Food prices rising across the world

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- If you're seeing your grocery bill go up, you're not alone.

Protesters share a loaf of bread in Cairo, Egypt, while demonstrating against high food prices.

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From subsistence farmers eating rice in Ecuador to gourmets feasting on escargot in France, consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India.

The world's poorest nations still harbor the greatest hunger risk. Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month.

But food protests now crop up even in Italy. And while the price of spaghetti has doubled in Haiti, the cost of miso is packing a hit in Japan.

"It's not likely that prices will go back to as low as we're used to," said Abdolreza Abbassian, economist and secretary of the Intergovernmental Group for Grains for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. "Currently if you're in Haiti, unless the government is subsidizing consumers, consumers have no choice but to cut consumption. It's a very brutal scenario, but that's what it is."

No one knows that better than Eugene Thermilon, 30, a Haitian day laborer who can no longer afford pasta to feed his wife and four children since the price nearly doubled to $0.57 a bag. Their only meal on a recent day was two cans of corn grits.

"Their stomachs were not even full," Thermilon said, walking toward his pink concrete house on the precipice of a garbage-filled ravine. By noon the next day, he still had nothing to feed them for dinner.

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Their hunger has had a ripple effect. Haitian food vendor Fabiola Duran Estime, 31, has lost so many customers like Thermilon that she had to pull her daughter, Fyva, out of kindergarten because she can't afford the $20 monthly tuition.

Fyva was just beginning to read.

In the long term, prices are expected to stabilize. Farmers will grow more grain for both fuel and food and eventually bring prices down. Already this is happening with wheat, with more crops to be planted in the U.S., Canada and Europe in the coming year.

However, consumers still face at least 10 years of more expensive food, according to preliminary FAO projections.

Among the driving forces are petroleum prices, which increase the cost of everything from fertilizers to transport to food processing. Rising demand for meat and dairy in rapidly developing countries such as China and India is sending up the cost of grain, used for cattle feed, as is the demand for raw materials to make biofuels.

What's rare is that the spikes are hitting all major foods in most countries at once. Food prices rose 4 percent in the U.S. last year, the highest rise since 1990, and are expected to climb as much again this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As of December, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had imposed some sort of food-price controls.

For many, it's a disaster. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it's facing a $500 million shortfall in funding this year to feed 89 million needy people. On Monday, it appealed to donor countries to step up contributions, saying its efforts otherwise have to be scaled back.

In Egypt, where bread is up 35 percent and cooking oil 26 percent, the government recently proposed ending food subsidies and replacing them with cash payouts to the needy. But the plan was put on hold after it sparked public uproar.

"A revolution of the hungry is in the offing," said Mohammed el-Askalani of Citizens Against the High Cost of Living, a protest group established to lobby against ending the subsidies.

In China, the price hikes are both a burden and a boon.

Per capita meat consumption has increased 150 percent since 1980, so Zhou Jian decided six months ago to switch from selling auto parts to pork. The price of pork has jumped 58 percent in the past year, yet every morning housewives and domestics still crowd his Shanghai shop, and more customers order choice cuts.

The 26-year-old now earns $4,200 a month, two to three times what he made selling car parts. And it's not just pork. Beef is becoming a weekly indulgence.

"The Chinese middle class is starting to change the traditional thought process of beef as a luxury," said Kevin Timberlake, who manages the U.S.-based Western Cattle Company feedlot in China's Inner Mongolia.

At the same time, increased cost of food staples in China threatens to wreak havoc. Beijing has been selling grain from its reserves to hold down prices, said Jing Ulrich, chairwoman of China equities for JP Morgan.

"But this is not really solving the root cause of the problem," Ulrich said. "The cause of the problem is a supply-demand imbalance. Demand is very strong. Supply is constrained. It is as simple as that."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says fighting inflation from shortages of key foods is a top economic priority. Inflation reached 7.1 percent in January, the highest in 11 years, led by an 18.2 percent jump in food prices.

Meanwhile, record oil prices have boosted the cost of fertilizer and freight for bulk commodities -- up 80 percent in 2007 over 2006. The oil spike has also turned up the pressure for countries to switch to biofuels, which the FAO says will drive up the cost of corn, sugar and soybeans "for many more years to come."

In Japan, the ethanol boom is hitting the country in mayonnaise and miso, two important culinary ingredients, as biofuels production pushes up the price of cooking oil and soybeans.

A two-pound bottle of mayonnaise has risen about 10 percent in two months to as much as 330 yen (nearly $3), said Daishi Inoue, a cook at a Chinese restaurant.

"It's not hurting us much now," he said. "But if prices keep going up, we have no choice but to raise our prices."

Miso Bank, a restaurant in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district, specializes in food cooked with miso, or soybean paste.

"We expect prices to go up in April all at once," said Miso Bank manager Koichi Oritani. "The hikes would affect our menu. So we plan to order miso in bulk and make changes to the menu."

Italians are feeling the pinch in pasta, with consumer groups staging a one-day strike in September against a food deeply intertwined with national identity. Italians eat an estimated 60 pounds of pasta per capita a year.

The protest was symbolic because Italians typically stock up on pasta, buying multiple packages at a time. But in the next two months pasta consumption dropped 5 percent, said farm lobbyist Rolando Manfredini.

"The situation has gotten even worse," he said.

