Tuesday, February 08, 2011

The Obesity Epidemic Requires New Dietary Guidelines

More than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the latest information from the Department of Health and Human Services. As a result, we have been given new guildelines to follow in order to cut the fat.

I guess this is where I should say "Thanks mom and dad for contributing to my weight issues. I remember all those times you told me to eat ALL the food on my plate and I was forced to obey."

The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.

The new guidelines offers these tips:

Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines is available at www.dietaryguidelines.gov.

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