Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each year on weight loss products. In fact, the opposite is true. The Center for Disease Control claims that at least 65% of adults are overweight or obese. With the growing list of woes associated with obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the weight problem in America has become a serious concern. Yet we continue to look to fad diets as the answer to this serious problem - as if living on bacon and eggs, cabbage soup, or low-calorie meal replacement drinks could ever be construed as a healthy solution.
A review of popular diet programs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stated that most weight loss programs offered little or no proof that participants were successful in loosing weight or keeping weight off in the long run. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stated that of the millions of people that diet, less than 5% of those who actually loose weight will be able to keep it off in the years to come. It has been surmised that a dieter may shed approximately 100 pounds in the course of a lifetime, but gain back 120 lbs. One benefit of weight loss organizations, however, was group support. Dieters who joined support groups appeared to loose more weight than those who decided to go it alone.
Fad diets themselves bring with them a plethora of health concerns. Restrictive low calorie diets can be self-defeating. The body's metabolism slows moving the system into energy conservation mode and holding on to every calorie for future use instead of burning it. Precious muscle mass is broken down, and low lethargy occurs. Low carbohydrate diets can result in dehydration and constipation. The risk of heart disease is escalated due to the increase of bad cholesterol found in animal fats. When nutritional integrity of the body is threatened due to the elimination of a particular food group, the dieter is at risk for many health problems including osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, immune system issues, electrolyte imbalances, and eating disorders. And with diets, as opposed to permanent lifestyle changes, the probability of gaining back what you have lost, and then some, is high.
In a culture obsessed with physical perfection perhaps we must evaluate how we think about weight in general. Are we dieting to be healthy, or just thin? If the later is the objective, then further investigation into dieting motivation may be necessary, but if health is the ultimate goal, then looking at lifestyle changes may the place to start. Are you an emotional eater, have a compulsive sweet tooth, or someone who eats out of boredom? Do you eat fresh foods or only things that come in a box, bag, or through a drive-up window? What is the overall condition of your health? Is your lifestyle sedentary or active? What type of physical activities do you enjoy? Questions like these help you build the foundation for creating a customized Non-Diet Diet - a common sense plan for living that will result weight loss, elevated energy levels, and improved health and well-being.
Quick fixes usually result in long term failures, and while the answer to America's weight problem may not come in the form of a magic diet, it need not be extremely complicated either. Maintaining a sensible meal plan, including complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables, and sweets in moderation, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy attitude regarding the weight/health connection may be the simple answer you've been looking for.
Deborah Martin is a writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. For more information regarding her Non-Diet Diet and other programs visit her website at http://www.dreamlearncreate.com .
no-contract cleaning service Glenview ..I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico... Read More
People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe... Read More
Much controversy and argument surrounds the idea that food may... Read More
Do you need omega 3 fatty acid in your diet?... Read More
All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More
I turned into my parents' driveway in Maryland and parked... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More
Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed... Read More
"To eat an apple before going to bed will make... Read More
The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from... Read More
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
We know we need to eat a minimum of 5... Read More
Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the... Read More
Who suffers from Eating Disorders?Eating Disorder sufferers are male and... Read More
Salt was used long before recorded history began. One of... Read More
Fibromyalgia is a chronic and potentially life-altering disorder with symptoms... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home... Read More
Are there any benefits to be obtained from drinking water... Read More
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More
Before the thirties, people knew the importance of mineral. Their... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More
house cleaning company Glencoe ..Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of... Read More
If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More
Almost every woman suffers with premenstrual syndrome at one time... Read More
The Human Body is in a constant flux with the... Read More
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this... Read More
If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
Ambrotose? - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
When you actually sit down and think about it, bottled... Read More
Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds... Read More
Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition program.... Read More
In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart... Read More
The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in... Read More
What Ever Happened to the Basic FourThe USDA was originally... Read More
Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables... Read More
Did you know that there might be poison in many... Read More
Just what is the "New Biology of Health?" And who's... Read More
What is the Atkins diet and how can it help... Read More
Most red and white meats are very fatty and are... Read More
A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements... Read More
Nutrition |