In decades past, farm subsidies and support programs allowed major grain exporting countries to hold large surpluses, which could be tapped during food shortages to keep prices down. But new trade policies have made agricultural production much more responsive to market demands -- putting global food reserves at their lowest in a quarter century.

Without reserves, bad weather and poor harvests have a bigger impact on prices.

"The market is extremely nervous. With the slightest news about bad weather, the market reacts," said economist Abbassian.

That means that a drought in Australia and flooding in Argentina, two of the world's largest suppliers of industrial milk and butter, sent the price of butter in France soaring 37 percent from 2006 to 2007.

Forty percent of escargot, the snail dish, is butter.

"You can do the calculation yourself," said Romain Chapron, president of Croque Bourgogne, which supplies escargot. "It had a considerable effect. It forced people in our profession to tighten their belts to the maximum."

The same climate crises sparked a 21 percent rise in the cost of milk, which with butter makes another famous French food item -- the croissant. Panavi, a pastry and bread supplier, has raised retail prices of croissants and pain au chocolat by 6 to 15 percent.

Already, there's a lot of suspicion among consumers.

"They don't understand why prices have gone up like this," said Nicole Watelet, general secretary at the Federation of French Bakeries and Pastry Enterprises. "They think that someone is profiting from this. But it's not us. We're paying." Food costs worldwide spiked 23 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to the FAO. Grains went up 42 percent, oils 50 percent and dairy 80 percent.

Economists say that for the short term, government bailouts will have to be part of the answer to keep unrest at a minimum. In recent weeks, rising food prices sparked riots in the West African nations of Burkina Faso, where mobs torched buildings, and Cameroon, where at least four people died.

But attempts to control prices in one country often have dire effects elsewhere. China's restrictions on wheat flour exports resulted in a price spike in Indonesia this year, according to the FAO. Ukraine and Russia imposed export restrictions on wheat, causing tight supplies and higher prices for importing countries. Partly because of the cost of imported wheat, Peru's military has begun eating bread made from potato flour, a native crop.

"We need a response on a large scale, either the regional or international level," said Brian Halweil of the environmental research organization Worldwatch Institute. "All countries are tied enough to the world food markets that this is a global crisis."

Poorer countries can speed up the adjustment by investing in agriculture, experts say. If they do, farmers can turn high prices into an engine for growth.

But in countries like Burkina Faso, the crisis is immediate.

Days after the riots, Pascaline OuÄedraogo wandered the market in the capital, Ouagadougou, looking to buy meat and vegetables. She said a good meal cost 1,000 francs (about $2.35) not long ago. Now she needs twice that.

"The more prices go up, the less there is to meet their needs," she said of her three children, all in secondary school. "You wonder if it's the government or the businesses that are behind the price hikes."

IrÇene Belem, a 25-year-old with twins, struggles to buy milk, which has gone up 57 percent in recent weeks.

"We knew we were poor before," she said, "but now it's worse than poverty." E-mail to a friend

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Smart Eating at Work — Part 3

Marissa Lippert (photo: Mary Lee)

Marissa Lippert, a registered dietician, has been doing some guest posts over the past two weeks on smart eating at work. As Part 3 of this series, I have asked her to put together a shopping list, including some of her favorite brands, for the foods she has recommended in those earlier posts.

Here’s her list:

Top 10 all-around picks, in no specific order, to stash at your desk or in your office fridge

1. Raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, pecans)

2. Kashi TLC granola bars, Gnu Flavor & Fiber bars, Lara bars (or check out youbars.com and create your own)

3. Low-Fat Laughing Cow Cheese, Coach Farm Goat Cheese or organic part-skim string cheese

4. Fage 0% Greek Yogurt or Stoneyfield Farms Low-Fat Organic Yogurt

5. Wasa, Finn Crisp, Kavli or Dr. Kracker wholegrain crackers

6. Organic peanut, almond or cashew butter (any organic/natural brand will do, or get the freshly ground stuff at your local Whole Foods Market or health food store or through FreshDirect.com)

7. McCann’s Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal or Arrowhead Mills Organic Original Instant Oatmeal

8. Kashi GoLean or Heart to Heart Cereal; Uncle Sam’s Cereal; Bear Naked Granola (watch portions!)

9. Sweet Riot Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs (for the occasional afternoon chocolate craving)

10. Good Health Half-Naked Popcorn or Glenny’s Soy Crisps (1.3oz – small bag)

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Need a New Car? Nope, Just a New Engine!

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Engine Repower is a new (as far as I can tell) service that gives car owners the option of replacing their old, worn out engine with a rebuilt engine of the same vintage instead of simply buying a new car or repairing specific problems. When a first saw this page, I was very interested, as I am a proponent of keeping your car as long as possible to reduce wasteful manufacturing processes, even in the face of promises of lower emissions made by newer cars.

For more on repowering, follow the jump!

Here’s what Engine Repower has to say about their service:

Technology and auto manufacturing have advanced dramatically in the past two decades. Cars and trucks last longer. Paint is better. Bodies are more corrosion resistant. Interior materials are more durable, and even suspension and other components last longer. So when an engine “dies,” it does not have to be the end of your vehicle. When a car or truck suffers major engine damage, the first response and reaction of many consumers is to buy a new or used vehicle. Sometimes disposing of your current vehicle might make sense, but often it’s simply not necessary.

