"An Eating Epidemic"

A couple weeks ago the Columbus Dispatch published an article titled, "An Eating Epidemic", which discussed some of the many reasons why America is so darn obese and unhealthy. Here are some shocking points I pulled from the article:

- 30 years ago the Average American consumed ~2169 calories per day (Source: USDA). By 2008 that number had reached 2674 calories per day, which is an increase of about 23 percent!

- Everywhere we turn there is food. Literally. Think about it; candy at your local bank, vending machines located in just about all offices everywhere (with maybe one or two healthier choices), food at every pharmacy, gas station, and even home goods shops, food on TV, fast food or other restaurants within walking distance of just about any home, and food available to you at the click of a computer button or dial of a phone number.

- Car seats now come with food trays and one or two cup holders. Is this really necessary?? I can see it being important for long trips, but for the everyday errands? I think not.

- According to the journal of Health Affairs children snack almost three times a day on non-nutrient dense foods such as chips and candy. This is on top of their three square meals.

- American's concept of serving size is completely skewed. Restaurant serving sizes have increased significantly, and plate sizes have increased from ten wide inches 60 years ago, to about 12 or 13 inches wide currently. Research has shown that a larger plate size can cause a person to eat 20 percent more calories in one sitting.

- On the world market you can purchase 19,000 calories worth of sugar for $1. It's no wonder our food is full of sugar!

- Children ages 8-12 view an average of 21 food commercials a day, according to a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Have you seen commercials for foods that are geared towards children? They are powerful, and rarely are they advertising healthy foods.

- When people around us gain wait, so do we. When a person's spouse becomes obese, that person has a 37% increased chance of becoming obese themselves.

Want to hear something positive for a change? The CEO of SONY attended the National Association of Theatre Owner's annual convention in March, and do you know what his message was? He urged attendees to provide healthy food options at the movie theater, such as fruit cups, veggies and dip, yogurt, and granola bars. AWESOME idea! (Source: ADA Times)

Giveaway Update

Don't drink sugar, drink WATER! Check out this fantastic campaign and giveaway that is trying to advocate drinking more water, and less soda, etc. This is a step in the right direction. I love it.

Coming Up