|
 HAVANA (AP) - Cubans are no strangers to the battle of the bulge. Waistlines have expanded since the economic crisis of the early 1990s eased on the communist-run island — so much so that 30 percent of adults are now overweight, a newly released government study reveals.
Some people outside Cuba hold on to a stereotype of malnourished Cubans waiting in lines for a few potatoes, but there's ample evidence to the contrary in Havana, where bulging waistlines are stuffed into snug skirts or peek through too-tight guayabera shirts.
"People eat lots of things like pizza and bread that fill you up, but put on a lot of weight," said Lucia, a plump housewife who didn't want her last name used, saying she was embarrassed about her weight and uncomfortable talking publicly about something as political as food.
|