Knights in Armor and Americans Weigh about the Same?
Percherons are being used for Americans who want to be entertained by riding horses. Percherons, the horses bred as war horses for the heavily armored knights of Europe are necessary to move obese Americans. Historically, in America during the old west, they were used for pulling stage coaches. Now they are necessary for moving single Americans.
James Pilant
Big riders mean bigger horses on US’s western trails | World news | theguardian.com
Wranglers in the US west who have for decades cashed in on the allure of getting on a horse and setting out on an open trail say they have had to add bigger horses to their stables to help carry larger tourists over the rugged terrain.
The ranches say they are using draft horses, the diesels of the horse world, in ever greater numbers to make sure they don’t lose out on income from potential customers of any size who come out to get closer to the west of yesteryear.
“Even though a person might be overweight, or, you know, heavier than the average American, it’s kind of nice we can provide a situation where they can ride with their family,” said wrangler T James “Doc” Humphrey.
Humphrey’s 10-gallon hat, goatee, black vest and spurs are a tourist favorite at Sombrero Ranches, east of Rocky Mountain National Park, where they have 20 draft horses, including Belgians and Percherons, and 25 draft horses mixes.
Ranch operators say they began adding the bigger horses in the 1990s, but the pace has picked up in recent years. Over the last 20 years, obesity has increased to more than a third of adults and about 17% of children age 2 to 19, according to federal statistics.
via Big riders mean bigger horses on US’s western trails | World news | theguardian.com.
From Around the Web.
From the web site, Obesity Study.
http://churchillobesitystudy.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/downsizing-in-the-big-apple/
Downsizing in the Big Apple
New York was one of the first US cities to propose a tax on sugary drinks – it was never implemented. However, in recognition of the problem of overweight and obesity among NYC residents, the city health department has a strong focus on addressing this issue. There is an impressive range of strategies and programs in place to encourage people to reduce the amount of unhealthy food consumed, create environments to support people to eat healthy food and to encourage active living. Sugar drinks have been singled out for attention because of their large contribution to added sugar in the diet, the calories they provide and resulting overweight and obesity. The city is one of a number in the US which has run a social marketing campaign since 2009 around sugar drinks to change behavior, particularly in adults and highlight how much sugar is in these drinks and their impact on health. The aim is to highlight the impact of sugary drinks on their risk of developing diseases like diabetes and heart disease, and to encourage people to switch to beverages without sugar instead.
Pilant's Business Ethics Blog 
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