Obviously, being an advertisement, they are very high on themselves, but they do make some good points. When cars die, it seems it is most often due to accidents or blown engines. Very rarely do cars rust so badly or generally devolve to a point of undrivability before the engine begins to have trouble. Also, one of the biggest issues with emissions from old vehicles is that those vehicles have fallen out of spec and are no longer getting the best fuel economy or releasing the least emissions.

The Engine Repowering Council seems to focus on domestic vehicles, but using their find-a-shop feature, it’s likely that you can find someone to rebuild an engine of almost any make. These engines almost always come with warranties and, in my opinion (as someone who has worked at a shop in the past), will be rebuilt as carefully as anything else coming from that shop. So, if you’re considering this, pick a shop you know and trust, and that offers a good warranty.

While the service is certainly not ideal (you can’t just put a newer, cleaner engine in an old car), the ability to put life and reliability back into an old car is about as close as you can get to recycling and reusing in the automotive world.

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BMW glows with Vice

Whitby, Ont.-based BMW Canada has found a way to sneak an ad onto the cover of the April issue of Vice magazine. At first glance, it looks like any other cover. But when the lights go out, a glow-in-the-dark ad for the BMW 1 Series appears, with the 1 appearing where the "i" in Vice usually does.

"The media strategy for the 1 Series is all about short, intense experiences," explains Esme Rottschafer, group account director at The Media Company, adding that Cundari developed the creative for the ad (both Toronto-based). "We knew [this process] would be tough to do, but it was an innovative one-off that fit beautifully with the strategy."

While typical Vice readers aren't an ideal match for the 1 Series target (25-34 ambitious "leaders-in-the-making"), they do tend to be influential early adopters who are good at creating buzz.

"The chance to work with one of the top brands in the world meant we had to step up and bring something that, to my knowledge, has never been done before," says Shawn Phelan, director of sales & marketing at Vice's Toronto office. "Maintaining the integrity of our cover - which is not usually for sale - while delivering a unique and rad brand message for BMW was an amazing challenge."

The glow-in-the-dark ad, which is appearing on the cover of Vice's entire Canadian print run, wasn't easy to make. The magazine had to print its covers at one plant, ship them to another to add the glow-in-the-dark treatment, UV coat them once they'd cured, and then ship them back to the original plant for binding to the rest of the mag.

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How to lower the pain at the pump

(CNN) -- It's costing us more and more money to fill up the gas tank. And while that's unlikely to change anytime soon, there are some tricks to getting the most value per gas dollar.

With gas hitting record highs, people are doing anything they can to ease the pain at the pump.

"People are scared. It's hitting them right in the wallet," says Jason Toews, co-founder of gasbuddy.com, an online gasoline information site. "A number of people tell me their gas bill is more than their car payment. That's a foreign concept to a lot of folks."

Gasoline hit a record $3.28 a gallon last Sunday. Drivers in California pay more than $3.63 a gallon on average, and motorists in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii on average all pay more than $3.40 a gallon.

But there are some things you can do to get the most out of the gas in your car's tank.

Find the cheapest gas stations in your area

"In most cities you can save between ten to fifteen cents a gallon by just knowing where to look," says Toews.

The difference between the most expensive gas station and the cheapest gas station is thirty to forty cents on average, according to Toews. Check out our hours for gallons calculator. »

Here are some general rules of thumb:

The richest areas of town often charge more for gas.

Gas stations near major highways often charge more for gas because land is generally more valuable in these locations, increasing overhead. Those higher costs are passed onto consumers. So before a road trip, fill up at your local station.

If you must fill up near the highway, try stations near state border lines which tend to price their gasoline aggresively, according to GasPriceWatch.com, a gasoline information Web site.

The type of gas station makes a difference

Service stations with auto repair shops or car washes often have more expensive gas, said Toews. They don't need to be as competitive since they profit more from the other services and rely on them to bring in gas business as well.

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You may also find good deals at gas stations affiliated with wholesale clubs. These retailers often sell cheaper gas as a way to get people in the door to buy their other products.

But bear in mind you may have to pay for a membership. Even if you don't want to join a wholesale club, you may want to check out other gas stations in the area. Sometimes the low gas prices these wholesale clubs offer force other stations in the area to be more competitive.

What time you get to the pump

Wednesday morning is the best time to buy gasoline according to GasPriceWatch.com. That's because prices usually move up for the weekend, after which they settle, hitting the low point by Wednesday.

And it makes sense to buy your gas in the morning when it's the coolest time of day. This is when gasoline is most dense. Gas pumps charge by the volume of gasoline, not the density, so in colder temperatures you'll get more for your dollar.

Driving style

Changing from an aggresive hard accelerating, hard braking, driving style to a more relaxed style incorporating gentle acceleration and cruise control on the highway, can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 35 percent, according to an Edmunds.com study.

A scan gauge can help determine the fuel efficiency of your car, according to Phillip Reed of Edmunds.com.

The device plugs into your steering column and helps you keep track of your fuel efficiency at any one moment. A scan gauge isn't cheap. It may cost you $150 or more. Check your local auto parts store or go online to find out more about these devices.

"If you knew that flooring it cost you 50 cents, would you do that? Is it worth it?" asks Reed. "If you knew that one acceleration could cost you 25 cents -- that could change your behavior."

