Jul
11
2011
Hello my fans and yes, we are getting fatter. A report released this past Thursday, July 7th, 2011
F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future*, reveals that the obesity rates across America are increasing. That’s right, there are more obese individuals in 16 states than in 2010. And there was no state in the United States, that reported a decline in obesity rates. Yes, we are all getting fatting-well most of us!
Here are the percentage of obese adults in all 50 states-see it for yourself**:
|
State
|
%
|
|
State
|
%
|
|
Mississippi
|
34.4
|
|
Maine
|
26.5
|
|
Alabama
|
32.3
|
|
Washington
|
26.4
|
|
West Virginia
|
32.2
|
|
Florida
|
26.1
|
|
Tennessee
|
31.9
|
|
Alaska
|
25.9
|
|
Louisiana
|
31.6
|
|
Virginia
|
25.9
|
|
Kentucky
|
31.5
|
|
Idaho
|
25.7
|
|
Oklahoma
|
31.4
|
|
New Hampshire
|
25.6
|
|
South Carolina
|
30.9
|
|
New Mexico
|
25.6
|
|
Arkansas
|
30.6
|
|
Arizona
|
25.4
|
|
Michigan
|
30.5
|
|
Oregon
|
25.4
|
|
Missouri
|
30.3
|
|
Wyoming
|
25.4
|
|
Texas
|
30.1
|
|
Minnesota
|
25.3
|
|
Ohio
|
|
...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Feb
11
2011
Well, there it is my friends. The reports are finally out-over a half billion of us-that’s right us-the people and residents of planet Earth, are obese. And this represents a doubling since 1980. These studies, led by researcher Majid Ezzati of the Imperial College of London and Harvard University, were published recently in the Lancet journal. And you know what happens with 500 million people with obesity? You are right again-a rise in the secondary medical problems that result from the obesity like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Can you imagine a rising population of people with heart problems and diabetes? Our medical system will be overloaded with new patients. Not to mention-seeing many young obese individuals that develop secondary problems earlier and prior to adulthood. It’s catastrophic. What can be done? Cutting portion sizes and increasing exercise will help. Our medical treatment for elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol is getting better. But that won’t stop the tidal wave of kids and adults that will develop these problems. Maybe we should all feel better that we can treat these secondary problems effectively. But we really need to focus on primary prevention. We need to start the nutrition and fitness education at an early- preschool age and continue this until adult hood. We need to teach our young generation of kids how to eat, what to eat that ...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Dec
25
2010
Happy holidays to all my friends. I was reviewing many news stories on nutrition and fitness and decided to devote this column to one of the most teachable items that we all encounter-the nutrition label. Yes, that’s right, the label found on virtually every food item. You know, the one that tells us how many calories are in a serving, how many servings are in a container, how many grams of salt, fat, protein and carbohydrates the item contains. Come on, you all know what I am talking about. Well, this label is a wonderful way to teach children about food. Not to mention, a means to educate ourselves. And if we can teach our children what a serving size is, and how many calories are in a serving, we can enlighten and empower our youth to understand what and how much they should be eating and it will be a tool for making good food choices throughout their lives.
Let’s go over some nutrition label factoids:
The serving size: One package may contain more than one serving — so encourage your child to use the serving size on the label to discover the total number of calories and nutrients per package.
The calories: look at the amount of calories in one serving. Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food. Remember, most diets for ...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Oct
12
2010
I am back, my friends after a brief respite. Since my last column, I have had many long hours to read the papers, journals and listen to the chatter. So I guess that means I am ready to resume my ranting. Are you ready?
Well, this week’s column pertains to those derogatory and disparaging names that we hear all the time: terms like fat, obese, and overweight. That’s right, I am taking this time to discuss the categories that most of us feel we fit into. Many research studies point out that we don’t appropriately categorize our own body type. And in fact we don’t do it for our children either. Many overweight people consider themselves in the normal weight range. Individuals that are obese and even morbidly obese consider themselves a “bit overweight.” So is being fat the new “normal”? What really is in a name?
When was the last time you looked at your child and felt he or she was “obese,” or even “overweight?” And certainly we never would call our kids fat! Or have anyone call them fat for that matter! Do we as parents look at ourselves or our children based on the BMI scale? I don't think so. I can recall my mom calling me “chunky.” That didn’t make me feel any better, ...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Oct
07
2010
Pronunciation - (făt)
a. an adjective - plump, flabby, chunky, overweight, obese. You need a fresh start to help your heart. The opposite of fit and trim, not the opposite of thin. Not a nice thing to call a friend. Remember, if you have friends who are not fit and trim don’t tease them or taunt them, or make them feel sad. Help your friends to eat right and exercise. They want to be fit and healthy too. It’s never too late to start eating right and adding a fitness plan to your day. Get fit and eat healthy the New Nerdel Way.
n. a noun - Fat is a solid or liquid oil from vegetables or animals. It can be found in the “adipose tissue of people and animals and also in plants in their seeds, fruits and nuts. We need fat in our diets, but we need good fats and we need them in moderation. Fat is where our energy is stored when we eat too much. It is the energy hotel. If that hotel gets to full, then the doors start to bulge. Different fats are called different names. Good fats are monounsaturated like olive oil and omega fatty acids from fish. Saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature like butter and fat from meats and chicken, are not as good for your heart. Trans fats are fats that ...
