NYT:
Between 1977 and 2002, the percent of the American population eating three or more snacks a day increased to 42 percent from 11 percent, according to a large study of American nutritional habits conducted by the Agriculture Department with the Department of Health and Human Services.
Snacks at school, snacks at home, snacks after sports. Dumb, dumb, and dumber:
Once a week, Vivian Zacharyâs 6-year-old son, Joel, goes dashing for the vending machine at the gym after his gymnastics class ends at 5 p.m. âLast week it was a Fruit Roll-Up and a can of 7Up,â Ms. Zachary wrote in an e-mail message. âIâm not sure why I let this go on, and I often think that if I were a better parent, or at least more able to tolerate incessant complaining, I would let him buy the snacks but not actually consume them until after dinner. But I have already established the pattern (the âruleâ in Joelâs mind), so thereâs no going back now.â
Nope, there's no going backâand it would be so much better for little Joel if he had that can of corn syrup and that a sugar-bomb after dinner, not before.