Air cents

Think about your own car's aerodynamics. Even an empty roof rack creates drag. Loaded with luggage, skis or a cooler, a roof rack can reduce fuel economy by 21 percent, says Reed.

There's been a lot of debate about whether keeping the windows open or turning on the air conditioning saves more fuel.

According to Reed, air conditioning is more efficient at highway speeds, while windows are generally better around town at local speeds.

Use the right gas

Regular octane works just fine for most cars. However, when your car's manufacturer indicates premium gas is required, using a lower grade could damage your car, adversely affecting fuel efficiency.

But when premium gas is only recommended, not required, go for the cheaper, lower octane gas, says Reed.

Higher octane gas has only a marginal effect on performance, usually in the area of acceleration, according to Reed.

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Modern Color Field: Artists Using the Full Spectrum

I’m excited by artists who are finding ways to adapt the rainbow spectrum in their work. Color is so powerful and can be so striking. The color field (or chromatic abstractionist) artists of the 50’s often painted with bold swaths of color but rarely used as many together as the featured artists of this article. In the 60’s, psychedelic art used colors and patterns together too. The modern artists I’ll cover in this post use color in an undiluted, anything but soft array of graphic lines and shapes resulting in work that is both vivid and alluring. Their work circumvents the boundaries their predecessors put in place to arrive at a new and bold take on prior styles.

Jim Lambie

Jim Lambie is represented by the Anton Kern Gallery. Glasgow-based, Lambie uses glossy tape in varying colors to build installations. The vinyl tape, an everyday material applied in continuous lines, transforms the dynamics of space, changing a white box gallery space into an energetic/emotional space of sensory pleasure. To read more about Lambie’s work click here.

Maya Hayuk

New York based, Maya Hayuk is an artist I first noticed on Fecal Face, they did a great interview with her that is a must read.

Mark Grotjahn

Grotjahn is an artist I found by picking out a beautiful book in a used bookstore the other day. The cover was all rainbow colors, it’s called “Entertainment and art are not isolated. Entertainment is in art like color in pictures”. It’s not a mass market book but rather a compilation of works from a show at the Aspen Art Museum in 2007 with the same name. Here’s more info on that show. Grotjahn’s work was part of it and I was immediately drawn to his colors. I think Helen Frankenthaler would be too.

Architecture too: The MUSAC Contemporary Art Museum of Castilla y León by Mansilla + Tuñón

This stunningly colorful museum won the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award in 2007. I love the way color is integral to the look of the building. I don’t know that much about architecture but color does not seem to be one of the main focal points when buildings are discussed. It’s unavoidable on this one with it’s translucent colored glass. In fact so striking it trumps all other elements of design.

Mark Rothko

To see some interesting work by the original color field painters take a look at Mark Rothko, my favorite of the lot. If you are in the mood to dance around a fire on mushrooms or sit in a room with a black light and cool psychedelic art of Peter Max look here.

Peter Max

Or if you are interested in learning more about modern color field painting or “Post-Painterly Abstraction” read this broad article from the NY Times entitled “Color As Field: Weightless Color, Floating Free”.

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5 Jail Hotels (Where You Pay to Be In Prison): From Comfortable Cells to Nightmarish Slammers

A prison is probably the last place on Earth most of us would want to spend the night, right? Well, for some of these converted prison hotels that still holds true: in Latvia, for example, ‘guests’ who pay to stay at a former KGB jail complex are subjected to humiliation and emotional torture. In other cases, however, notoriously terrifying prisons have since become luxurious 4-star hotels where you can cozily enjoy a stay in a former prison library or even the director’s office! Here are 5 examples from around the world that range from luxurious to downright frightening - then check out some of the world’s smallest and coolest hotel rooms.

Boston, Massachusetts: The infamous Charles Street Jail was originally a model prison in the 1800s that fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s. Prone to riots and subject to physical decay, it was officially condemned to closer decades before it finally shut its doors (as a prison) in the 1990s. Now, however, it has reopened its doors as an amazingly luxurious four-star jail hotel that has former inmates shocked, impressed and perhaps a bit jealous.

Mt. Gambier, Australia: The Mount Gambier Jail experience is anything but luxurious. In fact, this place markets its rooms as budget accommodations for cheapskates and backpackers. Very little has been done to renovate the rooms here which are heavy, rusted and bolted just like they were when the jail was originally in use - the entire experience is rather Spartan. Still, the hotel has some local flavor and features some interesting odds and ends and regularly-scheduled events from a monthly jam sessions to a local produce market.

Luzern, Switzerland: A prison from the middle of the 19th century until just a decade ago, this jail hotel goes beyond simply renting out former prison cells as overnight rooms. For an extra price, visitors can stay in the former library or the director’s office, both of which have been turned into luxury suites. Every part of the prison has been put to some new and creative use without compromising the essence of the original layout (or the prison contents for that matter - the library is still full of old prison books for you to peruse on your stay!).

Liepaja, Latvia: This is one prison hotel where there is no messing around. The hotel brags that it is “unfriendly, unheated, uncomfortable and open all year round.” This former brutal KGB jail has no bells and whistles - just everything it had when it was a fully-functioning detention and torture center, barbed wire included. You are treated like an actual prisoner throughout, complete with threats and warning gunfire and crying fellow inmates. Sounds like a great time, eh?

