I always strive to write shorter posts than I end up writing, but this can be a quick hitter:

Welcome to another episode of “10 Words or Less,” in which I ask short questions of interesting people and request short answers in return. Today’s participant is a therapist who is the author of nine books, one of which ("Boundaries") is approaching a quarter million in sales. Remember, please: No counting. “10 words” is an attitude, not a rule, and besides, let’s see you do it.

Name: Anne Katherine
Born when, where “In Indiana. I’m in my mid-60s.” [Befitting someone keen on boundaries, Katherine is careful about what specific personal information she allows online.]
A transformative event in your childhood “Girl Scout Camp. It taught me that women could be strong, gave me survival skills that I still rely on and lifelong friends who are a treasure.”
Where do you live now, and how long have you been there? “Washington State, surrounded by water. I’ve lived here since 1985.”
What did you want to be when you grew up “In my 20s, I wanted to go around the country singing songs that would inspire people to be more spiritual.”
Claim to fame “I think other people would say my books, but I'd say it's that I pay daily attention to developing my inner self.”
Can you say a little more about that? “I value a person developing their ability to observe themselves, so they’re catching on to their subtle patterns, especially those that affect the people they love.”
Are you an addict? "Yes."
What’s your drug of no choice? “Sugar.”

My cursor came across two revealing graphical representations of how we eat. The  first one is from the food service warehouse (a restaurant-equipment supplier) and compares the top 20 and bottom 20 in two categories: calories consumed and income spent on food. 

Of course, Americans consume more calories per day, on average, than anyone on the planet. But comically/perversely, we spend the least per person, on average!

I can't decide which part of this story of foodmanufacture.co.uk bothers me more, but I guess I'll opt for its complete lack of acknowledgment that diabetes is a serious health condition that degrades life on the way to early demise.

From foodnavigator-usa.com: "One ingredient that could have potential in the weight management market was Dow Chemical Co.'s Satisfit, a soluble, low temperature gelling methyl cellulose [emphasis added] which formed a gel mass in the stomach that lingered for more than two hours, unlike conventional methylcellulose, which cleared the stomach rapidly.

The theorizing has become reality: In July, a round of commentary (including mine) swelled after researchers suggested that foster custody might be preferable to bariatric surgery as a remedy for a child's severe obesity.

I've been pretty sluggy recently about blogging, having been thrown off my game by the Thanksgiving interlude and some low-grade depression. Not that you asked.

Unquestionably, I am a biomimicry groupie, and have referenced it many times. I venerate Janine Benyus and Dayna Baumeister, its leaders, and consider the movement to be one of the best combinations of simple and clever that I've ever encountered.

This is the last in a series of posts based on a recent f.a.c.t.s. (“food advertising to children and teens score”) report on sugary sodas issued by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. A while ago, the center did a similar report on the advertising of junk food to children, and you can read my excerpts from that here.

Welcome to another installment of “10 Words or Less,” in which I ask for short answers to short questions. Today’s participant just opened The Madrona Tree, a self-described "local eatery" in Arlington, Mass., that carries its commitment to local/whole even to its organic condiments. Please remember: No counting! 10 words is a goal, not a rule, and besides, let’s see you do it.

Name Tanya Abraham
Born when, where June 1, 1971, Weymouth, Mass.
Residence now North Reading, Mass.
Family situation Married, with a wife, Christie, and son, Frederick, 2
What did you want to be when you grew up "A coach and a restaurant owner."
A transformative event in your life "Working in hospice."
When did you do that? "For 10 years, until last year. I was director of business operations for Group Health Cooperative, Home Health & Hospice in Seattle."
Outside your family, someone whom you consider influential "Ruth Gregersen. She was a coworker of mine in hospice."