"Be careful you don't end up digging your grave with your chopsticks!" So said a friend of mine at a recent potluck as he gazed at all the rich, greasy foods and sweets. I was a little annoyed at him for putting a damper on the fun, but now that I have read this month's cover story by Coral Lee about the new health food movement in Taiwan, I feel that I was the one in the wrong.

Busy working mothers end up leaving the health of their families in the hands of the cooks at little family-run restaurants. Once I saw the owner of a small eatery dumping two huge spoonfuls of salt into the soup, and, somewhat shocked, I was just about to ask if that wasn't too much salt when he dumped another spoonful of some unidentifiable powder in, and I lost the nerve to even open my mouth.

Sometimes, seeing my children without any "Mom's home cooking" to fondly remember, or seeing my husband's weight climb past 100 kilos, I feel guilty. But I'm far from being alone. Recent health guidelines issued by the government have abandoned the poorly understood body mass index (BMI) standard, instead shifting to "waistline" to define obesity (90 centimeters for men, 80 for women). With the new standards, the number of Taiwanese defined as obese will sharply increase, and it is estimated that 3 million Taiwanese are considered "at risk" for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

An old Chinese saying has it that "the longer your belt, the shorter your life." But at least you can see an expanding gut. Today's other leading killer, cancer, is more insidious.

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer, ironically after going to the doctor with a complaint arising from injuring himself while working out to try to lose three extra kilos he had recently put on. Now, he has given up smoking, eats healthy foods, and prepares a big dish of energy soup for himself each day. He is enjoying a smooth recovery.

A lot of people manage to control their appetite by willpower, thereby dodging obesity and cardiovascular disease. But still they can't dodge cancer and other diseases of civilization. This is related to the fact that they ingest a lot of stuff that they shouldn't, as we find out in this month's unsettling article on food additives. We also have an in-depth story on another contemporary food phenomenon--so-called health foods and dietary supplements--which so many people take because they are too busy for three regular, sound meals a day.

This month's other focus is on Taiwanese women in Shanghai. Senior reporter Chang Chiung-fang made only a short stay in that city, but was able to interview a dozen or more Taiwanese women, showing not only that they are there in large numbers, but that they still have a place in their hearts for Taiwan.

This month marks the 60th anniversary of the February 28 ("228") Incident of 1947. Besides a news update on compensation to victims and their families, this month's story on the author Lee Chiao also touches on this episode from history. As writer Wei Hung-chin notes, 60 years marks the end of a cycle in the Chinese calendar, and after 20 years of reconciliation and investigation, perhaps the dead can finally rest in peace, while the living have learned a lesson, and such an event will never be repeated.

The Lunar New Year is upon us. We wish everyone a happy and healthy Year of the Pig!