Wednesday, October 26, 2011

My Opinion: On Food (Part 2)

I just accidentaly deleted part 2.

Part 2, Round 2

Food and Weight

1) Americans are unhealthy. Most people say it's because we are overweight because studies show that the majority of the overweight people are the unhealthy people. Americans are overweight. However, I am not convinced that it is always the weight that is making us unhealthy, but the habits that are causing the extra pounds might just be causing the unhealthy bodies as well. I have witnessed a large amount of jaw-dropping eating habits. I'm not talking about one meal. I'm talking habits. And with these habits, it's no wonder we are in a health care crisis.

2) I don't think it is going to be fixed with a diet plan. Some diet plans are worth looking at, with caution, but keep in mind they want to make money. A heck of a lot of money can be made on fad diets.

3) Weight loss diets that swear by a particular way of eating and knock all others should be considered with extreme caution. I'll bet I can show you a healthy person that eats exactly the way that diet shuns.
Some people say the vegetarian diet is the best for them, others swear by high protein. Diets can get as heated as politics.

4) I don't think we will get healthier by focusing on the composition of our foods (primarily speaking). I think it has more to do with lifestyle and attitudes. We are wealthy enough to eat when we want and many times what we want, and we don't have discipline. We are emotional. The advertising industry knows this and takes advantage of it, from both ends. They get us to eat the foods we shouldn't, then convinces us to pay a lot of money to lose the fat we gained from eating those foods. So we lose 20 pounds in two weeks and then gain 30 back.

5) Various socio-economical groups of people tend to starve and feast. Busy working class (ahhhem.. or moms) get too involved, skip meals, grab fast or processed foods, and wait to eat until the next time they are famished. Beauty concerned people diet....yo-yo style. Poverty level skip meals and stock up on filling, high calorie, low nourishing foods to survive. Generally speaking, of course. Certain fasts can be healthy. The habit of meal skipping is not.

6) When studying diets, I see a lot of criticism of registered dietitians. Mainly because of the amount of carbs they encourage. I think I read things with an open mind. I want to know what is best and just because I was taught a certain way- if it is wrong, it's wrong. On one hand I get that the medical field does not tailor to individual needs. It tailors to the majority, based on studies. It comes at you with, "I'm going to recommend this meal plan because according to such and such study, it is most likely to work for you. And if I recommend this, that is also recommended by this research based article and the USDA, I won't get sued." Or something like that.

On the other hand, pleeeeeeeaaaaaseeee!!!!! Do you really think I will weigh your over priced food every single meal for the rest of my life? Do you think I will never eat a candy bar or, heck, a serving of brown rice ever again? Do you think that with a family of 6 I can afford your high protein, grass fed, purely organic menus? DO YOU REALLY think I have the time to make every little touch to my full coarse meals from it's most simple, unprocessed form? Impossible.

Dietitians are trained to help the masses. Diets don't cater to normal families. It's not healthy for a mom or dad to sit there eating a salad while the kiddos gobble up steak and potatoes in the name of weight loss. Sorry folks, but if one person needs to lose weight, all need to change lifestyles. That's why balance is the key. And one more thing. Even if you think you are eating the most perfect meal plan ever invented, someone will counter that.

Hospitals work the same way. I have not found an Atkins or Primal hospital yet, and though they may cater to you in the name of customer service, it will not be default diet plan.

7) But then again, healthy eating must be a priority- for our health. It helps the kids in school, it improves our quality of life, our productivity, and our attitudes. I think weight should be considered, but not a primary reason for changing eating behaviors. There is the high calorie, low nutrient, fully processed lifestyle on one end, and there is the incredibly expensive, time consuming, super duper healthy on the other. If you can do the super duper healthy option, good for you. The majority cannot.

If you are wanting to lose weight for the sake of looking great, may I suggest opting for a new hairstyle or dress. All sizes of people can be beautiful. If you want to be healthier and feel better, might I suggest changing a few lifestyle habits and you might just be surprised at how your body responds.

No comments:

Post a Comment