El Paso: Drinking our way to obesity

EL PASO — With more than 20 liquor stores, over 100 convenience stores and the many supermarkets and restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages, it is little wonder that El Pasoans are facing an obesity epidemic. Manuel Colorado, a local exercise specialist and nutritionist, works with overweight clients. “It is easy for people in El Paso to gain weight because of their alcohol consumption,” says Colorado. “With nothing else to do in our city; alcohol seems to fill the void of boredom and too much time on the hands.”

While Colorado’s clients are reducing their prospect of obesity by limiting their alcohol intake and exercising, some El Pasoans are doing nothing to better their chances of dodging obesity. “We see obese people walking around El Paso everyday and not doing anything about it,” says Colorado.

No rest for the weary Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — It never really clicked in my mind what people meant when they said Vegas is the city that never sleeps, until I was unable to sleep in Vegas. After 72 hours of living a 21-year-old’s dream of freedom, I realized that in the Sin City there are no limits to what you can experience. I don’t think I could have lasted any longer. Vegas was not reality to me. It was almost a never-ending waking dream, probably because Vegas didn’t want me to sleep either.