Welcome to the first “Food for Thought”
column in The Shopper. I hope that this monthly column will
be a source of good information, challenging perspectives and
at times, good humor.
Unfortunately we are in a state of excessive excess. The number
of overweight and obese people in the United States is staggering.
Statistics indicate that two-thirds of Americans are overweight
or obese, with one-third being obese. The rate of change for
these statistics is even more amazing. Ten years ago only 1
in 5 were obese.
Adults today are on average 25 lbs. heavier than their parents
were and our children are on average 9 lbs. heavier than we
were. This is alarming in that we are seeing disease states
in children, specifically adult type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure and high cholesterol that these youngsters were previously
not getting until they reached middle age. School nurses will
soon have to administer blood pressure and diabetes medications
to school age children in addition to tending to their bumps
and bruises.
Exercise, while critical, cannot solve the growing obesity
problem. What is needed, is a paradigm shift and an accountability
for calorie intake. If you are gaining weight after the age
of puberty, it's because you are taking in more energy in the
form of calories than your body needs. If we take in more energy,
we store it as fat. If we take in fewer calories than we need,
we lose weight.
What is needed is a return to a state of balance and regularity.
I will offer a challenge every month in this column. This month's
challenge is for you to look at the calories that you are drinking.
Drink more water, skim milk, unsweetened tea, and black coffee,
rather than juices, sodas, and fancy gourmet coffees. One 20
ounce bottle of regular soda is 250 calories; the equivalent
of 2.5 miles of walking for 150 pound man.
Always
Consult Your Physician before beginning any Diet or Exercise Program.
