What you should know
Poor eating habits and nutrition are big factors in the growing number of adults and kids who are overweight.
The rising obesity trend has alarmed many experts. Obesity leads to many problems. Lost productivity, days missed from work and rising insurance costs hurt businesses. Obesity raises the risk for other diseases. Experts have estimated that one-fourth of those between the ages of 17 and 24 are too fat to fight in the military.
Heart attacks are on the rise for adults from age 30 to 45. Some call this age group America?s sickest generation. Specialists are seeing the old-age effects of a lifetime of fast-food, overeating and lack of exercise in younger people.
The Mid-South is also heavily burdened by obesity and diabetes. About one-third of Shelby County adults are considered obese. This leads to high health care costs, misery from poor health and premature deaths.
Some national and local officials have started concerted efforts to improve what we eat ? in schools, at home and outside the home. Many want to change what is considered normal, appropriate eating habits.
The Healthy Memphis Common Table and its partners have started the Million Calorie Match project. This program encourages businesses, churches, schools and others to offer healthier foods and drinks in vending machines and as options at meetings. They hope to whittle away at our obesity problem by reducing access to high-sugar, high-fat foods and drinks outside of the home.
A recent National Center for Health Statistics report showed that sodas are still the largest single source of added sugar in children?s diets. While most added sugar is eaten in processed foods at home, sodas tend to be a source of extra calories that can be easily avoided.
One study showed that Americans consume about 35 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Many sugars are hidden in canned and packaged foods.
What you should do
Be aware of sauces, syrups and other items added to otherwise healthy foods. It is possible to enhance the flavor of fresh vegetables, fruits, grilled meats and fish without adding loads of fat, salt and sugar.
Read labels to be sure you avoid buying foods with lots of added sugars.
Learn to drink coffee and tea without the extras. Enhance flavor by choosing flavored coffee beans or flavored teas. Try not to add sugar, flavored syrups, whipped cream, cream or whole milk. Use skim milk for cream if needed.
Limit dressings. Salads can be wonderful, but not if they are drowned in high-fat dressing and laden with cheese, meat, nuts and croutons. Add moisture with tomatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables or fruit-flavored vinegar.
Pass up high-fat or sugary dips. Substitute hummus, low-salt salsa, black-bean dip or low-fat yogurt with tangy spices. Dip celery, carrots or other vegetables, not fried potato or tortilla chips.
Choose baked potatoes or baked fries over deep-fried white or sweet potato fries.
Limit what you add to fish and meats. Don?t slather them with barbecue sauce, gravy, mayonnaise, cheese or tartar sauce. Add toppings like tomatoes, lettuce, mustard or vinegar-tossed slaw to meat sandwiches to add moisture.
Don?t fry fish or skinned chicken in lots of oil. Lightly coat the food in oil before grilling or broiling it. Avoid heavy breading on your meat or fish. Saut your meats and fish in broth or vegetable juice. Poach fish in broth or juice.
Avoid cocktails and sodas before meals. Alcohol and sugary drinks add empty calories. Instead drink water. A small glass of red wine with ? not before ? a dinner at home is also a better option.
Stop impulsive eating from buffet or hors d?oeuvre trays. Chips, dips and bite-size meats and desserts can sabotage your diet. Privately count your age between bites to limit your temptation. Avoid snacks.
If a decadent meal or dessert is too good to pass up, eat very slowly and savor a small portion.
Satisfy your hunger with high-fiber fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They are more filling than some foods.
Accept that what you do now makes a big difference later. Eat healthy foods, stay fit and control your weight to control your health care costs, and prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia later.
See commercialappeal.com/ news/2012/feb/25/cutting-calories-a-piece-of-cake .
Read ?Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork? by Gov. Mike Huckabee to learn how he changed his diet to lose weight.
Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: healthymemphis.org .
Tags: healthy foods
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