 |
||||
Inconvenient Truths for Global Warming, Obesity Both the USA and France score poorly when it comes to global warming smarts, but the French do have fat figured out. 
Americans aren’t as smart as they think they are when it comes to global warming and its causes, according to a cross-national study of public opinions. And this is a problem because America is a huge cause of it. Even residents of underdeveloped countries know as much — or shall we say, little — as Americans about the causes of global climatic change, which include burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, says Steven Brechin, a sociology professor at the University of Illinois. Cubans know more about what causes global warming than Americans do, and so do citizens of Mexico. Only the French and Japanese are more ignorant about this pressing environmental issue than U.S. residents. Finnish citizens are most knowledgeable about global warming. The U.S. is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming, according the study. However, the country has withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol for controlling these emissions because President Bush has said it hurts American businesses, researchers say. “The international community especially the Europeans and Japanese, may need to continue to serve as America’s conscience,” Brechin says. Why French Women Really Don't Get Fat While the French might not grasp the ramifications of global warming, the big secret that is the French Paradox of thinness can now be reduced to a simple principle: The French don’t eat as much as we do, say University of Pennsylvania researchers. Assuming dietary fat is the main cause of obesity and heart disease, researchers have been confused by how the French sustain a rich diet of buttery croissants, creamy cheeses and pastries while managing to stay slim and live longer than Americans. (This phenomenon is known as the French Paradox.) Comparing variety of restaurants in Paris and Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Rozin found that portion sizes were 25 percent more in the States than in Paris. Even international chains served less food in Paris than in Philadelphia. And when describing food portions, Rozin found that the popular Zagat restaurant guide referred to portions in reviews of Philadelphia eateries 88 percent of the time, compared with 52 percent in Paris reviews. To top it off, Rozin’s team found that single-serve foods were bigger in Philadelphia than in Paris: Candy bars were 41 percent bigger; soda was 52 percent bigger; and a hot dog as 63 percent bigger than in Paris. “Much discussion of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. has focused on personal willpower,” Rozin says. “But our study shows that the environment also plays an important role and that people may be satisfied even if served less than they would normally eat.” |
||||
|
||||
