Do you like cookies?  What about pizza?  If you are like most Americans, your answer to both of those questions is probably a resounding "yes." Well, me too.  I love cookies and pizza -- they are two of my favorite foods.  Unfortunately, I shouldn't eat cookies or pizza that often, or in large quantities, because that would be unhealthy.

Why are cookies and pizza unhealthy?  Because those foods contain a lot of sugar and fat (duh!).  What I'm going to tell you next may not be a surprise either: the United States has an obesity problem.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four Americans is obese and that doesn't include those who are considered overweight.

I recently produced a segment for These Days featuring Vicky Newman, Director of Nutrition Services for the UCSD Cancer Prevention and Control Program, that explored the good and the bad of sugar and fat.  Our conversation touched on why our bodies need sugar and fat, and how consuming too much of either of those things can lead to health problems.

While I learned a lot about both energy nutrients, I thought the most interesting elements of the conversation didn't have to do with sugar or fat specifically, but rather our eating habits in America.  Why do so many of us choose to go through the McDonald's drive-thru instead of taking the time to make a meal from scratch?  How can sitting down to eat a family meal improve your diet?  If the French diet traditionally consists of more fatty foods than ours, why doesn't that country have the same problems with obesity?  We explored all of those questions and concepts in our "Sugar and Fat" segment.

What other food-related topics would you like to hear discussed on an upcoming These Days? 

- Hank Crook is a Producer for These Days and the Editors Roundtable.