Beech Tree News Network

It’s the time of year when many of us begin to think about comfort foods and our favorite holiday dishes. Having recently been counseled by my physician, I am trying to make exercise a habit in my life and to choose healthier foods. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

Maria Rainer, a freelance writer, posted the following comment regarding dieting on a blog: “The answer is to eat what the body needs and desires rather than what we have trained our minds to want…. Much of Americans’ eating is fueled by compulsion…. Telling ourselves, ‘No, you can’t have that,’ is the surest way to binge on it later. We must educate ourselves and our children about nutrition and make peace with our inner and bodily selves.” Rainer’s insight about dieting is logical; she may be right. Determining what our bodies ‘need’ may be the hard part.

Some dieting statistics (http://www.inch-aweigh.com/dietstats.htm) specific to the United States are surprising. Americans spend over forty billion dollars a year on dieting and diet-related products. On any given day, one in four men in America is on a diet while almost half of the women in America are on a diet. In the United States, one million males struggle with eating disorders and borderline conditions while between five to ten million females struggle with these conditions. And, almost half of American children between first and third grades say they want to be thinner.
Since 1910, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has kept track of the amounts of meat, potatoes, milk, sugar, and other foods that leave the nation's warehouses each year. These numbers are valid for year-to-year comparisons. In 2000, the following trends were noted:
•    The use of sweeteners was up.
•    Consumption of meat, poultry and fish had increased. Chicken accounted for most of the increase while beef had fallen.
•    Egg consumption had fallen somewhat.
•    The top beverage was soda.
•    Fresh fruit and vegetable consumption was up.
•    Flour, grain and bean consumption was down from 1910, but up from 1970.
•    Added fats and oils were up from 1970, but down from the 1993 peak.
•    Whole and 2% milk consumption had fallen while 1% and skim milk consumption had increased.
•    Dairy product consumption had increased.
The U.S.D.A. has stated, “You will lose weight when the calories you eat and drink are less than the calories you burn.” To move to a healthier weight, they encourage people to (a) learn what to eat from each food group, (b) focus on watching portion sizes, (c) choose “nutrient-dense” forms of foods (packed with nutrients, but low on extras that add calories), (d) get moving, (e) track food intake and physical activity, and (f) check weight weekly (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/STEPS/stepstoahealthierweight.html).

My fight against obesity is not a new fight: I’ve been fighting weight gain for two decades – and slowly losing. Creating new habits – exercising and eating nutritiously – requires continuous focus and determination. Can I do it? Ask me in six months.