A recent edition of the Time Argus devoted a half-page of its food section to a recipe for “Spike Mendelsohn’s s’mores milkshakes,” which listed the following ingredients: one 16-oz bag of jumbo marshmallows, 2 c. whole milk, 2 c. chocolate ice cream (highest butterfat content possible), 1 T. sour cream, 3 T. chocolate syrup, and ½ c. graham crackers. Conspicuously absent from the article was any mention of the calorie count, which for this confection is likely somewhere in the stratosphere. Putting aside the issue of whether some of the ingredients should even be categorized as food, I’m baffled by the amount of space devoted to this recipe in light of the alarming increase in the rates of obesity and diabetes in the U.S., especially among children. Fortunately many articles and recipes in the Times Argus do encourage a healthier lifestyle. Given the struggle newspapers face to maintain readership, it would seem a prudent strategy to promote good health rather than diet-related diseases among readers. Marcia Bellas Worcester

Maria Bellas
Worcester