The New USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the Obesity Epidemic
On February 10, 2011, the USDA released the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The latest guidelines do not have any major changes in the way the USDA thinks people should eat. Some adjustments were made, mainly emphasis on eating less added sugar, sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat, and to eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats.
We hear this advice constantly, and not just from the USDA. Nutritionists, dietitians, doctors, nurses, alternative health practitioners, health gurus and health nuts the world over are telling us to watch what we eat, and most important how much we eat.
Of all the diets out there, low carb, low fat, low sugar, raw foods, whole foods, and meal replacement systems, there is one thing to remember, reduce your total calorie intake. One pound is 3500 calories, reduce that many calories from your diet each week and off goes a pound a week. Does it matter what you eat? Some say yes, some say no.
Ever hear of the Twinkie diet? Mark Haub, a professor at the University of Kansas ate 1800 calories worth of junk food a day and lost 27 pounds. His cholesterol went down, and went back up when he started eating meat again. On the other hand, Morgan Spurlock documents fast food eating in the movie Supersize Me. For 30 days Spurlock eats nothing but fast food and when given the option to super size his meal he said yes. He gained almost 25 pounds, his cholesterol went up, as well as a host of other health issues, and it took him over a year to get back to the weight he started at.
A recent article about the global obesity epidemic cites increasing rates of obesity in many countries that previously did not have weight problems, including the Middle East and Europe. These global increases in weight are accompanied by global increases in cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. What is causing this, you might ask? Westernization of foreign countries and the advances of modern technologies, with fast foods and convenience foods increasing in popularity. People are shunning their native diets in favor of fast food or foreign foods. The same is happening in America, when immigrants stop eating their native foods and Americanize their diets.
These ‘new’ foods tend to be higher in calories and higher in fat, most of which is trans and/or saturated, coming from processed foods and meat. Diets native to African, Asian, and European countries are generally lower in animal protein, and higher in whole grains and fruits and vegetables. The global obesity problem is caused by greater calorie consumption. A calorie is a calorie, regardless of where it comes from. The bottom line that the USDA is trying to make for weight loss is to take in less calories than you need, make sure your calories come from nutritious food, and exercise.
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The End of Overeating by Michael Kessler MD, a book review
In his book, The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler explains to his readers that people have been brainwashed by their taste buds into eating too much on a regular basis. This is because we are addicted to salt, fat, and sugar because they make foods taste better. Most people will choose chili cheese fries over a plain baked potato or strawberry cheesecake flavored yogurt over the plain variety. The chili cheese and the oil used to fry the potato all hundreds of calories, the same goes for the sugar and flavorings added to the naturally sour plain yogurt. Dr. Kessler’s book teaches that by with time and effort and being very aware of every morsel eaten, these eating habits can be broken, portion control mastered, and addiction to salt, sugar, and fat can be overcome.
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Garlic-y Eggplant Dip
Prick two small eggplants with a fork and bake at 350 about 40 minutes, or until very soft. Wrap eggplant in foil until cool enough to handle. Peel eggplant, if desired, and put in a bowl. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and add to eggplant. Mash well with a fork or potato masher. Add more garlic if desired. Makes six servings.
Nutrition information: 46 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 11 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams sugar, 4 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.
Tags: calorie consumption, fast foods, native diets, obesity epidemic, obesity problem, supersize me, twinkie diet, weight loss
