Did you see the report in the newspapers a few days ago on the new study showing that women who eat two or more ounces of red meat per day are 56 percent more likely to develop breast cancer?

That very same day, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that only one-in-seven Americans eats the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and exercises for 30 minutes five days per week to reduce their cancer risk. Shame, shame...

Folks, before you start feeling too guilty, let me tell you about another way to reduce your risk of cancer that’s far easier than this.

It’s way simple: Just cut back on the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates you eat. Your risk of cancer will plummet — and medical studies prove it!

Back when I was in middle school, we had a course called Home Economics. Twice a week we marched over to Mrs. Johnson’s big kitchen of a classroom and learned how to cook for ourselves, how to shop wisely and what constituted a balanced diet.

Those were the days before McDonalds hijacked our eating habits… back when Moms had time to prepare a home-cooked dinner… and when Grandmas passed down their recipes for meals that were packed with nutrition and healing power.

It’s a pity that Home Ec has disappeared – along with Phys Ed: two reasons our kids are in such bad shape these days. Now the only eating advice they get is from million-dollar ad campaigns pushing the junk foods that are ruining their health.

Last week, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne of England, stuck his royal foot in his mouth — complete with bacon, cheese and special sauce.

On a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the prince suggested that the country ban McDonald's as a "crucial" way to improve people's diets there.

Charles' comments were motivated by the fact that the UAE has the world's second highest number of diabetes cases per capita (guess who's first?), with more than 20 percent of their population already diagnosed and 40 percent more at risk.

Is that really the solution? Ban Happy Meals? Outlaw Coke? Forbid fries? Prosecute pizza?

Question: Why are Wendy's, White Castle and Quiznos restaurants hiding calorie information from their customers?

This shouldn't come as a huge shock to anyone. Every fast food restaurant makes it difficult to tell how many calories and grams of fat they put in their food. (Sure, they say "it's on our website" - like you really have time for that, right?)

But Wendy's, White Castle and Quiznos restaurants are making it especially hard for their New York customers. As a protest against the impending July 1 deadline requiring NYC fast-food chains to list calories on their menus, these guys pulled the calorie counts from their Web sites, too.

Their excuse was they didn't have enough room on their menu boards for the calorie information. Baloney. The real reason is that they probably realize customers will stay away from items that are loaded with fat and calories.

Tom Gleason and I were buddies in high school. We both were on the wrestling team and graduated together. I kept on-and-off contact with Tom over the years, but was really floored when I recently heard that not only had he read The Fast Food Diet, but that it actually helped him make some major changes in his life.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past five years, you know that being overweight by 20 or 30 pounds is as bad for your health as smoking. I won’t go into all the terrible diseases you’re setting yourself up for (like diabetes, cancer, and sudden heart attack), because you’ve probably heard it all before. 

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you also know that being successful at losing weight is all about being – and staying – motivated. So if you’re having a hard time sticking to a diet or exercise program for the sake of your own health, here’s a golden carrot that should keep your eyes focused on your goal every single day: your kids.