Oxford, England: The core of Oxford Castle is nearly 1,000 years old but most of its structures (old and new) were converted into a prison in the 1800s. Today, the Malmaison Hotel complex has overnight rooms, apartments, restaurants and bars. Much of the prison infrastructure is still legible to visitors and overnight guests though everything has been upgraded, remodeled and refurbished for guests.

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The Words Within

Carly uses a computer to communicate with her family, a rarity amongst those suffering from autism.

Nicole Walton-Allen says ABA therapy can make a dramatic difference for autistic children.

Carly's father, Arthur Fleishmann speaks with CTV's Avis Favaro.

Kristen Yu, W-FIVE

It's a lifelong disorder with no known cause or cure.

Autism spectrum disorder affects approximately one in 150 children in North America - and the rates of diagnosis are steadily rising. Despite its prevalence, the disorder has long remained a mystery to all but those afflicted.

Part of the reason why medical experts still don't know how to prevent or treat it is because the disorder inhibits a person's ability to communicate or develop social relationships.

Now, a 13-year-old girl from Toronto is offering a rare glimpse into the secret world of autism and has become a symbol of hope for parents and families coping with an autistic child. Carly Fleischmann is unable to speak a single syllable. But two years ago, she defied the odds and started typing words with the help of specialized computer software.

Her inner voice speaks volumes. "I am an autistic girl who has learned to spell and can tell people to stop looking at me like I am helpless. I am cute, funny and I like to have fun," Carly writes.

Her father, Arthur Fleischmann, says that the family was stunned. "We realized inside was this intelligent articulate emotive person we had never met. It was just unbelievable because it opened up a whole new way of looking at her."

In another computer-generated communication, Carly provides unique insight into what it's like to live with the disorder: "It feels like my legs are on fire and a million ants are crawling up my arms,"

Carly's family insists she isn't a miracle case. They credit her intelligence, and years of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy, for her progress. ABA is an intensive, one-on-one treatment where therapists teach children through positive reinforcement and repetition.

The therapy can be an exhaustive process. Goals are broken down into the smallest task possible and taught over and over again. For instance, Carly is often rewarded with her favourite snacks when she types, but this exchange must be repeated each time to increase and maintain her behaviour.

In Carly's case, the therapy includes a team of 12 part-time therapists working in shifts, and amounts to about 40 hours a week. Her family strongly believes the program is partly what enabled her to share her story through the written word. Carly currently uses a word-recognition and speech-feedback software called WordQ, developed at Bloorview Kids Rehab in Toronto. (Then called the Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre, the work at Bloorview was featured in the W-FIVE documentary Help and Hope in 2005.)

The software predicts the most likely words a child is trying to type after the first few letters are keyed in. It significantly speeds up the process and makes it much easier for children with learning disabilities to communicate in writing.

Nicole Walton-Allen, a psychologist and director of the Behaviour Institute in Ontario, runs one of Canada's largest private ABA programs. She says therapy can make a dramatic difference for autistic children.

For her, Carly's case points to the importance of such programs. "It supports the notion for me that you can't give up on these children because it is the cumulative effect of a lot of time and energy that have gone into her," she says.

Indeed, studies suggest that ABA may be the best form of treatment for children with autism. Research indicates that the therapy is effective in increasing behaviours and teaching new skills, particularly when implemented intensively and early in life.

But Carly is one of a fortunate few because her parents have funded all of her therapy -- which amounts to about 80 thousand dollars a year. For countless other parents across the country, it's simply not a feasible reality.

The vast majority of autistic children in Canada have little to no access to intensive therapy of any sort. Each province offers varying levels of treatment, and in most cases, families are put on long wait lists.

• Alberta: Funds up to $60,000 a year per child for ABA up to age eighteen
• British Columbia: Funds up to $20,000 a year up to age six
• Manitoba: Funds 36 hours of ABA per week up to age six, with five hours provided by the family
• New Brunswick: Funds 20 hours of intervention up to age five
• Newfoundland & Labrador: Funds up to $40,000 for 30 hours a week for two years up to age six
• Northwest Territories: Funds ABA for pre-school and school-aged children
• Nunavut: No program in place
• Nova Scotia: Funds 15 hours a week for six months, then 10 hours a week for a further six months. Only available for a year to randomly selected children up to six years of age.
• Ontario: Funds some ABA programs with a previous cut-off at age six. Now, parents complain that children are being cut off arbitrarily if they are doing poorly or doing too well
• Prince Edward Island: Funds up to $200 a week up to the age six
• Quebec: Funds 20 hours per week for ABA programs for ages two to five
• Saskatchewan: Funds up to 10 hours with very limited availability or access
• Yukon: Full coverage up to the age nineteen
  Source: Autism Society of Canada
  

This has prompted organizations like the Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC (FEAT BC) to mobilize parents across the country. They are now launching a nation-wide campaign to elect MPs who will vote for legislation to include autism treatment under the health care system.

Many are drawing hope and inspiration from Carly's story. "I recently learned that dreams can come true," the 13-year-old writes. "If a child like me or their parents' dream is for them to communicate one day, anything is possible if you believe."

Due to copyright restrictions W-FIVE's video documentary is not currently available for on-line viewing. We will make it available as soon as possible.

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Mexico now the 2nd fattest country, after U.S.

