Planting season has arrived, and this month our front page is all about seeds, bees and flowers! (Ironically, I am writing this as I look out my office window, and see only blowing gusts of snow.) And how many times have we seen snow in May?This month is also National Nutrition Month, so it is a good time to introduce our new health and wellness columnist, Jenni Mathews, the owner of Curves in Falcon. And Jenniís topic this month is ìWhy Canít I Lose Weight?î She writes about the impact that artificial sweeteners have on our often futile attempts to lose weight.I was surprised at a WalletHub news release stating that Americans spend $315.8 billion per year on obesity-related medical treatment. WalletHub also cited 2016 statistics on the fattest and thinnest cities in the U.S.WalletHubís analysts compared 100 of the most populated U.S. metro areas across 14 key metrics, ranging from the ìpercentage of adults and high school students who are obeseî to the ìpercentage of people who are physically inactive.îOnce again, Colorado fared well. Out of the 100, Denver came in at No. 92 and Colorado Springs at 93. The higher numbers indicate the best states for people without weight issues. Honolulu came in at 100 — I guess itís easy to be thinner when you are surrounded by fresh fruit and the beauty of Hawaii, not to mention the weather makes it effortless for outdoor activities. Unfortunately, Memphis came in at No. 1; Shreveport, Louisiana at No. 2 and Indianapolis, Indiana at No. 3. The stats remain relatively the same from year to year. The South and the Midwest are challenged when it comes to obesity-related issues.Although April represents the coming of spring, itís also tax time, regrettably for my husband and me. I ran across some information the other day on corporations and what they pay in taxes. After seeing just one report, I got curious; and found the same information on numerous sites, from Forbes to Citizens for Tax Justice.Here are some interesting facts I found on corporations and taxes.ìMore than 90 percent of businesses, representing more than one-third of all business activity, in the United States are structured as flow-through entities ó businesses that do not pay the corporate income tax, but rather pass profits through to owners who pay tax under the individual income tax.î Forbes, Dec. 23, 2014In 2014, 15 Fortune 500 companies paid no federal taxes in 2014; and all but two received federal tax rebates. The list includes CBS ($1.8 billion in profits in the U.S. and a $235 million tax rebate); General Electric, Mattel, Owens Corning, Time Warner and Xerox, just to name a few. The 15 companies made $23 billion total in 2014 and paid no federal income tax. Mattel hasnít paid taxes in five years. General Electric, Boeing, Priceline.com, Verizon and 22 other profitable Fortune 500 firms paid no federal income taxes from 2008 through 2012, according to Citizens for Tax Justice.General Electric received $3.1 billion in refunds on $27.5 billion in profits, from 2008 to 2012. The company paid less in federal income taxes in five years than a single American family pays in one year.And to add to the frustrations, at least mine, U.S. corporations hold $2.1 trillion in profits offshore ó much of it in tax havens ó that have not yet been taxed here.Time for a bit of tax reform, right?OK, so on a brighter note, I had a wonderful Easter with my family. My daughters were all here, as well as my 1-year-old granddaughter – and spring will bring another granddaughter! And spring flowers are on their way.See you in May,– Michelle
