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Wednesday June 22, 2005
Idaho governor juggles fitness, potato industry
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOISE, Idaho -- Fitness? You want fries with that?
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne wants Idaho to be famous for its 'taters, not its 'tater butts.
Speaking at a conference Tuesday, he noted that 59 percent of Idaho's 940,000 adults are overweight or obese and spend $227 million annually on weight-related medical care. Kempthorne called for a renewed focus on exercise and proper nutrition.
More than half of Idaho's $2 billion annual potato industry involves foods such as french fries and potato chips that many label unhealthy, so Kempthorne finds himself in a seemingly awkward position -- advocating better eating and exercise habits, while still plugging Idaho's largest agricultural crop.
"For Father's Day, I had a great big helping of mashed potatoes," declared the governor, who can be seen riding his mountain bike on a 45-minute loop near Idaho's capital city on summer evenings. "But exercise has to be a part of it."
Big industry
Idaho produces more than 13 billion pounds of potatoes annually. About 60 percent of the harvest is processed into french fries and other frozen and dehydrated products and sold to companies such as McDonald's and Burger King.
A 7-ounce potato has around 240 calories, while seven ounces of potato chips would have about 1,000 calories.
Kempthorne was the keynote speaker at the "Governor's Physical Activity & Nutrition Summit" at Boise State University, where more than 400 health practitioners, teachers and community leaders gathered to discuss health problems related to poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.
Wednesday June 22, 2005
Idaho governor juggles fitness, potato industry
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOISE, Idaho -- Fitness? You want fries with that?
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne wants Idaho to be famous for its 'taters, not its 'tater butts.
Speaking at a conference Tuesday, he noted that 59 percent of Idaho's 940,000 adults are overweight or obese and spend $227 million annually on weight-related medical care. Kempthorne called for a renewed focus on exercise and proper nutrition.
More than half of Idaho's $2 billion annual potato industry involves foods such as french fries and potato chips that many label unhealthy, so Kempthorne finds himself in a seemingly awkward position -- advocating better eating and exercise habits, while still plugging Idaho's largest agricultural crop.
"For Father's Day, I had a great big helping of mashed potatoes," declared the governor, who can be seen riding his mountain bike on a 45-minute loop near Idaho's capital city on summer evenings. "But exercise has to be a part of it."
Big industry
Idaho produces more than 13 billion pounds of potatoes annually. About 60 percent of the harvest is processed into french fries and other frozen and dehydrated products and sold to companies such as McDonald's and Burger King.
A 7-ounce potato has around 240 calories, while seven ounces of potato chips would have about 1,000 calories.
Kempthorne was the keynote speaker at the "Governor's Physical Activity & Nutrition Summit" at Boise State University, where more than 400 health practitioners, teachers and community leaders gathered to discuss health problems related to poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.
