Deborah Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the Rand Corp and the author of the book A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End It. According to the book, there are lots of misunderstandings of obesity.

1).If you're obese, blame your genes.

    Obesity rates have increased. Yet, between 1980 and 2000, the number of Americans who are obese has doubled—too quickly for genetic factors to be responsible.

    At restaurants, a dollar puts more calories on our plates than ever before, because restaurant meals usually have more calories than what we prepare at home, so people who eat out more frequently have higher rates of obesity than those who eat out less.

2).If you're obese, you lack self-control.

    Research shows that if we are faced with too much information, we have a tendency to make poor dietary choices. Our world has become so rich in temptation that we can be led to consume too much in ways we can't understand. Even the most vigilant (警觉的) people may not be up to the task of controlling themselves.

3).Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is responsible for obesity.

    Although the US Department of Agriculture estimates that fewer than 5 percent of Americans live in the “food deserts”, about 65 percent of the nation's population is overweight or obese. For most of us, obesity is not related to access to more fresh fruits and vegetables, but to the choices we make in supermarkets.

4).The problem is not that we eat too much, but that we don't exercise.

    Michelle Obama's “Let's Move” campaign is based on the idea that if kids exercise more, childhood obesity rates will decrease. But there was no significant decrease in physical activity levels as obesity rates climbed in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, although a drop in work-related physical activity may account for up to 100 fewer calories burned, leisure physical activity appears to have increased. The problem is that we eat too much.

    Cakan is a successful businessman from Montenegro, who has earned himself nicknames(昵称)like “the best boss” and “Brother” by being surprisingly generous to his employees.

    Cakan, who owns "Cakan Sports", the largest sporting goods store chain in Montenegro, has been making news headlines for years, but not for his professional success. He is best known for the generosity he shows to his faithful and hard-working employees. The businessman firmly believes that his company can boom only if he keeps his employees happy, and to that end, he has offered the best of them some pretty unbelievable presents.

    Cakan first surprised his workers back in 2012, when he offered four of them brand new cars — 2 VW Golf 6 and 2 VW polo — complete with paid insurance. They were some of the oldest and most hard-working employees of Cakan Sports, and since the company had recently moved its operations outside the city, Cakan thought his best people shouldn't have to struggle to get to work. "When we saw them, we were speechless," Danijela, one of the receivers, remembers. "While the boss was saying 'his is a gift for you', all I could think of was 'this is not real, this can't be happening to us'.” But this was just one of the generous ways Cakan has rewarded his employees over the years. In 2014, after hearing that one of his workers had been saving up his paychecks so he could buy a ticket to the world Cup soccer final, in Brazil, he took him there himself, at his own expense.

    Asked why he doesn't use cheaper means of motivating his employees, like a small raise or a cash bonus, Cakan had this to say, "Money comes and goes, but memories are forever." Asked why many of his employees call him "Brother", Cakan told a reporter that it was because "brothers always help each other".

    It's really true what people say about English politeness: it's everywhere. When squeezing past someone in a narrow aisle, people say "sorry". When getting off a bus, English passengers say "thank you" rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes inevitable, and the bus driver is merely doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started travelling to the British Isles and came to appreciate some more polite ways of interacting with people.

    People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be unusual to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposed to Germans.

    Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men.

    I can hear the sound of insects and feel autumn is nearing. This means my year of study at Nara University of Education is coming to an end.

    The time I've spent here has flown by so quickly. It seems as if I came here a month ago, but in reality I have to go home soon. When I came here, I missed my family and friends back home and found it hard to overcome loneliness, but on the other hand, I was interested in the new environment and had a lot of fun.

    I had visited Japan three times before coming to study at this university, but when I started living in Japan, many days were filled with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. I sometimes made silly mistakes, but I thought this was the best way to learn about Japanese culture. I was not the only one that was not accustomed to the different customs of Japanese people.

    My plan before coming to Japan was to make friends with some Japanese students in universities. However, I found my best friends were those who came from other countries. I didn't know much about other countries but I came to be more interested in them through making friends from different places, which made me aware of many different and sometimes hard-to-understand customs. Furthermore, I was surprised to see myself thinking more about my own culture and realized I should come to know it better.

    I am really happy that I came to Nara. During my stay, I felt the closer connection between humans and nature here than in Europe.

    Many high school students consider a college education useless. Therefore, they choose not to go to college. If you're one of them, think again. Here are some reasons why you should go to college and receive a good education there.

    Schools and universities are the first sources of knowledge. We take that knowledge later on to build our careers after graduation. More knowledge will be gained after you start working, but without an education, that job will not be within easy reach. Knowledge leads to knowledge.

    While limited within the walls of the educational institutions, we openly explore other cultures of the world. We come to know that ours is not the only culture. Other cultures have valuable insights to share, enriching our own Education also makes us want to travel and interact with various cultures, broadening our horizons.

    When there's a downturn in the economy, those who attended college will be more likely to find a new job than those who only finished grade school and have a limited skills set. The more education you have, the more chances you will get to improve the quality of your life as you have a better job and earn a higher salary.

    When you're skillful and knowledgeable, you get to "rub knees" with people of similar backgrounds and tastes. It means a good education leads to excellent networking. Good networking can benefit you a lot in your later life.

    A good education makes you a more interesting person. You can talk about ideas and events instead of just other people and what's on sale in stores. An educated person doesn't gossip, having a preference to discuss ideas and listen to what other people have to say.

    On a sunny, spring day, a group of children, four to seven years old, sit on their bicycles. They wear helmets to protect their heads and gloves to protect their hands. Their mothers, standing nearby, watch them closely. The children are ready to learn how to ride. Rachel Varn still remembers how she felt riding a bicycle for the first time. She says, "It is probably the biggest confidence booster (提升). It gives kids such a sense of independence and self-guidance." Now, her job is helping children experience that moment.

    Rachel Varn left her job of selling bicycles to become a trainer for bicycle riding last year. She founded Pedal Power Kids to teach bicycle education. Before starting a ride she teaches the children how to make sure the bicycles are in good condition for safe use. She calls it " the ABC quick check." "A" is for air. she explains, "We have to check out tires before we ride. "B" is for brakes. We want to make sure our brakes work before we find ourselves at the top of a hill about to go down. And "C" is for chain." She says the chain must be clean.

    The rest of the training is more fun. The children learn riding skills, from balance and pedaling to turning, starting and stopping. And they learn to keep their eyes up and look ahead while riding. Varn says many children struggle to do this. They look down at the pedals instead. She adds, " Obviously that doesn't allow them to see what's going on around them, and it doesn't allow them to turn properly either." Varn says watching where you are going helps you turn easier.

    Learning to ride a bicycle can open a whole new world to children. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and freedom. They become more sensitive to their surroundings and better able to make safe, smart decisions going from one place to another. Varn's goal is to get more children on two wheels. She says," That's really a great way for kids to be active and develop healthy habits. It helps reduce pollution and just keep families and communities connected."