MEXICO CITY — Fueled by the rising popularity of soft drinks and fast-food restaurants, Mexico has become the second fattest nation in the world. Mexican health officials say it could surpass the U.S. as the most obese country within 10 years if trends continue.

More than 71 percent of Mexican women and 66 percent of Mexican men are overweight, according to the latest national surveys.

With diabetes now Mexico's leading cause of death, activists and leaders hope to renew efforts to crack down on junk food and other fatty-food consumption and encourage citizens to exercise more. But it will be a tough battle, as industry groups are expected to put up a fight.

No one knows better the country's affection for fattening foods than Lidia Garcia Garduno , who's run a fruit stand in central Mexico City for the past 10 years.

"People don't eat right anymore," said Garcia Garduno , mixing a drink of strawberries and pineapple. "Instead of coming here and purchasing a fruit drink, they prefer to walk across the street and buy fried pork chips. That's why so many Mexicans are obese."

In 1989, fewer than 10 percent of Mexican adults were overweight. No one in the country even talked about obesity back then, said Barry Popkin , a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill professor who studies global weight gain. Experts were too concerned with poverty and hunger.

"It certainly snuck up on them," said Popkin, who's working with the Mexican health ministry to develop strategies to address obesity throughout the country. " Mexico has probably had the most rapid increase of obesity in the last 15 years."

Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova , who launched a new health campaign Feb. 25 , agrees: "We have to put the brakes on this obesity problem."

Some Mexicans say there's less space on an already crowded Mexico City subway because riders are getting larger. At a flea market in the south of the city, vendors hawk clothes brought from the United States made for overweight individuals.

Francisco Princegali knew he was eating too much junk food when he bent down last week and heard a tear.

"I ripped my pants because of the fat," said Princegali, who's 20, crumbling up a wrapper of sweetened bread he'd purchased from a vendor. "I think I'm addicted to junk food."

Princegali, sucking in his stomach, said that many of his pants were too tight these days. Some people are addicted to alcohol and smoking, he said: "My problem is I love fried chicken— Kentucky Fried Chicken ."

As in the U.S., Mexicans are living more sedentary lives. Studies show that they're eating more fat and processed foods, and fewer whole grains and vegetables. Foods— healthy and unhealthy— that once were unavailable now can be purchased at new modern supermarkets. In some areas of the country, it's easier to get a soft drink than a clean glass of water. The vast majority of Mexico City's public schools, and many private schools, lack drinkable water, Popkin said.

The national study also found that a quarter of Mexican children ages 5 to 11 are too heavy, a 40 percent increase since 2000.

According to the government's National Institute of Public Health , the consumption of soft drinks increased 60 percent in Mexico over the last 14 years.

Last week, children lined up to purchase soft drinks and potato chips outside their school in the center of Mexico City .

Virginia Soriano , 35, said it was difficult teaching her children good eating habits when they were flooded with advertising for fatty foods. Naomi, her daughter, says her favorite things to eat are McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and Coca-Cola. The 6-year-old sometimes pushes away her dinner plate if it has too many vegetables, Soriano said.

"She'll say, 'This has no taste,' " Soriano said. "She wants McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken ."

Legislators have considered putting warning labels on junk food and taxing whole milk to encourage consumption of skim milk. Past efforts, however, have foundered, and some lawmakers have reported difficulty fighting powerful industry groups. In 2006, legislators voted down a proposed tax on soft drinks, arguing that it discriminated against the poor. Leaders hope that the growing concern over diabetes will lead to greater public acceptance of such efforts.

PepsiCo joined the education ministry last year in launching a new health program, "Living Healthily," that encourages more daily exercise and better eating habits. But consumer group El Poder del Consumidor, "Power of the Consumer," has accused the company of surreptitiously marketing its products to children.

Monica Bauer , a spokeswoman for PepsiCo International , said that the program, which includes a video game that teaches healthy eating habits, didn't include any advertising.

"We understand there is an obesity problem," she said. "We're trying to be part of the solution."

The health consequences of obesity include increased rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. The Mexican Diabetes Federation estimates that 6.5 million to 10 million Mexicans have diabetes.

More than 70,000 Mexicans die each year from diabetes-related conditions, Cordova said. He said that the diabetes burden was draining Mexico's already strained health services and that if trends continued, the country's health-care system would be bankrupt within a decade.

"If we don't stop this, we're going to run out of money to treat the sick," Cordova said.

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Gym Etiquette: Do You Make These Mistakes?

The gym represents so many things to different people. For some, it is a safe haven after a taxing day at work. For others, it is a glorified happy hour to pick up dimes (chicks). But for most, the gym is an ally to fight that never ending war: “The Battle of the Bulge.”

Whether you’re a weekend warrior at Average Joe’s Gym or a meat-headed freak from Globo Gym, there are a few rules of etiquette to follow so you don’t end up being “that guy.”

The Fashion Show

Loose clothing is optimal. CLEAN shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sneakers will do. Please leave the cutoff jean shorts and pajama pants at home.

Wipe Me Down

Imagine Patrick Ewing at the foul line in triple overtime. Now imagine Patrick Ewing bench pressing and no ball boys there to wipe up his mess. Kinda gross. Most gyms have brown paper towels for a reason, so use them when needed or bring your own towel.

