French fries, pizza and similar items accounted for about 11 percent of U.S. adults' caloric intake from 2007 to 2010, on average, down from about 13 percent between 2003 and 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in one of two reports released on Thursday.

Younger adults, black Americans and those who are already obese consumed the highest amounts of such food, which is often high in fat, salt and calories that can doom waistlines.

The CDC found in a separate report that while American children, on average, are consuming fewer calories overall than they used to, the percentage of their calories from artery-clogging saturated fat was still above optimal levels.

Recommended U.S. guidelines suggest that no more than 10 percent of one's daily calories should come from such fat, but American youth took in between 11 percent and 12 percent from 2009 to 2010, data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics showed.

Americans' diets and weight is a source of constant scrutiny and research in a country where two-thirds of the population is considered overweight or obese. According to the CDC, 36 percent of U.S. adults, or 78 million, and 17 percent of youth, or 12.5 million, are obese. Another third are overweight.

The slight decline in fast food consumption among adults reflects a growing trend toward healthier options. Many food and beverage companies have revamped their products or created new, healthier options to account for the shift in consumer tastes.

Still, Americans lead the world in calorie consumption. Portion sizes also have increased over the years, coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, have added up to extra pounds. Complications from obesity include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and some cancers.

"Previous studies have reported that more frequent fast-food consumption is associated with higher energy and fat intake and lower intake of healthful nutrients," CDC wrote.

Young black adults are especially a concern. Those aged 20 to 39 get more than one-fifth, or 21 percent, of their calories from fast food versus whites and Hispanics in the same age group who get about 15 percent from such foods, CDC found.

Obese and overweight adults also ate more fast food, it added.

Healthy weight is calculated by measuring body mass index, or BMI, using height and weight. For example, a 5-foot, 6-inch (1.7 meter) woman weighing 186 pounds (84 kilograms) would be considered obese as would a 6-foot (1.8 meter) man weighing 221 pounds (100 kilograms).

The CDC also said that American boys aged 2 to 19 took in about 2,100 calories daily during 2009 and 2010, a drop from 2,258 calories in 1999-2000. Girls saw their daily caloric intake fall to 1,755 from 1,831 during the same timeframe.

It is not yet clear how the recent change has affected childhood obesity rates, the agency added.

Among the other findings:

* The consumption of calories from fast food "significantly decreased" with age;

* Fast food consumption was about the same for low-income and higher-income adults;

* More children are eating more protein, except for black girls;

* Carbohydrate consumption is lower among white boys and girls as well as black boys.

(Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Bo Jiang, a Chinese national who worked as a contractor for the National Institute of Aerospace at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., is to be arraigned March 18 in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Va. Jiang was arrested because he "lied to federal law enforcement authorities" about computer , court papers provided to the press by Wolf's office allege.

signed by FBI special agent Rhonda Squizzero, Jiang was carrying a laptop, a computer hard drive and a subscriber identity module, or SIM, card that he did not tell law enforcement officials about during a consensual search aboard the plane that would have carried him to Beijing on March 16.

Wolf, the chairman of the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee, named Jiang last week during a one of multiple hearings the China critic has held on the subject this year.

Jiang, Wolf first alleged at a March 7 press conference, previously had unauthorized access at Langley to NASA data and technology, some of which he might have brought back to China. Wolf cited whistle blower reports from NASA employees at the aeronautics research center as the source of this information.

Wolf added March 18 that a Langley official, who he declined to name, sought exceptions tosecurity protocol on Jiang's behalf. Wolf cited internal agency emails as the source of that information.

Meanwhile, Squizzero's complaint says the FBI reviewed the whistle blower reports it received from Wolf's office March 13 and found the information in them "reliable." The reports played a part in the bureau's decision to arrest Jiang, the complaint says.

At a March 13 hearing before the subcommittee Wolf chairs, Paul Martin, NASA's inspector general, said Langley's Office of Security Services was investigating whether there had been security breeches at the center, but that agency counterintelligence experts did not believe they were dealing with an espionage case.

Jiang is being held in Norfolk, Wolf said.

This story was provided by, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

Despite their differences, conflict between the world's biggest and second-largest economies is not inevitable as long as they respect each other's major concerns and manage their differences, Li said.

China's new leaders "attach great importance" to relations that meet the "fundamental interests of people in both countries and serves the global trend of peace and development," Li told reporters at the traditional premier's news conference that follows the close of the annual legislative session

Two-way trade hit almost $500 billion last year, although disputes linger over Chinese trade practices, opposition to Chinese investment in the U.S. and complaints over alleged Chinese computer hacking.

Asked about recent allegations that China's military was behind massive hacking attacks on U.S. companies and government entities, Li reiterated Beijing's statements that China is a major target of global hackers and opposes all such criminal activity.

"I think we should not make groundless accusations against each other but spend more time doing practical things that will contribute to cybersecurity," he said.

Li was appointed premier last week with primary responsibility for running the Chinese economy.

The results, taken from enquiries made on thesite (the largest marketplace for lettings in Scotland), show a staggering increase in the number of requests for properties that accommodate for pets.

Total enquiries for lets with pets in 2012 were huge; 103% more than just two years previous. Enquiries were also up 213% on 2009 and 235% on 2008.

The percentage of enquiries coming through the site that specifically request a pet has also been steadily increasing for the last 5 years and in 2012 it was almost 5%, well over double what it was in 2007.

This highlights the real need for pet-friendly offerings from letting agents, an area perhaps overlooked in the past. And Lettingwebs analysis shows that the supply has not been matching demand, less than 2% of the flats available on the site were listed as pet friendly and almost 5% were specifically not for pets.

Lettingwebs graph shows a rise in share of pet-friendly flats on the site, but not enough match the massive increase in enquiries. If letting agents and landlords dont react to this trend, this could resolve in a large niche of possible renters blocked out of the market.

Patrick Foot, Lettingwebs Product Manager, added:

Understanding that the key demographics traditionally associated with the private rental market are losing relevancy is key to remaining strong and capturing the new tenants who are turning to lets.

'If agents and landlords arent tuned to the needs of their tenants, they could lose out as areas like this are of huge potential for growth.

-ENDS-

1. For further information, or to speak to Patrick Foot please contact Lettingwebs Press Office:

Patrick Foot: 0131 557 7770

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2. For more information of Lettingweb, please visit their website:

About Lettingweb

Lettingweb are Scotlands largest letting agent organisation, and the biggest letting-only marketplace in the country. Founded in 1999 by a letting agent who saw the opportunity to utilize the web to make letting better, they quickly rose to become a market leader and have remained there ever since.

Combining a site with the best choice of lettings in the country and a network that distributes property to more sites than any other in Scotland, Lettingweb offer a way for agents, tenants and landlords to have an easier time renting in a turbulent market.

Patrick FootLettingweb Ltd0845 855 8555