Weight Loss Information |
Food: The Proof Is In The Portion
We are a large people. 65% of us are overweight, 30% actually obese. How did we reach this point? We ate ourselves into a prison of our own fat. Why? Well, we certainly didn't sit down and decide that we wanted to gain weight, did we? We had no pressure on us to fatten ourselves for some eventual slaughter. On the contrary, as our collective girth increased, we paradoxically elevated scrawny to a cultural icon, happily dismissing the corseted matronly figures of the past two centuries. Where did the disconnect between our reality and our ideals begin? We can blame the processors who milled out the vitamins and minerals we need. We can blame the preservers who cut back on fiber and freshness in favor of additives and chemicals. We can blame the packagers who added sugar and starch to everything. We can blame the fast food industry for frying everything and we can blame the beverage companies for their addictive colas. While all of these made their contributions to our current plight, one source of our caloric distress runs through everything: portion size. We eat hamburgers - not the gigantic, multi-patty ones, just a standard burger - that are 3 times as big as those of 30 years ago. Our orders of french fries are at least twice the size of their cousins in the 1970s. Pizza no longer has cheese only on the top but its crust is also filled. Large soft drinks are the size of watering cans instead of baby bottles. Recipes that once announced "serves 8" now report "serves 4" with exactly the same ingredients. Bagels and muffins are 3 to 4 times as large as their predecessors (and any fan of Seinfeld knows that only the tops are worthwhile). Thank heavens for hormones that can produce the 20 to 30 pound turkeys we demand for our holiday dinners. Compare the small boxes of frozen vegetables that so awed us in the 1950s with the huge bags available today, awash in butter or cheese sauce. The TV dinners we precariously balanced on rickety tray tables are now heavy enough that those same tables wouldn't hold them. Restaurant meals have grown as well, with a "to go" container almost standard because few eaters can finish them (although we try terribly hard). Far from their smorgasbord roots, buffets have become almost obscene in their offerings. Whatever happened to nouvelle cuisine? Has the fastidious gourmet been completely swallowed by the voracious gourmand? Is gluttony no longer a deadly sin? We love nothing better than a good bargain: something for nothing or, at the very least, at a discount. If we can obtain just a few more ounces of something for negligible extra money, we pounce on the larger size. If we're offered two for the price of one and a half, we don't have to stop and think. If we can save money by buying a whole package, even if we don't want all of it, we'll do it because it makes economic sense (ah, the birth of super size!) Where did we get the idea that bigger is better? Is it the national legacy of the depression when we swore we'd never "do without" again? Is it a natural spillover from our thoughtless squandering of the world's resources? Is it the speed and stress of our competitive lives that logically leads to our attacking our food with the same disregard for restraint we show in business? Whatever has brought us to this point, it is time for us all to cry "enough!" We may fear terrorist attacks or biological warfare but it is our daily over-consumption of food that is killing us. Diabetes, clogged arteries, and other obesity-related illnesses cost 350,000 American lives a year and the figure continues to climb. The associated medical costs are staggering and threaten eventual bankruptcy for the Medicare system if not reined back. Several states and school districts are attempting to apply brakes to a junk food society out of control. A change in the structure of our farm subsidy programs has been suggested - to reward the growers of healthy crops and penalize those who raise the building blocks of edible garbage (sugar and corn syrup). Taxation, as has been used to curb the purchase of cigarettes, could change the consumption equation by hitting our wallets (and a 1 cent tax on every soft drink sold in the United States would raise 40 billion dollars a year). However, the great change will only come when each of us, individually and collectively, start cutting back. We need to insist, repeatedly and loudly, that restaurants serve child and senior size plates to adults and split orders without extra charge (where are the class action lawyers when you need them?) We have to demand that small sizes of meal components are offered. We should start boycotting those huge "economy" sizes of everything from soft drinks, to frozen potatoes, to cooking lard, and potato chips. And the buck finally stops at our own plate. For our health, our longevity, and our looks, we must limit how much we eat of anything. If we cut our intake in half, we will be doing ourselves, our children, and our society a great favor and our bodies will thank us for it. Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker's Edge, she recently published a psychologically-based weight control e-workbook, "Diet with an Attitude" which develops mental skills towards the goal of permanent weight control. She can be reached at http://www.DietWithAnAttitude.com She provides support and guidance in use of the workbook through her regular blog, http://dietwithanattitude.