Pizza considered a vegetable? Way to go America...

This article infuriates me. America is ranked #1 in the world for obesity, and after reading this article it's no surprise as to why. 

According to a decision made by Congress anything containing 2 tablespoons of tomato paste can now be considered a vegetable. This means that a slice of pizza now falls into the vegetable column. The article also makes it clear that this is purely a political move to stop some major industries from taking a severe cut in revenue. 

There are many different opinions on this recent decision. I picked out two contrasting views:

Retired Air Force General Richard E. Hawley, (who now works with Mission: Readiness to combat obesity):

“This is a tragedy for the country... We are taking a step backward apparently in response to pressure from groups who see it in their interest to serve junk food in our schools.”

Corey Henry (spokesman for the American Frozen Food Institute):

“We are not saying pizza is a vegetable... What we are saying is if you serve a slice of pizza with 2 tablespoons of vegetable paste, it can be an important way to deliver a number of vegetables that children will actually consume.”

Now to some of my issues with this decision... 

1) Aren't tomatoes considered a fruit? So why the hell Congress just allowed them to be considered a serving of vegetables is beyond me. 

2) Even if tomatoes were a vegetable the amount of sugar in the tomato paste, fat in the cheese, and carbohydrates in the crust should be enough to have it banned school menus altogether. 

3) Budget cuts in this area is going to severely affect the American economy in the long run. To highlight how obesity effects the economy I have listed a number of staggering statistics:

• $127million are spent on hospital costs each year due to childhood obesity. This is more than 3 times that of 2 decades ago. 
• Annual direct costs of childhood obesity= $14.3 billion.
• In 1994 US businesses spent $5 BILLION in non-medical costs due to obesity:
• $2.4 billion was spent on paid sick leave
• $1.8 billion on life insurance
• $0.8 billion on disability insurance 
• US-wide annual cost of “excess” medical speding attributed to obesity=$86-$147 billion.

Economy aside, it's astounding to me that Congress doesn't seem to be at all concerned with how this decision will effect overall health in America. In fact, it may even increase the amount of obese people in the country. In short, studies show that obese children are more likely to grow up to be obese adults. Obese adults are more likely to raise obese children, as the children adopt the eating/exercise routines of their parents. 

End rant. 

Article link:

http://www.thejournal.ie/us-congress-rules-that-pizza-is-a-vegetable-282033-Nov2011/

Link to a report on the issue by MSNBC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJy971DCDlg

Pedro and Buddy- A tragic love affair

Buddy and Pedro are African penguins who live in the Toronto Zoo. They were brought up together in Ohio and have been recently transported to their new home. It was hoped that these two males would find suitable female partners to make little baby penguins to help this species off the Endangered Species List.

The African Penguin was moved from the Vulnerable Species List to the Endangered Species List in 2010 due to their significant decline over the past century. In 1910 there were believed to have been 1.5 million penguins of this species. As of the year 2000 it was estimated that only 10% of this population still existed. This decline has to do with a number of factors, mainly the increase in competition for resources (including our fishing industry) and the global climate change.

Anyway, back to the story... Upon Pedro and Buddy's arrival zookeepers noticed that these two male penguins seemed particularly chummy, showing "courtship and mating behaviors" generally witnessed between male-female pairs. This behavior includes preening each other, protecting their territory, 'braying' (their mating call), and standing together away from the group. Everyday they swim with the group of 12 penguins, but every night they break off from the others to spend the evening alone. This behavior was described as same-sex 'pair-bonding'.

Unfortunately, because the species is so endangered the zoo is planning on splitting them up in order to encourage them to breed. I'm really curious to find out whether they will show any interest in female penguins when they are separated. I tried researching this type of behavior in other species of animal, but to be perfectly honest, the information became a bit too graphic for my taste.

Here is a brief video of the two love birds (no pun intended):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyob3yHVOgs


Research from:
http://www.questconnect.org/african_penguin_facts.htm
http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/09/african-penguin-receives-u-s-endangered-species-act-protection/
http://www.treehugger.com/endangered-species/zoo-plans-split-same-sex-penguin-romance.html