As adult obesity balloons in the United States, being overweight has become less of a health hazard and more of a lifestyle choice, the author of a new book argues. ”Obesity is a natural extension of an advancing economy. As you become a First World economy and you get all these labour-saving devices and low-cost, easily accessible foods, people are going to eat more and exercise less,” health economist Eric Finkelstein says.

Christmas is going to the dogs — and cats — in the United States, where many of the 71,1-million US households that have a furry family member include them in their holiday celebrations. That doesn’t just mean buying them a present, but includes throwing a party for them, having them photographed with Santa, or giving them a spa treatment.

The guitar is slick, the bass and drums mesmerising, and if it weren’t for the lyrics, you would think the LeeVees were just another up-and-coming American rock band. But with lyrics that ponder what goes best with latkes — potato pancakes traditionally eaten at Hanukkah — or how to spell Hanukkah, the LeeVees position themselves squarely in the middle of a rising musical genre whose proponents call it new Jewish music.