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Is Your Ability to Buy Dietary Supplements, Herbal Preparations, and Tonics in Jeopardy in the USA? When the DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health Education Act) was passed by the USA Congress in 1994 it was a boon to all of us consumers. Finally, we all could buy herbals that had long histories of safe and effective use throughout the world. The Importance of Vitamins when Dieting In our quest to get that "perfect" body, we actually tend to lose our focus on the real things that should matter to us, such as our health and well-being. Thus, we end up not only neglecting our insides but possibly our relationships with others as well. The Seven Secrets of Weight Loss When embarking on a weight loss program people will almost always focus on just one or two of the seven necessary components needed to achieve their goal. In order to maximize ones weight loss results they must combine all seven components. Fat Burners: The Biggest Rip-Off of the Weight Loss Industry? Fat burners have become very popular in today's society, especially in America. It seems that everyone is looking for a "quick fix" to their problem?and that is why they, therefore, turn to those "awesome" fat burners where you can just pop a pill and "lose 30 pounds in 10 days!"However, do these fat burners actually work? Do they actually provide any benefits? Do the $40-$100 price tags justify their benefits? Here we will investigate some of the claims that they make such as:-increased thermogenesis-decreased appetite-weight loss without exercising-increased energyHowever, before I go into any more detail about fat burners, you must understand two important concepts:Total Daily Energy Expenditure and The Law of Thermodynamics (don't worry -they're quite simple). Half of our Nation is Overweight! Experts say obesity will overtake smoking as the biggest health problem of the decade. They are predicting a quarter of the population will be suffering from weight related diabetes by 2013. Weight Loss Recipe: Avocado, Walnut & Crispy Bacon Salad Losing weight doesn't have to be boring when you focus on bright, colourful meals. What does this mean? Simply by making sure your plate reflects a range of colours, you'll naturally create more balanced and healthful menus. The Culprit of Obesity in Children - Inactivity It was bad enough hearing almost daily that obesity in adults is a growing problem, now our children are the focal point. Yes, moms and dads, the research is in. Fibre And Weight Loss: How Closely Are They Connected? The incidences of deseases like obesity, diabetes, colon deseases etc.are minimal in countries where the population has a regular dose of fiber in their diet. An Interesting Look at Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery Gastric bypass surgery has many forms and can involve stapling and banding of the stomach as well as bypassing a portion of the small intestine. The most popular method today is a combination-approach that staples the stomach into a small pouch while reattaching the small intestine to the pouch forming a Y-shape so patients lose weight both because they eat less and their bodies absorb less of what they eat. Eating Food Just to Be Rid of It What to Do with the Leftovers?Okay, tell me if you've ever done this: It's Monday late afternoon. You decided yesterday that starting today you were going to 1) eat right, and 2) start to get regular exercise, and 3) give up all your bad habits. On A Diet? Ensure You Get Enough Nutritional Supplements For Your Good Health There is never any absolute certainty about what the nutritional requirements are for the human body of a certain age, size and gender. Scientific research on the subject takes a long time, and results are often not that clear. Lose Body Fat by Choosing the Right Diet Plan For You If you are overweight and searching for the diet program or weight loss product that will be the best suit your individual needs and help you lose the weight as fast as possible, you may be confused considering the numerous diet programs and free diet plans available to you online. When choosing a weight reduction plan, it's important to consider several factors. Is Losing Weight The Same As Losing Fat? Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the indicator of a weight problem - the actual percentage of body fat is the true indicator. You need to know what percent of you is actually FAT. Weight Loss and Water: The Unknown Secret Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body Shed Pounds Fast and Keep Them Off!Almost everyone reading this -- even the skinniest -- think they should lose weight. And Americans are almost obsessed with weight loss. Children of Gastric Bypass Patients at Risk for Eating Disorders As parents who've had gastric bypass we face many challenges raising a family. Perhaps an unexpected challenge is when a child develops an eating disorder that may be exacerbated by the parents dieting habits. Snooze to Lose Pounds If you want to find a way to lose weight faster, and you think there is nothing new under the sun, then what I'm about to tell you will really make you nod off.According to Dr Kenneth Goodrick at Baylor University, a good night's sleep is a vital ingredient for weight loss. Want Permanent Weight Loss Results? Healthy Eating is the Key The confusion about eating healthy and dieting will now be cleared up, all in one easy sentence. Are you ready? Everyone is different. Two Words That Guarantee Success (or failure) When Planning To Lose Weight Did you know that being successful with losing weight starts with just two words?Two words will either guarantee you'll lose weight, or guarantee the you WON'T lose weight.You see, words are very powerful. Dealing with Childhood Obesity Experts tell us that overweight or obese children have reached epidemic proportions. If you spend your childhood being obese then there is a very good chance you will spend your adulthood being obese. Its All In The Numbers Offer a woman the choice between a dress she likes a lot, that fits well but is size 12, and a dress she likes, which also fits well but is labeled size 8, and she'll take the lesser preferred every time.Why are we so hung up on sizes? Men don't care. |
home | site map | contact us |