Starbucks

Do a few reps, drink a cup of coffee, read the New York Times, update your fantasy team, do another set, wait 15 minutes, then repeat. Are you (expletive) serious!? Stop hogging the equipment. Hogging will only irritate other gym patrons who actually give a (expletive) about their workout.

Avoid Bad Form

What good are all those swinging and swaying motions during your barbell curls if you’re not intending to audition for “So You Think You Can Dance?” Using hip thrust momentum to get that weight up does not impress the judges. Those out-of-control, spastic gyrations only invite injury.

Gym goers should use strict form during their workouts. Lifting weights require controlled movements to achieve that “orgasmic” pump as Arnold refers to. The “pump” is a great indication that you are performing the exercise correctly. One more rep!

Beware of B.O.

There is nothing worse than having someone with rank body odor jump on the treadmill next to you during your workout. Yes, it is true that women can smell pheromones, but they don’t want to smell your stank ass.

Eye Candy

At times the gym can be one big meat market. There is nothing wrong with noticing that Jessica Biel booty walking by, but don’t make it a staring contest. Next time, use the mirrors at a 45 degree angle to check out that hottie.

10 Guys and a Bench

Workout partners are great to have on so many levels. A partner to push you to your max is the best supplement a guy could have in his diet. But do you really need 10 guys to spot you? One person lifts, then the next, then the next, etc. It’s like a merry-go-round. This falls into the same category of the Starbucks idea. How many more sets you guys got? “We’ll be here for awhile” is not the answer I want to hear.

Nice Rack

All gyms require you to re-rack your weights when you’re done. It would bother me too if I couldn’t find the matching dumbbell that’s on the other side of the gym.

Man in the Mirror

People fail to realize that the mirror is a great workout tool but not so much for narcissistic purposes. Use the mirror to check if your form is up to par. When you see your muscles being worked, veins start popping out, and you know that it’s working. Seeing is believing. Like equipment, the mirror must be shared with all gym goers. Jumping in front of someone during their seated military press will disrupt their focus and make them go “Hulk Smash” on your head.

I’m sure there are tons of other points I have not touched on. Feel free to leave some of your suggestions in the comments section.

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The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite

Mind-myth 9: It's only natural to think a person's attitudes and behaviours are directly related. If someone says, while truly believing it, that they're not a racist, you'd expect them to behave consistently with that statement. Despite this, psychologists have found that the link between a person's attitudes and their behaviours is not always that strong. In fact people have a nasty habit of saying one thing then doing the opposite, even with the best of intentions.

You see it all the time. People say they're worried about global warming and yet they drive around in a big gas guzzler. They say that money isn't their God, yet they work all the hours. They say they want to be fit but they don't do any exercise.

The discovery of the extent of people's blatant hypocrisy goes back to 1930s America and the work of a Stanford sociology professor, Richard LaPiere. In the early 30s he was on a tour across California with some close friends who happened to be Chinese. LaPiere was worried that they would encounter problems finding welcoming restaurants and hotels because of his Chinese friends.

Out of the 128 restaurants and hotels they visited, all but one served them courteously.At that time in the US there had been lots of stories in the media about how prejudiced people were against Chinese people. LaPiere and his friends were, therefore, pleasantly surprised to find that out of the 128 restaurants and hotels they visited, all but one served them courteously. Nowadays the fact that one place refused to serve them would rightly be considered an outrage - but those were different times.

So it sounds like a happy ending: perhaps the papers had just exaggerated people's negative attitudes towards Chinese people? But when LaPiere got home he started to wonder why there was such a gap between what the newspapers were reporting about people's attitudes and their actual behaviour. To check this out he decided to send out a questionnaire to the restaurants and hotels they had visited along with other similar places in the area (LaPiere, 1934).

The questionnaire asked the owners about their attitudes, with the most important question being: "Will you accept members of the Chinese race in your establishment?" The answers they could give were:

• Yes.
• No.
• Depends upon the circumstances.

Incredibly 90% of respondents answered, no, they wouldn't accept members of the Chinese race into their establishments.Incredibly 90% of respondents answered, no, they wouldn't accept members of the Chinese race into their establishments. Imagine LaPiere's surprise when he looked at the results. People genuinely did say one thing and do the complete reverse. They didn't even select 'it depends'. What on Earth was going on?

LaPiere himself argued that the problem lay in the questionnaire. The questions themselves cannot represent reality in all its confusing glory. What probably happened when people were asked if they accept Chinese people was that they conjured up a highly prejudiced view of the Chinese which bore little relation with what they were presented with in reality.

Here was a polite, well-dressed, well-off couple in the company of a Stanford University professor. Not the rude, job-stealing, yobbish stereotype they had in mind when they answered the questionnaire.

This study has actually been subsequently criticised for all sorts of reasons. Nevertheless its main finding - that people don't do what they say they will in many situations - has been backed up by countless later studies, although in more sophisticated fashion. The question is: why?

It all depends on how you ask the questions.Many psychologists effectively agree with LaPiere that it all depends on how you ask the questions and what stereotypes people are currently imagining when they give their answers. In some ways an attitude is like a snapshot of the prejudices the respondent has available to memory just at the moment they are questioned.

This has led to a whole raft of studies and theories searching for connections between people's attitudes and their behaviour. Many a lengthy tome has been dedicated to explaining the divergence. Some of the factors that have been found important are:

• Social norms.
• Accessibility of the attitude.
• Perceived control over behaviour.

