Message from the director

Not too much more than a half century ago, the fathers went to work and the mothers shopped for fresh foods to cook and serve to their families. Most folks were not as concerned about whole milk, butter and white bread as long as it was in moderation, and yet overweight and obesity were isolated problems. Children played in school and went to P.E. and then played outdoors in the neighborhoods in the evenings. Well, much has changed since then, and addressing the sociological and economic changes in the family and culture, as well as the "improvements" that supposedly brought more leisure time for activity, such as air conditioning and computers, are well beyond the scope of what we do at the Tulane Prevention Research Center.

Yet tremendous changes have taken place over the course of that half century that have placed most of us in the position of looking for "convenience." We have so much more going on in our lives that require our time and energy, so that we have to find quicker and easier ways of doing things, especially when it comes to food. We now have McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Popeye's because they are convenient. We now have gas station convenience stores that offer 64-ounce colas. We now have manufacturers that offer lots of processed foods. These foods don't really taste better than foods prepared at home, but they are more "convenient" and save us time.

But now the picture has changed even more because we have overweight and obesity, not as isolated problems, but becoming more the norm. Now we really do have to talk about 1% or fat-free milk, whole grain breads, and butter or margarine (who knows?). Now we really do need to focus on healthy food vending machines, flagging menus in restaurants for healthy food items, and cooking demonstrations for healthy foods in supermarkets. But are we making these foods "convenient?"

It is difficult to accept that our striving as a nation and individuals to make better lives for ourselves and our children could even remotely be associated with overweight and obesity. And maybe I am way off the mark here, but isn't it the desire for "convenience" that supports all those fast-food outlets and processed foods? If that is the case, then we need to start thinking about making healthy and wholesome foods as "convenient" as all of the other unhealthy foods that are out there. We need to start thinking about not only the "what" but about "how" we can conveniently eat healthy again.

Carolyn Johnson
Director, Prevention Research Center

Topics:   diet, obesity, nutrition, physical activity