Cooks in the War on Obesity

Looks like the health chuckwagon driven by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (and before him by Alice Waters) is becoming somewhat of a bandwagon with other television cooks along for the ride, including Rachael Ray and Paula Deen (who has never batted a preturnaturally long-lashed eye at bacon, butter or shortening).  If these divas of dining, together with Oliver, help people eat better, then who cares if it's the latest trend -- again.

The problem is that they're fighting another trend -- even more persistent -- the constant increase in rates of obesity, which has some of its roots before birth and during early infancy, when new mothers are pushed to obsess about weight gain, writes Dr. Ayala Laufer-Cahana.

You may also like: Weight Watchers is about to launch a campaign featuring actress and singer Jennifer Hudson.

"Lazy" Gadget a Longtime Workhorse
 Bettijane Levine delves into the history of the lazy Susan, a gadget that dates at least to the 18th Century, in  the Los Angeles Times' L.A. Home blog.