TBW Daily Diary

There is a lot of talk today about obesity and diet. "Experts" blame companies like Coke and Wendy's and advocate banning all sorts of "junk" food in schools. I got to thinking--I grew up in the 40s and back then we drank a lot of sodas and stuffed ourselves with burgers (only a quarter or less) and lots of French fries (usually with gravy as was the fashion). I don't remember many--no, make that any--chubby classmates. So what was different? . . . Well, we town kids walked to school, and not just a few blocks, either. We were not delivered to our activities around town; we rode our bikes. We had chores--cutting the grass with a push mower, for instance, and that was nothing when compared with what the farm kids did. We played outside till dark, weather permitting, because there was no TV to entice us indoors. Maybe the exercise was more important than what we ate . . . So I am not feeling one bit guilty when I tell you that Bob and I had Arby's sandwiches for supper . . .