Americans Are Getting Fatter - Lack Of Diet Knowledge And Lack Of Parental Teaching Are The Cause

By Author: Sue Bristol
Total Articles: 12
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We are in the midst of a national crisis and there is no sign of it getting better! No, I'm not talking about the economy, or gas prices, or jobs... I'm talking about the national obesity epidemic. Statistics show that not only is there no sign that we are getting our weight under control, we are steadily getting fatter as a nation.

According to "Trust for America's Health", twenty years ago "there wasn't a single state that had an obesity rate above 15 percent and now every state is above that." This is an alarming state of affairs for a variety of reasons:

1. Overweight and obesity increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep disorders, cancer, and liver disease.

2. Our children are overweight. Most overweight children become overweight adults.

3. Adults don't know how to eat in a healthful way. How then can they teach the next generation?

4. Children are not learning the fundamentals of good nutrition. Therefore, they will not pass healthful eating habits along to their children either and the cycle gets worse instead of better.

5. We have no national ...
... plan. There is no hope of the situation improving since most of us are not even aware of the danger.

6. Food-related industries have no interest in helping to relieve the situation. (This doesn't mean the problem is their "fault". The mission of business is to make money. It's our job to make buying decisions. The companies will provide what we demand.)

It is the responsibly of us, as adults, to learn what constitutes a healthful diet. Once we apply this information, we will get our own weight under control. Then, we can feed our children properly and teach them how to eat properly. Once we are all eating the way we should eat, weight will no longer be a problem.

There are a few basics we can institute today:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables.

• Substitute processed, white flour with whole grains (pasta, cereal, bread...read the label).

• Eliminate foods and beverages with added sugar. Some of our teens are overweight singularly because of "coke"!

• Reduce dietary fats. The information regarding how much fat we should eat (or not) every day is abundantly clear on the label of foods that we buy. Select fat-free or reduced fat dairy products.

• Reduce portion sizes. (We're eating two or even three times the amount of food our bodies need. Of course we're going to gain weight.)

• Incorporate activity into daily life. We need to get moving and encourage our kids to do the same. Pediatricians recommend a minimum of sixty minutes of physical activity per day for children. Adults should aim for thirty minutes.

Obesity is indeed a national crisis. Help will come as we each take responsibility for our own families.

To know more about overweight and obesity
visit:
http://how-to-loseweight-101.com/category/how-to-diet
http://www.how-to-loseweight-101.com/index1.html
Sue Bristol, R.N. says: "lose weight and lower your BMI" by burning your calories and if you are overweight then read this e-book how to lose weight.