What the Big Deal with Big Sodas?

by Katherine Matutes, Ph.D.

You’ve probably heard that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s push to cap soda size was shot down last month in court.

What’s the big deal and why should we care?

Sugar-sweetened beverages now comprise 10% of a typical American diet, which is more than double the level from just 40 years ago. It was just 4% in the 1970s.

The fallout from this increased intake of excess calories from sugary drinks is weight gain and the healthcare concerns that come with it. One reason: According to studies, people don’t respond to liquid calorie intake by reducing their intake of other calories. This means liquids represent calories that are consumed in addition to solid foods.

Studies performed at Purdue University revealed that subjects who consumed calories in jellybeans (a solid food source of sugar) ate fewer calories overall when compared to subjects who consumed the equivalent calories in the form of liquid sugar.

Additionally, the study revealed that limiting serving sizes of sugary drinks promotes reduced consumption.

Whether or not a law limits your portion size, consider reducing your drink size and the calories you take in from sugary drinks. You’ll likely notice a new lightness to your steps.

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Art on a Fence

by Mindi Epstein

Have you ever seen or experienced something new and had the visceral reaction, “Oh yeah, I like this. This is good.” You know instantly it is an idea or concept that somehow you will revisit or even, perhaps, recreate.

I had an ah-ha moment like this two years ago on my last trip to Israel when I participated in something called the “Art on the Fence Festival.” The trip organizers through the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis encouraged our local delegation of 12 artists to each create a work of art as large as 8 feet wide to be displayed outdoors – yes, on a fence. A chain-link fence.

As they say, “When in Rome ….” So I painted an 8-foot canvas, rolled and boxed it for the flight and participated in my first fence festival. 

In a word, it was tremendous. 

Thousands of people came from all over Israel to a kibbutz (community) in the northern-most corner of Israel to view more than 90 works of art hanging from, leaning against or wrapping around an ordinary chain-link fence. 

The Art on the Fence Festival was a one-day event, but what a memorable day it was. 

This April, we are recreating the event here at the JCC as part of our annual Earth Day Community Celebration sponsored by Indianapolis Power & Light Company. I have wanted to do this ever since my trip in 2011. 

Artists from all over our community have been invited to apply for a space on the fence surrounding the JCC’s soccer field. They’ve been asked to create a work of art on the theme of nature and the environment. With such a broad theme and wide range of talent, the Fence Art Festival at the JCC is going to be a vibrant addition to our free Earth Day Community Celebration.

Please plan to join us on Sunday, April 21, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The back lot of the JCC will be packed with educational and entertaining activities created by organizations from all over the state to inspire attendees to appreciate nature and the environment. There will be food from some of Indy’s favorite food trucks, music, games, art projects, recycling … and the Fence Festival, of course.

If you are interested in participating in the festival, please contact me: mepstein@JCCindy.org.

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