Good news of the day

America's dietary habits are improving, and the death rate is lower thanks to this.

They found that healthier eating habits cumulatively prevented 1.1 million premature deaths over the 14 years, and the difference in dietary quality between 1999 and 2012 resulted in 12.6 percent fewer type 2 diabetes cases, 8.6 percent fewer cardiovascular disease cases, and 1.3 percent fewer cancer cases.

mainly bookmarked for later analysis.

As "junk food" injestion increases here in Asia, we are getting an epidemic of diabetes.

probably so maybe this would help:

 an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages; elimination of the tax subsidy for advertising unhealthy food to children; and nutrition standards for food and drinks sold in schools outside of school meals, such as those found in the current Smart Snacks in School federal regulation.

But the high salt intake here in Asia (soy sauce and patis etc) means hypertension is epidemic in Asia too: even worse than in the USA.

There are epidemiological differences in populations, diet and diseases, even in the last 50 years.

Fewer young people dropping dead of heart attacks (fewer smokers?) Stomach cancer, which was common 100 years ago, is now rare, except for lymphoma of the stomach (!).

Breast cancer, which is associated with fewer kids, is up. (Is it the pill or just the fact fewer kids mean less breast feeding).

And cancer of the cervix is still around, and should be epidmic with increase in promiscuity, but nowadays it is usually caught early via pap smears and now maybe even rare if the girls get their HPV vaccines on time.

 But the obesity/diabetes thing is a real question. I gained 20 pounds caring for Lolo (no exercize, comfort food). But a lot of my weight gain was when taking hormones for female problems. Does the pill contribute to this, or is it the phytoestrogens and the metabolic syndrome inducing chemicals in plastic?

And is the increase in diabetes in Asia due to the same high protein/high fat diet that is also resulting in the kids being six inches taller than their parents? Or is it because they now take buses etc to school instead of walking? And less hard physical work?