VOA标准英语2011--Supersized America Losing War on Fat

Supersized America Losing War on Fat

First Lady Michelle Obama has been making the talk-show rounds, plugging an exercise program called "Let's Move." Designed to get America's young people in motion, it is one of a number of efforts to attack the nation's obesity¹ epidemic².
Just this month, the federal Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, proposed rules that would require restaurants, fast-food chains, even vending-machine owners, to clearly post the calorie contents of their items on menus and signs.
We can't yet say this is too little, too late. But we're pretty sure America is losing the war on fat.
Just a few examples:
This month's "five-dollar foot-long," or 30-centimeter submarine at a popular sandwich chain, features not only meatballs but also pepperoni sausage and cheese.
One pizza company, not content to double its meat and cheese toppings, began stuffing extra cheese inside the crust.
Virtual Ern, Flickr Creative Commons
This triple burger, or sometimes a couple of 'em, constitute dinner for some folks, at 1,250 calories per. This triple burger, or sometimes a couple of 'em, constitute dinner for some folks, at 1,250 calories per.
A hamburger chain is touting³ its "Enormous Omelet" sandwich containing a sausage patty, two eggs, three strips of bacon, and processed American cheese. The clerk will probably ask you if you want deep-fried hash-brown potatoes with your order.
A nationwide diner chain is, in its words, "celebrating" what it calls "baconalia" - featuring seven dishes in which, the company boasts, "bacon isn't just rationed⁴ or relegated⁵ to a side dish. Bacon is king." Believe it or not, one of those dishes is an ice-cream sundae, with not one but two layers of ice cream, bacon, and maple-flavored syrup⁶.
We haven't even mentioned another chain's 1,420-calorie "Monster Thickburger" with its 107 grams of fat, 229 milligrams of cholesterol⁷, and 2,651 milligrams of sodium⁸. That's 651 more milligrams of salt in one sandwich than the FDA recommends we eat in an entire day.
And while you can find salad and vegetables in a nationwide chain's famous "endless buffet⁹," you would have to have amazing willpower to resist its pizza, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese spread before you, not to mention its separate bakery and dessert buffet.
You'll wash it all down with a diet drink, of course, as a gesture to your commitment to healthy eating - starting tomorrow.

1 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

4 rationed   

限量供应，配给供应( ration的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• We were rationed to two eggs a day. 每天配给我们两个鸡蛋。
• The army is well rationed. 部队给养良好。

5 relegated   

v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类

参考例句：

• She was then relegated to the role of assistant. 随后她被降级做助手了。
• I think that should be relegated to the garbage can of history. 我认为应该把它扔进历史的垃圾箱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 syrup   

n.糖浆，糖水

参考例句：

• I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
• Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。

7 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

8 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

9 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？