Despite these findings, the picture is extremely complicated and frustratingly inconclusive. Perhaps as a result interest in this area has been waning amongst psychologists. The exact way in which people's attitudes and behaviour are connected remains a mystery. All we can say with certainty is that people are frequently extremely inconsistent.

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10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone

“Always be prepared!” That’s the Boy Scout motto. Here are 10 phone numbers we could not care less about until the moment we need them, at which point they save us time, money and general peace of mind. Do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes to program each of these handy numbers into your mobile phone. I promise you, the convenience you will gain from it someday is priceless.

1. Lost or Stolen Credit Card Hotline - Sure, the number for your credit card issuer is conveniently located on the back of your credit card… that is until the card gets lost or stolen. It’s nice to be able to cancel a credit card the minute you realize it’s missing. That way you can solve the problem before it starts by avoiding the need to deal with expunging malicious charges.

• Visa: 1-800-VISA-911 (1-800-847-2911)
• MasterCard: 1-800-MC-ASSIST (800-622-7747)
• American Express: 1-800-992-3404
• Discover: 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683)
• Diners Club: 1-800-2DINERS (1-800-234-6377)

2. Car Insurance Claims Hotline - Pretty much the first number you should call when you get in a car accident. Or the second number if the accident was severe, just after calling 911. Here are a few of the major provider’s claims department numbers:

• Geico: 1-800-861-8380
• Allstate: 1-800-ALLSTATE (1-800-255-7828)
• Nationwide: 1-800-421-3535
• Progressive: 1-800-PROGRESSIVE (1-800-776-4737)
• Liberty Mutual: 1-800-2CLAIMS (1-800-225-2467)
• State Farm: Depends where you live (find your agent’s number).
• AIG Direct: 1-888-244-6163
• Travelers: 1-800-CLAIM33 (1-800-252-4633)

3. Health Insurance Provider - Should tragedy strike and you find yourself headed to the emergency room for medical care, you will want to be sure that your medical bills are covered by your health insurance provider. Have someone make a quick call to your provider to make sure you’re approved for full coverage. It’s certainly more productive and a lot cheaper to address this before the medical care, unless of course you enjoy paying for medical bills out of your own pocket. Find your provider’s number on your health insurance card and program it into your phone as ‘Health Insurance’.

4. Free 411 From Anywhere - It’s always nice to have the ability to find a phone number or address to a specific business of interest when you are on the road. If you don’t have an internet ready mobile phone 1-800-GOOG-411 is you next best bet. It’s Google’s free nationwide 411 information hotline and it beats the heck out of paying your mobile service provider 75 cents for their sub-par directory assistance.

5. Local Locksmith - There’s nothing worse than being locked out, especially at night. Save yourself the hassle of trying to find a reputable locksmith with reasonable prices when you are locked out and stressed out. Do a little homework now and find yourself a reputable locksmith that has a 24 hour emergency call service. Find a local locksmith on YellowPages.com.

6. A Friendly Colleague’s Direct Line - You can use this person as a messenger to pass an important piece of information on to your manager or someone else at the office when you are on the road. Or you can call them if you accidently left an important phone number or piece of information behind at the office. Tell this person that you would be happy to return the favor anytime.

7. Local Towing Service or AAA - When your car breaks down in an inconvenient location this number will make your life a lot easier. The company with the largest geographic service area is always your best bet. Find a local towing service on YellowPages.com. If you have AAA, congrats for being wise.

8. Home or Work Entry - You should always have an entry for Home and/or Work in your mobile phone. Each entry should point to your direct corresponding number at each location. These entries are not there to help you call your home or your work. They are there just incase you lose your phone and someone with a little honesty and compassion finds it. It gives this person an easy way of getting in touch with you.

9. Primary Care Physician - If you are on the road or out of town and a non-emergency medical issue arises, it’s always nice to be able to run the information past your primary care physician or one of his/her nurses. After all, this is the medical team that has familiarity with all your recent personal medical history. They may be able to give you more insight into your problem by weighing your symptoms against your historical medical files and profile.

10. Airlines Reservations Hotline - Obviously this one helps out more when you’re traveling, but believe me someday it will come in handy. When you’re on a trip far away from home and your rental car gets a flat tire on the way to the airport, or your luggage is lost, or you are running late and need to check your flight status… these are times when having your Airlines on speed dial saves you some serious peace of mind. Airlines reservation hotlines usually bring you directly to a human being, so it’s a good number to use to get a hold of someone that can transfer you in the right direction if necessary. Here are the phone numbers to some of the major carriers:

• American Airlines: 1-800-433-7300
• Continental: 1-800-525-0280
• Delta Airlines: 1-800-221-1212
• JetBlue: 1-800-538-2583
• Northwest Airlines: 1-800-225-2525
• Southwest Airlines: 1-800-435-9792
• Spirit Airlines: 1-800-772-7117
• United Airlines: 1-800-241-6522
• US Airways: 1-800-428-4322

Bonus: How many minutes do I have left before I’m broke? - Dial the following numeric and symbol combinations into your mobile phone to find out how many minutes you have remaining on your plan for the current month.

• AT&T: *646#
• Sprint: *4
• T-Mobile: #646#
• Verizon: #646

I know there are numerous other important phone numbers out there, but I believe these 10 numbers are applicable to almost everyone.

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