Posted in: Nerdel's Words
Jul
14
2010
As you read in my article on The New Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Part 1, the new guidelines offer many differences and some similarities to the 2005 DGA. There are encouragements to eat more good mono and poly unsaturated fats (e.g. fish and plant varieties) over their bad cousins-the saturated fats (meats, poultry and dairy). There is more emphasis on eating whole grain products (e.g. brown rice, whole grain breads and pastas) over the refined and processed white starches. There is a new buzz word that has emerged from these guidelines-the SoFAS-solid fats (animal fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils) and added sugars (sugars and syrups and other caloric sweeteners added to foods during processing, preparation or consumed separately), which according to the statistics, have contributed to 35% of the total calorie (energy) intake of all Americans. These SoFAS are said to be responsible for the overconsumption of saturated fats, cholesterol, and added sugars and have taken the place of the important dietary fibers and nutrients (like vitamin D, calcium, potassium and unsaturated fatty acids like omega-3s) in the diet. There is a recognition that portion control in the home and at restaurants needs to be monitored and is responsible for the overconsumption of calories. In fact, restaurants and the food industry are being encouraged to offer lower calorie, foods with lower SoFAS, portion ...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Jul
06
2010
I can’t believe how quick five years has been. The last Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 (DGA 2005) came out five years ago. And now here comes the 2010 report. Does everyone reading this article know what I am talking about? Okay-let’s review. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a joint project between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to provide advice for people (two years and older), on how and what to eat, and how good nutrition and fitness (physical activity) can help promote good health and reduce the risk of major diseases. Information about choosing a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, achieving adequate exercise (part of the Physical Activity Guidelies for Americans), and food safety were all included in the 2005 report. The committee that makes these recommendations is composed of experts in the fields of nutrition, exercise, medicine and science. The committee takes into consideration many factors including the current status of chronic diseases in our society like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and bones loss. The current levels of physical activity, obesity, food insecurity and nutrient ...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Feb
23
2010
Okay, let’s review: what do we know so far? A. We know that obesity is an extra accumulation of fat. B. We know that the problem is coming from an imbalance-more energy in the form of calories (food) coming into the body-our children are eating more and not enough energy (calories) being burned off-not enough exercise. C. We know that a pediatrician and researcher uses the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a way to identify weight problems in children-a way to measure your child’s weight against other children of the same age and sex and tell us whether he or she is at risk; D. We know that there are lots of consequences from being obese-heart disease, arthritis, sleep apnea and psychological problems and finally, E. We know that President Obama said that 30 percent of our children are either overweight or obese .So what’s next? Are we all sure we know whether our children are obese or just overweight? And what do we do to solve this problem? Class, let’s continue our journey-now Part two:
Overweight vs. Obese: (CDC) These are terms used to classify kids and adults and based on Body Mass Index (BMI-height and weight). BMI for kids and teens takes into account growth changes, differences in body fat between boys and girls. BMI calculator for Child and Teen. So go to your pediatrician’s (or primary ...
Posted in: Editor's Page, Home
Sep
01
2009
What can we do? Well as you may have noticed, in various parts of the country (e.g. New York), restaurants have had to stop using trans-fats and have had to reveal the nutritional information about their foods. Some have been providing this information already, but you have to ask for it. Who ever goes up to the counter and says, “I'll have a burger, fries, a shake-and by the way can you tell me how many grams of fat that is?” Of course we don't. In fact, have you ever asked this question before sitting down to a family meal, “Mom, how many calories are in the turkey and gravy tonight? And by the way mom, can I have some low fat, low sugar and low salt salad dressing, please?”, for most of us, probably never. But maybe we should!!
“Sorry mom, but excess saturated fat is associated with heart disease, too much sodium can give me high blood pressure and well, too much the sugar will give me diabetes. And mom, I can't fit into my clothes! Mom, get with the program!!”
Have any of you heard about a bill in the U.S. Congress called H.R. 3895: Meal Act? Repeat after me, M E A L. You all should be aware of this one. It was introduced on October 18, 2007 by Rep. Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut. Called the Menu Education ...
Posted in: Editor's Page
