Thursday Open Line


A substantial and recurring feature of national media reporting — on TV, in newspapers and on the web — is devoted to nutrition and health. There, doctors and public health officials express concerns about obesity, diabetes, and the quality of the diet of many Americans. However, junk food shows little sign of waning in popularity.  So with unrepentant advocacy, today is National Junk Food Day. It celebrates the naughty temptations on offer, notably at the nearly quarter-million fast food outlets across the country, which employ 3.6 million workers. Still, the American agricultural sector produces a bounty of healthier choices. Our farms, along with some imports, make 261 pounds of fruit and 384 pounds of vegetables available per capita annually.  You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.