Most people understand that good nutrition is essential for a long and active life, but many do not put this knowledge into action. For many people, good nutrition is only a concept that they talk about when they are with people who they want to impress, or when they are at the doctor's office. They discuss it in theory but rarely put a plan into action. Poor dietary habits and lack of exercise can be major problems for adults, and even worse, these bad habits are a growing concern for children and adolescents as well.
The number of children and teens who are considered overweight or obese has more than tripled between the years of 1980 and 2004. Among older teens and young adults, the percentage is 50% and U.S. teens are twice as likely to be overweight as their peer groups in 14 other countries. (Source: Papalia, Olds and Feldman, 2008)
There is no lack of nutritional education for children and adults alike. Most people understand what a good diet should look like, but they may be lured by the latest fad diet instead. They get depressed about other problems and good nutrition takes a back seat to those issues. They are so busy that planning a good menu for the week or even the day becomes overwhelming or stressful. Just as there are countless ways to get the information they need to make better choices, there are as many reasons to not make them. Sure, you can agree that you would like to eat better, but who has the time?
Obesity is not just a disease by definition, but is also a risk factor for a number of other, life threatening diseases. Obese children tend to become obese adults and usually develop a few of these serious health problems over time. Trying to lose weight is difficult, and the diet industry is counting on that. They are counting on the frustration of trying to figure out menu plans or finding out how many calories you actually need each day. The diet industry is counting on dieters hating exercise and loving the idea of doing getting maximum results for minimal effort. The diet industry is bringing in billions and billions of dollars from people who are looking for a fast and easy way to lose weight without changing the way they eat or exercise.
Diets are not magic. Our bodies are finely tuned machines that work on the fuel we feed them. Food taken in is converted into energy. If we take in more food than we need, our body stores it as fat. If we burn more energy than we have on hand, our body burns the fat we have stored. Losing weight equals eating slightly less than we need each day and increasing the amount of movement we get as well. To lose a pound each week, most doctors recommend dropping 500 calories out of your daily intake, but another option is to increase your activity level to burn 250 calories and only restrict your diet by 250 calories to lose weight.
The number of children and teens who are considered overweight or obese has more than tripled between the years of 1980 and 2004. Among older teens and young adults, the percentage is 50% and U.S. teens are twice as likely to be overweight as their peer groups in 14 other countries. (Source: Papalia, Olds and Feldman, 2008)
There is no lack of nutritional education for children and adults alike. Most people understand what a good diet should look like, but they may be lured by the latest fad diet instead. They get depressed about other problems and good nutrition takes a back seat to those issues. They are so busy that planning a good menu for the week or even the day becomes overwhelming or stressful. Just as there are countless ways to get the information they need to make better choices, there are as many reasons to not make them. Sure, you can agree that you would like to eat better, but who has the time?
Obesity is not just a disease by definition, but is also a risk factor for a number of other, life threatening diseases. Obese children tend to become obese adults and usually develop a few of these serious health problems over time. Trying to lose weight is difficult, and the diet industry is counting on that. They are counting on the frustration of trying to figure out menu plans or finding out how many calories you actually need each day. The diet industry is counting on dieters hating exercise and loving the idea of doing getting maximum results for minimal effort. The diet industry is bringing in billions and billions of dollars from people who are looking for a fast and easy way to lose weight without changing the way they eat or exercise.
Diets are not magic. Our bodies are finely tuned machines that work on the fuel we feed them. Food taken in is converted into energy. If we take in more food than we need, our body stores it as fat. If we burn more energy than we have on hand, our body burns the fat we have stored. Losing weight equals eating slightly less than we need each day and increasing the amount of movement we get as well. To lose a pound each week, most doctors recommend dropping 500 calories out of your daily intake, but another option is to increase your activity level to burn 250 calories and only restrict your diet by 250 calories to lose weight.
