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subject: 7 Bad Eating Habits You Should.. [print this page]

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe

me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising...you're instantly

bombarded with the latest diet schemes and "Hollywood" food

fads.

Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to

control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence.

The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care

treatments is staggering...Americans alone spend around $114

billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing

weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before...

- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or

obese...up about eight percent from earlier estimates.

- Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine

million are overweight...triple the rate in 1980!

Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese.

For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy

lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer

calories to sustain our normal body weight.

Think about it for a moment...

Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact,

it's usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in

the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our

favorite snack. Whether it's television, computers, remote

controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer

calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal

routine have disappeared...activities like climbing stairs,

pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.

And please do not misunderstand me...I appreciate comfortable

living just as much as the next person. But, here is the

problem...

With all of our modern day conveniences and "cushy" style of

living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for

our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich

and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of

the following examples comparing what we eat "today" vs the

1970's (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of

them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption

has jumped 45 percent since the 1970's, from 138 pounds of grains

per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat

flour is consumed as whole wheat.

- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but

only because French fries and potato chips are included as

vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our

"produce" choices.

- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our

cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source

of saturated fat in our diets.

- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the

loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so

that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did

back in the 1970's.

- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than

milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice

that of pop.

- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable

oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has

increased 32 percent.

- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding

waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People are

consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day,

about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is

found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In

1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11

percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has

ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as

much as 20 percent for American teenagers!

Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and

nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and

eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it's

"OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and

that larger serving portions equate to better value.

It's time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and

time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide

TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a

normal part of our life!

We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits...

slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and

activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life.

And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so

be patient as you work toward your goal!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes

only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any

disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any

health care program.

by: jaypratap

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