we are burning less calories. We drive practically everywhere. We circle the parking lot until we find a spot that is closest to the mall. We take the elevator to the second floor. It is natural that we gain weight when we live such a sedentary lifestyle. As long as there is demand for labor saving devices and cheap, tasty food, obesity will continue to be a significant problem.

Modern society has given Americans more incentives to gain weight than to lose it. Medical advancements have made it relatively easy to lower the health costs of obesity, by making available pills that will lower cholesterol levels and procedures that will reverse obesity such as gastric bypass surgeries. Such surgeries help people to lose up to one-third of their excess weight within one to four years. The availability of such technology may influence people to think that obesity is acceptable, because there is an easy surgical way out. The media has also played a part in influencing consumers to think that excess weight can easily disappear. How many of you have heard the endless commercials about the Lap-Band? Medical technology is so advanced today that, in fact, research by the Center for Disease Control reveals that today’s obese population has better blood pressure and cholesterol values than normal-weight adults did 30 years ago.

The obesity rate in China is just under 5%. If you visit Asian countries such as Hong Kong, you will notice that nearly everybody you see on the streets are fairly slim.

Why is this when it is just as developed a country as America? The answer lies in food portion, and an active lifestyle. Food portion in Hong Kong is significantly smaller than American food portion. Many Chinese foods are deep-fried and packed with fat and salt. Some Chinese favorites include fat cuts of pork and beef belly. But the people who consume them remain slim.


Because of small food portions, the Chinese feel more satisfied eating less, and are able to get balanced nutrients in their diet. Also, the lifestyle in Hong Kong is such that people walk to most places. Up and down the streets, down and out the subway system, all the steps add up. For people there, hiking is a popular pastime and many frequent the numerous indoor gyms and yoga centers to combat stress. However, as other cultures gain more Western influence, waistlines are bound to expand as Western fast food choices creep their way into everyday diets. Today, one in every five children in Hong Kong is obese, the highest number ever.

As the richest nation in the world, the prosperous American population lives very differently than fifty years ago. In the last five decades, changes have allowed Americans to give up wage earning hard labor in exchange for productive yet sedentary lives. As Americans, we make more money and enjoy a higher standard of living. Such prosperity and modern conveniences have increased the average American's free time. Just fifty years ago there were only four television stations. Now there are hundreds. Entertainment choices have multiplied. Videos, DVDs, video games, iPods, satellite and cable television, cell phones, calculators, computers, digital cameras, video cameras, global positioning systems, and the Internet. Most of these devices provide great entertainment and save time, but also lead to sedentary activity and further physical disconnection from one's body. Just thirty years ago, the average home had just one television. Many homes now have one television for every room in the house.


Wealthy Americans spend more time and money dining out, where they have no control over the amount of fat and sugar that goes into their food. Lower income individuals chose fast food, where they can consume most of their daily calorie needs in one meal. Health awareness must be raised among the public. Corporations have done a good job in packing the maximum amount of calories into a dollar- a Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger has 1520 calories! That is three quarters of an average 2000-calories-a-day diet in one meal. Consumers must learn about proper serving sizes and about nutrition labels so that they can make informed choices.Corporations must have incentives to provide healthier choices for their consumers.


According to the US Surgeon General, in the United States the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980. If current trends continue, it is estimated that by 2030, 86.3 percent of American adults will be overweight or obese. A recent article in British press said that there are more dangerously obese people in the world (over 1 billion) than there are people starving (800,000,000). Corporate America has had a significant role in the fattening of America, but it is ultimately up to the individual what goes into their body. Stop supersizing and get moving!

Spring Cleaning

With spring break just around the corner, get started on cleaning your house- a springtime tradition. This weekend, plan a yard sale. You can get rid of unwanted items that have been sitting around, and earn extra cash. You will also help others avoid buying new items.



The new season is perfect for planting some green. Head to your local nursery to see what people are planting this year. New plants would make your home more refreshing to live in. Also, support local farmers by exploring farmer's markets to see what early spring produce is available.