The Regional Roundup – January 24th

Another side effect for kids enduring a global pandemic: obesity. And, what's the real cost of salting winter weather roads? Plus, Kobe Bryant and "The Rise".

Air Date: January 24, 2022 10:00 am

Road salt fills a storage barn in Southwest Philadelphia. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

The “co-epidemics” impacting adolescents right now: Covid-19 and childhood obesity. We’ll discuss how the pandemic led to trends of significant weight gain for kids – in a remarkably short period of time – and what can be done to help them cope.

Guest: Dr. Vesta Salehi, Chief of the Department of Gastroenterology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Medical Director of “Healthy Kids Healthy Teens”

While using salt to make roads safer in the winter looks like a cheap and effective option, what’s the true cost? We’ll discuss the shockingly high level of chloride in our local freshwater streams and how it’s harming infrastructure, drinking water and marine life that should be thriving.

Guest: John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist at Stroud Water Research Center (@StroudCenter)

A new book penned by a local sports columnist, called The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality, gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the humble origins of the basketball star – before he rose to NBA fame.

Guest: Mike Sielski, sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and author of THE RISE (@MikeSielski)

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