The U.S. is currently tackling two crises: the so-called fiscal cliff and obesity. Both have serious implications for the economy, national policy and individuals. Washington has joined the anti-obesity movement, offering nutritional and exercise tips on the Department of Agriculture's Web site ChooseMyPlate.org. But many health experts would say certain federal programs and legislation actually promote consumption of "junk food" and oversize portions. Billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies and handouts to industrial farms and food producers have led to a proliferation of cheap, easily accessible and fattening product offerings.
美国现在正在面临两大危机：所谓的财政悬崖和肥胖症。两者都对美国经济、国家政策和个人有着严重的影响。华盛顿曾加入到反肥胖行动中，在农业部网站ChooseMyPlate.org上推出营养和运动建议。但是许多健康专家指出某些联邦项目和立法实际上会刺激“垃圾食品”和超大尺寸部分的消费。对工业化农场和食品加工者发放的数十亿美元的纳税人津贴和救济导致廉价、易得且增肥的产品得到快速增加。
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Food that should be eaten in moderation —if at all —have multiplied on supermarket shelves. Potato chips and cookies are half the price of fruits and vegetables and many families who are struggling in this weak economy have tight food budgets. The growing trend to eat local, all-natural, environmentally sustainable and organic food cannot stop Americans' waistlines from expanding.
饮食本当有所节制——如果可以的话——食品已在超市的货架上大量增加。薯条和饼干是水果蔬菜价格的一半，并且很多在疲软的经济中挣扎的家庭都有紧张的食品预算。就算当地、纯绿色、环境可持续且有机的饮食趋势在增长，也无法抵挡美国人腰围的增大。
Cities small and large in the U.S. and around the globe have decided to take matters into their hands to lower the rate of obesity and encourage a healthier lifestyle. City council members in Los Angeles unanimously passed a resolution last week that calls for "Meatless Mondays."
美国的各个城市及世界其他城市均已决定采取措施降低肥胖率并鼓励更加健康的生活方式。洛杉矶市议会成员上周全体通过了一项决议，呼吁“周一无肉日”。根据女议员简·佩里的观点：
"We can reduce saturated fats and reduce the risk of heart disease by 19%. While this is a symbolic gesture, it is asking people to think about the food choices they make. Eating less meat can reverse some of our nation's most common illnesses."
“我们能够减少饱和脂肪和19%的心脏疾病风险。尽管这只是一个象征性的举措，它 要求人人们思考对食物的选择。少吃肉可以逆转我们国家最常见的一些疾病。”
Los Angeles' support of "Meatless Mondays" makes it the largest U.S. city to embrace the initiative but not the first. Aspen, Colorado implemented its own "Meatless Mondays" in 2011.
洛杉矶的“周一无肉日”让美国第一大城市成为最主动的但不是最先开始的。阿斯蓬和科罗拉多曾在2011年实行了他们自己的“周一无肉日”。
Michael Jacobson, executive director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the initiative could be implemented across the country.
迈克尔·雅各布森是公共利益科学中心的执行董事，他说这个倡议可以在全国范围内执行。
"I think it's an excellent idea, " he says in a phone interview. "Hopefully [Los Angeles] promotes Meatless Mondays in its cafeterias and schools钬t made me hope that a lot of other city and state governments would adopt similar measures."
“我认为这是个很好的想法，”他在一次电话采访中说道。“很高兴洛杉矶在自助餐厅和学校推广‘周一无肉日’，我希望其他城市和州政府也能采取类似的措施。”
Shelley Johnson, an associate director at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, says existing research has not directly linked meat intake to a higher body weight.
谢莉·约翰逊是美国牧牛肉协会的副主任，她说目前的研究尚未将肉类摄入量和体重增加联系起来。
"Contrary to Meatless Monday campaign claims, beef is both environmentally and nutritionally efficient, " she says. "As a registered dietitian, I find that people are turning to me because they need advice on 'what to do/what they can do' to be healthier."
“与周一无肉日的活动要求相反，牛肉是既环保又营养的，”她说。“作为一个认证营养师，我发现人们开始向我求助，因为他们需要知道‘怎么做/能做什么’才会更健康。”
Los Angeles lawmakers may believe that meat-based diets lead to obesity but California residents are resisting other attempts by the state to control their food freedom. A ballot measure that would have taxed sugary drinks in California failed. In New York City, residents and local businesses are gearing up for next March, when the city's ban on sugary beverages larger than 16 ounces begins.
洛杉矶立法者可能会认为肉类为主的饮食会导致肥胖，但是加利福尼亚居民则反对政府控制他们饮食自由的企图。加利福尼亚曾经一项向含糖饮料征税的议案就失败了。在纽约，市政府要禁止16盎司以上的含糖饮料时，居民和当地工商企业就开始准备了他们的下一个运动。
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More than one-third of U.S. adults, and 17% of U.S. children and adolescents are considered obese. Lawmakers and health officials will be under constant pressure to find the most effective way of dealing with this urgent crisis.
至少三分之一的美国成人及17%的儿童和青少年都被认为比较肥胖。立法者和卫生官员将会在如何最有效地解决这一紧迫危机上面临不断的压力。
As The Daily Ticker's Henry Blodget and Aaron Task discuss in the attached clip, legislating healthy eating through various taxes can backfire. In Denmark, politicians rescinded the country's fat foods tax because it did not change consumers' dietary choices and hurt local business. The tax was implemented last year and applied to foods high in saturated fat. The Danish government discovered that its residents would travel to neighboring countries Sweden and Germany to buy butter and ice cream because prices were lower. Denmark has also decided to cancel plans for a sugar tax.
像每日行情的亨利·布洛杰特和亚伦·塔斯克在附加剪辑中讨论的那样，通过不同税收立法健康饮食会适得其反。在丹麦，政府废除了向脂肪食物征税，因为此举不仅没有改变消费者的饮食选择，反而伤害了当地的工商业者。这项征税于去年开始实施，并针对饱和脂肪高的食物。丹麦政府发现居民会到邻国瑞典和德国购买黄油和冰淇淋，因为那里的价格更便宜。丹麦还决定取消一项对糖类的征税。
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