“Round Numbers”

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2012-01-17/Obesity-epidemic-in-USA-shows-signs-of-leveling-off/52613442/1

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the steady rise in the obesity rate in the U.S., seems to have leveled off at 35.5%.  Now that we seemed to have reached the top of the hill, we’re rotund enough to roll down it.

It isn’t that Americans aren’t continuing to become obese, but the ones who have been obese are finally dying at the same rate.

“Protection for Teens”

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/teen-ya/story/2011-10-12/Teens-using-condoms-more-often-but-not-consistently/50742932/1

A new federal survey finds that teens between 15 and 19 are using condoms more often than they used to, up to 80% from 71%.  In that age group, those who said they have had sex were most likely to use condoms as contraception, while nerds are using them as paintball grenades.

According to the survey, boys are less likely to want to use a condom when they have sex, but their willingness to use one increases dramatically if they have a partner.

“Healthy Happy Meals”

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2011-07-26-McDonalds-apples-happy-meal_n.htm

McDonald’s is launching a change to their Happy Meals for kids: apple slices in every box.  It’s part of their new initiative to send more traffic to Burger King.

The most difficult part of the transition for McDonald’s is the training to keep their employees from instinctively deep-frying the apple slices.

Kids seemed genuinely excited about apple-filled Happy Meals, but that’s because, when they heard the word Apple, they thought their Happy Meals came with Apple gift cards for iTunes. 

“Food for Thought”

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2011-02-14-fiber_N.htm

A new government study says that eating more fiber could mean a longer life. Unfortunately, you’ll spend all that extra time pooping.

“Text Appeal”

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/sex-relationships/2010-11-10-texting-teens_N.htm

A study presented to the American Public Health Association says that teens who use text messaging excessively are more likely to engage in drinking, drug use, and sex. All while texting.

The term for such teenagers is “popular.”

Texting has become so ingrained in teen social life, and by extension, synonymous with their sexual activity, that the most common phrase among teens fighting is, “Go text yourself.”

Teens’ texting skills are predictably telling about their knowledge about sex. Their texts tend to be clumsy, sloppy, and over too quickly.