HBO's The Weight Of The Nation

If you've noticed talk of American obesity has been front page news on a regular basis lately, its for good reason: almost 69% of Americans are overweight or obese and that number continues to rise. Even more disturbing - 18% of children in the U.S. are obese and our kids life expectancy will be shorter than our own because of their diet and exercise habits. Why this is happening and how can we change it are just two questions answered in HBO's latest documentary, The Weight Of The Nation, premiering tonight on HBO. 

This documentary is the beginning of an unprecedented campaign to change the way Americans eat and the start of a movement to help millions of Americans begin working towards adopting a healthier diet. I'm particularly moved by this mission because my brother-in-law's father, Dr. Preston Maring, is one of the many experts who participated in the making of this documentary (he discusses the prevention of obesity and increasing fresh food markets in the film) and was responsible for starting the Friday Fresh Farmer's Market at Kasier Permanente in Oakland, a program that has spread to Kasier campuses all over the country.

Dr. Maring at a local farmer's market. Photo courtesy of HBO. 

 Growing up in a family with 3 kids and parents who both worked 12 hours a day, my dinner options usually consisted of McDonalds, Taco Bell or Carl's Jr. I have a great metabolism and daily dance classes starting at age 3 to thank, otherwise I might have been a poster child for obesity by my early teenage years. I've come a long way since then and so has my entire family, in large part thanks to my brother-in-law Ben. A culinary school graduate who worked for Thomas Keller (owner of French Laundry and Per Se) before graduating medical school (he's now in his residency), he brought a love of food and cooking to my family that has changed all of our lives for the better. I went from eating sodium laden, shelf-stable foods to DVR'ing food network shows and cooking with vegetables I previously wouldn't have recognized at the store. And thank goodness my "food transformation" happened several years before my daughter was born. She's now getting to be a whiz with the whisk and can name just about every fruit and veggie in the produce aisle.

Whether you, your children or someone you know is battling obesity or maybe just trying to get back to their fighting weight, this film will inspire you to make a positive change in your kitchen and in your life. Parts one and two premiere tonight, May 14th at 8:00 pm. and Parts three and four will air Tuesday, May 15th, at 8:00 p.m. It's television you won't want to miss.

**I can't talk about healthy eating, without mentioning my dear husband, who just concluded a nationwide campaign called Ben's Beginners, whose mission was to get kids in the kitchen to cook healthy meals with their families. The program and their partnership with Rachel Ray was a huge success and I'm so proud to see the positive changes his campaign inspired throughout the country.

Nurture Yourself - Join The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet

I've never been a huge T.V. person - no Idol, never seen a Real Housewives of anything, and can't seem to make a date with Mad Men. When I do turn it on, its usually a Nat Geo special, an episode of Barefoot Contessa or if I need a break from reality, maybe a Tosh 2.0.  But over the last 6 months I'd been hearing a lot about a new show with Amanda de Cadenet called "The Conversation."  Admittedly, as soon as I heard some of her guests included Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Huffington, and Diane Von Furstenberg, I was intrigued. Thanks to Twitter, I was reminded of the premiere last night (Thursdays at 11:00 p.m. on Lifetime.  I know, I know - yes, it's on Lifetime, but don't prejudge!).

Gwyneth Paltrow and Amanda de Cadenet on "The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet."

A former televsion host in the U.K. and photographer for zines like Vogue, Dazed and Confused and Rolling Stone, de Cadenet is married to Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi and has 3 children. She got the idea for "The Conversation" after becoming a mother and realizing that no one was talking about the tough issues women face. Instead, she says, "all I could find online was people talking about how happy they were and how they lost the baby weight in 3 weeks." She set out on a mission to dispell the idea that many of her celebrity friends had it easy and start conversations about the issues that we women face everyday.  Interviews take place in her Studio City, CA home and topics include relationships, kids, career, sex, marriage, and money problems - nothing is off limits.

Zoe Saldana being photographed by Amanda de Cadenet.

As a girl who cherishes her girl friends and always feels refreshed and inspired after a good and honest chat, I really loved the format of this show. It's like you are a fly on the wall, listening to a conversation between two friends.  On the premiere, Amanda chats with Gwyneth Paltrow about the death of her dad and how she's found perspective on this huge loss, asks why mothers judge other mothers (in the spirit of an honest conversation - I'm totally guilty of this. Why are we always so hard on each other!?), and they discover they both suffered from post-partum depression.  Seeing them giggling together, teasing each other, and being open and honest was so refreshing and reminded me of my friends and I. De Cadenet couldn't be a more perfect host - she's funny, smart, a little quirky, and has a Da Vinci like beauty to boot. Interspersed with conversations with Sarah Silverman, Jane Fonda and Zoe Saldana (she has so much fire and spunk!) are interviews with women on the street about the same topics Amanda is discussing with her guests. The verdict: set your DVR to join The Conversation next week with Lady Gaga, Rita Wilson and Portia de Rossi and you'll be challenged to think and talk about your life in new and different ways. You can watch last night's episode right here.  Did any of you watch it? What did you think? Have a great weekend everyone!