Obesity in the U.S.
Obesity plagues about 35% of adults and 17% of children in the United States. Poor diet and lack of exercise contribute mostly to this problem. Due to your “on the go” lifestyle and the convenience of fast food you are like a lot of the population. Here are some easy ideas that may help you change all of that. o Stay away from that favorite burger joint. It is easier and more convenient to stop and pick up a meal for the family than it is to take the time to cook a meal at home. What people sometimes neglect to think about is the abundance of calories and fatty acids that contaminate these conveniently fixed meals. Many healthy meals are easy to prepare and also saves money. o Snack on fruits and vegetables. Instead of chips and other snacks such as candy bars and Little Debbie’s cakes, eat a banana, apple, carrot, or a stalk of celery.
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It is very important to control your portion size. This enables you to control your calorie intake which will help you lose weight. You do not have to “pile your plate” to eat a good meal. o Drink water instead of sodas. Sodas are full of empty calories. This means that they have no nutritional value. Water, on the other hand, has 0 calories. Water also helps your body flush out toxins, speed up digestion, and assist in weight loss. o Construct a meal planner and make a daily menu to follow. There are many sites on the internet such as www.Myplate.gov that offers numerous tools such as, meal planners, calorie trackers, and food labels at your disposal. It makes it easy for you to control what you eat. o You need to be more active. Exercise, walk the dog, or just go outside and play with your kids for at least 30 minutes a day. Staying active burns the calories that you intake. Weight is gained when you intake more calories than you burn. So don’t be a “couch potato”, get up and be active. You can find more ways to stay active on websites like www.mayoclinic.org and