Here are the highlights of the report:

1. More than two-thirds of states (38) have adult obesity rates above 25 percent. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.
2. Adult obesity rates for Blacks and Latinos were higher than for Whites in at least 40 states and the District of Columbia.
3. 10 out of the 11 states with the highest rates of obesity were in the South — with Mississippi weighing in with highest rates for all adults (33.8 percent) for the sixth year in a row.
4. 84 percent of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight, but research shows nearly one-third of children and teens are obese or overweight.
5. Adult obesity rates for Blacks topped 40 percent in nine states, 35 percent in 34 states, and 30 percent in 43 states and D.C.
6. Rates of adult obesity for Latinos were above 35 percent in two states (North Dakota and Tennessee) and at 30 percent and above in 19 states.
7. Northeastern and Western states had the lowest adult obesity rates; Colorado remained the lowest at 19.1 percent.
8. Oregon had the lowest rate of childhood obesity at 9.6%.

So my friends, what do all these reports tell us? Have any of the diet manipulations: low fat, high protein, complex carbohydrates and hundreds of diet books really had any effect? Or do we need to re analyze the problem? Are we as parents underestimating our children’s actual weight? Are we going to get people to stop eating at fast food restaurants? No! Should we start to work on the portion sizes of current diets, a resounding yes! Of course there are certain parts of our diets and nutrition knowledge that need correction. Yes- we need to cut out much of the saturated fats and replace them with monounsaturated and poly unsaturated fats. Yes- we need to use more fiber containing whole grains. That means cut out white processed starches. Yes- we need to cut back on our children’s sugar intake. Yes- we need to increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables. Yes- we need to eat more plant food and wild fish. Yes we need to consume low fat (or zero fat) dairy products. And a big yes- we need to exercise more.

My friends, let’s face it-the reality is that we are not going to get most people to change what they are doing. We can hope to get them to eat less of what they are eating. This would be a very good first step. So here is my first word of wisdom:

Eat less of what you are eating! Cut back on the portion sizes of every plate of food you are eating in a day by about 10%.

This will cut back on your calorie intake and over time will help you lose and maintain your weight. Yes I want you to follow the other tips above, but if you can do only one thing-cut back on the amount you are eating! Did you know that there are many studies showing an inverse relationship between total calorie intake and longevity? Well there are! So eat less, can you hear me? Say it with me, “I will eat less today!” Get some healthy items into your diets-eat more plant foods, fish, olive and canola oils, low fat dairy, and whole grains. And the “E” word-yes, my friends, exercise. Start with 10 minutes day. Take Ten.

My friends, stay fit and healthy The New Nerdel Way.

So when my doctor told me to “take ten,” I realized that he was right. Yea, I know it’s not a lot. But ten minutes a day is do-able!  I want to do 90 minutes. I really love working out in the gym and running on the treadmill. I used to play tennis nonstop and practice karate but a shoulder and hand injury changed that. So I am left with the gym. But my friends, I must tell you, with my lifestyle, writing, traveling, sometimes I can spare ten minutes- not 30 or 60 and definitely not 90. In fact I don’t know who does 90. Wait, I do-high school, college and professional athletes spend lots of time exercising in their particular sports. And I see many people running on the street. So I guess there are those that do spend a lot of time exercising. That’s great. But for most of us, it’s not a reality. Many of my friends even dislike exercising. That’s why I feel strongly that kids in school should be exposed to individual type of fitness/exercise activities like Tai Chi, Yoga, Karate, Dance and even working out in a gym. If kids are exposed at an early age, they may find a sport that they like to do and will do it when they get older. And they won’t grow up like many people and “hate” exercise. Team sports are great, but not for everyone. We need to give kids an opportunity to learn a fitness activity they will do for life. For example, if you go to San Francisco, Vancouver or China, you will see hundreds of elderly (and young as well) Chinese, practicing the martial art of Tai Chi. It’s beautiful to watch. It’s physical. It’s self defense. It helps arthritis. It helps the heart. Why not teach our kids this?

So my friends “Take Ten!” You can find ten minutes to walk, run, dance, hula-hoop-whatever! If you can spend more time, per the recommendations, great. But do the ten! It’s good for you.

Stay fit and healthy The New Nerdel Way.   And by the way, Happy Memorial Day-the day we honor all of those that served and died while in the military.   

Guidelines for healthy adults under age 65

Basic recommendations from ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) and AHA (American Heart Association):

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.

To read the complete set of exercise guidelines, please visit the ACSM.

May 31, 2010: Well my friends, as usual, yours truly got the beat on the latest study to come out today by Dr. Robert Gerszten of Massachusetts General Hospital  who found that:

Ten minutes of brisk exercise triggers metabolic changes that last at least an hour.

So you see, maybe “Ten Minutes” is really the new 60!! So why are you still sitting there-get up and move it!!