Mother Jones

Metabolize This

If you believe recent claims that you can exercise away junk food, think again.

At elementary schools nationwide, a health curriculum called Energy Balance 101 has taught 28 million kids a seemingly simple concept: In order to stay fit, all we need to do is balance the food we eat with exercise. Calories in, calories out.

Sensible enough, right? But there’s something odd about the curriculum: Not once does it suggest ditching junk food—in

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