The tempting smell of hot pork chops drifts from the open kitchen. It is noon at Millie's Cafe, one of Manchester's most popular eateries, and the usual lunch crowd has packed the place to savor owner Millie McClure's cooking. Since a series of heart attacks and an open-heart operation in the late 1980s, the former Clay County High School basketball coaching legend has cut back on things like fried chicken and fried potatoes. And it tastes wonderful.
Nobody argues with that.
But medical experts say that diets containing too much fat and salt play a major role in many of rural Kentucky's chronic health problems. And some fear diets may be getting worse as more and more people supplement the traditional fare with modern fast food. Roughly 33 percent of Kentucky's adults are overweight. The portion of obese Kentuckians grew from 12.7 percent in 1991, almost a 56 percent increase in obesity in just seven years. Throw in Eastern Kentucky's high rates of smoking and low rates of exercise, and the recipe for health problems is complete.