1 . A third of Britons are overweight, states a report published in January by the Royal College of Physicians, the result of an 18-month study. About five percent of children weigh too much, and are likely to stay that way for life; in the mid-twenties-age-long group the proportion (比例) of the middle-aged population half are overweight.

Fat people risk severe health problems, says the report, including high blood pressure, breathlessness and various forms of heart disease. Smoking is particularly risky for overweight people.

The safest way to lose weight is to eat cereals, bread, fruit and vegetables, and cut down on fatty meals, butter and sweet foods. Fad (目前流行的) diets so far more than good; slimming machines that vibrate muscles have not been proved useful; saunas merely remove a little body water, and health farms, says the report ,serve as expensive holidays.

Exercise is most important to health, the report emphasizes; though it doesn’t necessarily reduce weight; it keeps the correct proportion of body muscle. And it isn’t only for the young ; from middle age a minimum of 20 minutes of gentle physical jerks should be practiced three times a week.

The report advocates several public health measures to fight the common existence of overweight in this country. They include an increase of tax on alcohol to reduce its increasing, and dangerously fattening, consumption; and the provision of more sports facilities by local authorities. Britain’s doctors, the report concludes, must learn to be more sympathetic and specific in their advice to the overweight, encouraging a change in eating habits on a long-term basis and taking into account the many-often-complex-reasons why fat people are fat.

2 . Lilly and Audrey are younger than most cookbook authors. But they have been developing their kitchen skills for more than half their lives. When they had just learned to walk, they loved to hang out in the kitchen while their parents cooked dinner. At age 5, they made their first dish without help: pumpkin muffins.

Audrey can still remember the way the muffins rose in the oven (烤箱), the painful wait for them to cool and the sweetness of the fresh-made treats. “It was super exciting to make something so delicious almost all on our own,” she says.

Their parents are not very skilled at cooking, so Lilly and Audrey turned to other people for cooking advice. Auspiciously, they live in Sonoma, California, an area that is known for its farms and restaurants. One local cook gave the twins (双胞胎) lessons on cooking techniques, such as how to use knives; those classes taught Lilly and Audrey how to use kitchen tools safely.

In 2009, they started a blog (博客), on which they share photos and recipes (菜谱) they have created. Though the twins love creating sweet foods such as muffins, they also think about healthy food. They hope their cookbook will encourage kids to make better food choices by making them more knowledgeable.

“Knowing more about your food and where it comes from certainly causes you to know more about what you eat and to put the best food in your body,” Lilly says. That has been true for her. Lilly used to avoid eggplant at all costs, until one day she tried cooking it for herself. Now it’s one of her favorite vegetables. “If you make something yourself and give it a try, you’ll probably like it,” she says.

4 . Father’s Day isn’t just a day for Dads to get more ties. It’s celebrated on the third Sunday of June to honor Dads, Grandfathers, stepfathers and all men who act as a father figure. Like most holidays, the origin of Father’s Day is hard to trace (追溯) but most people will agree that Sonora Dodd played a big part in starting the holiday.

Sonora Luise Smart Dodd brought up the idea of a father’s day in 1909. she wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. When Sonora’s mother died in childbirth with her sixth child, William was left to raise the newborn and five other children by himself on a farm in Washington State. As an adult, Sonora realized how strong and unselfish her dad was, who had been raising his kids as a single parent.

Sonora wanted Fater’s Day to be celebrated on the first Sunday in June, because it was close to her dad’s birthday. Instead, the first Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washing. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made the third Sunday of June Father’s Day. It wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon made Father’s Day a national holiday-about 60 years after Mother’s Day had been made a national holiday.

Looking for the perfect gift, Dads say some of the best Father’s Day gifts have been tools, electronics and home-made gifts. Don’t forget about gadgets(小器具)! Check out those handy gadgets and gifted ideas that will show your dad just how much you care about him. Try to stay away from ties, socks, and just not getting him anything at all!