Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight, while the French, who consume（消耗） rich food, continue to stay thin? Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to（往往，倾向于） stop eating when they feel full. However, Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favorite TV show is over.

    According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as something to be squeezed（挤出） between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers’ markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.

   After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, decided to write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.

   In spite of（尽管） all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity — or  extreme overweight — among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains acceptance and the young reject（拒绝） older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17% — and is growing.

A．Americans and the French

B．life style and obesity

C．children and adults

D．fast food and overweight

   New Year’s resolutions（决心）often fail, but now a new study may just provide motivation for you to stick to them. Scientists found that meeting goals — such as giving up drinking or smoking — can slash your risk of cancer.

The large-scale study — of half a million Britons — looked at the effects of quitting tobacco，limiting alcohol intake, maintaining a low body mass index (BMI), exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. Each individual behaviour was found to bring a decrease in the chance of getting cancer of about eight per cent. But if people carried out all together the overall risk reduction was about a third — and likely a greater cut in deaths from the disease.

The researchers from Cardiff University examined data from 343,150 people from the UK Biobank to identify the five healthy behaviours and compare them to the risk of cancer. The subjects were aged 40 to 69 and 14,285 were diagnosed （诊断）with the disease during an average follow-up of just over five years. The team found that adopting（采用）all the studied healthy behaviours brought a 25 and 35 percent reduction in bowel and breast cancer respectively — two of the most common forms of the disease.

The team said the findings may not sound surprising — but they serve as a reminder of the importance behind turning resolutions into permanent lifestyle choices.

Professor Elwood, the lead researcher，said the real problem for people adopting resolutions was translating the unclear idea of lifestyle choices being “good” into useful evidence — which was what this study provided. “A healthy lifestyle has many additional benefits to cancer reduction — it costs nothing, has no undesirable side effects…and is better than any pill.”

   Living near the ocean is good for health, but not a luxury all can afford. But those who can, certainly gain a lot of health benefits over common inland folks.

● 【小题1】 As we know, because people living near a coast get enough time to swim in the seawater, they naturally tend to be stronger. Physicians have been recommending visits to coasts that specialize in providing seawater cleansing treatment, which improves the immune system.

● Living near the ocean promotes physical activity. The seashore encourages outdoor activities like jogging on the sand, beach volleyball, scuba-diving, surfing, etc .【小题2】

● Fresh air helps get sleep. Fresh ocean air is composed of negatively charged ions that enable us to consume oxygen, adding to good health. These ions also aid in balancing the serotonin (血清素) level, which helps in feeling more relaxed. 【小题3】 Little by little, this leads to better sleep after spending a large amount of time near the ocean.

● Living near the ocean can help you absorb more vitamin

   Even if your school provides healthy foods，it can be easy to give in to your desire（渴望）and pick a less healthy choice when you are feeling really hungry. How do you take control of it？【小题1】 Here are a few reasons for you to pack your lunch or snacks at least twice a week:

Do you ever wait in the lunch line only to find that when you get to the front，you don’t like what they are serving？So you reach for pizza again. 【小题2】 Bringing your own lunch also lets you control exactly what goes into the food you eat.

It does not hurt to enjoy an occasional（偶尔的）serving of pizza and hot dogs. 【小题3】 A packed lunch a couple of times a week means you can enjoy some favorites you might not find at every school—like your mom’s chicken soup or some crisp apples.

If you have a big game or activity after school，plan a lunch and snacks that combine lean proteins with carbohydrates（糖类）. 【小题4】

Pack healthy snacks so you don’t feel tempted to step off campus for a fast—food lunch，or hit the corner store for a chocolate and a soda！Put the money you save on such snacks aside.

In a word，whether you pack your lunch or eat in the cafeteria，what is important is that you make healthy choices. If you are concerned that your cafeteria does not offer enough healthy options，get involved in trying to make changes. 【小题5】