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ROADBLOCKS TO WELLNESS
Author: Suzanne MacDonald
Have you noticed that as we live in the 21st century, health and wellness is
becoming the 'in' thing. Ever wondered why, with the heightened awareness of
being healthy, 1 out of 2 Americans are overweight, and 1 out of 3 are obese. In
fact, 1 out of 5 children are obese. If we are all eating 99% fat free food, why are
more than 60% of the western world either obese or overweight?
There seems to be several roadblocks that make paving our way to wellness
difficult. They are real and they are working. Never before in our history have we
as a nation been so fat! And it's not just about how you look. It's about your life
and how long you will live.
Let's look at some of these roadblocks and how changing our thinking can help
pave the way to weight loss:
1. Marketing for profit not fact!
The snack food industry's main concern is profit. Last year alone the
snack food industry racked up billion in sales. Let's face it, when
taste and nutrition collide, taste always wins. These types of foods such as
soft drinks, potato chips, corn chips, peanuts, french fries, pretzels,
cookies or candy bars, where taste prevails and you can't just eat one are
know as trigger foods. This occurs at the expense of our health and
wellness. Nutritional research has documented that these types of foods,
high in carbohydrates, trigger the brain to crave more, thus the name
'trigger foods'. Trigger foods are a huge roadblock when trying to lose
weight and get healthy. Learn to have control over these foods rather than
allow them to control you.
2. Diet-hype!
Diets today are confusing! Creators of such diets will tell you anything to
sell you everything! One reason diets fail is because they may promise
something that doesn't really happen. They may offer a little secret that
you can do some trick like eliminate all sugars or fats and you'll keep the
weight off. When the weight doesn't come off it becomes frustrating and
discouraging. You move onto the next diet fad you've heard about and the
cycle starts over again. The fact is, there IS no secret to weight loss and
maintenance. If you are eating a diet with the appropriate protein
requirements and the right carbohydrates, avoiding trigger foods and
staying within your resting metabolic rate you will lose weight. It is
always about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.
3. Obscene proportions!
Have you ever noticed when you eat at a restaurant servings are no longer
a plateful but rather a platterful? Portions have exploded since the 70's.
There is constant competition in the restaurant industry today. Why are
portion sizes expanding? People may spend on a dinner but they want
to take home a doggie bag. They want a big portion so they feel they have
got their money's worth. Many would agree that if they went to a
restaurant and got a small portion, they would not be satisfied and would
likely go to another restaurant next time. This leads to constant
competition for quantities of food for low cost. And the cheapest way to
make more food is to add more hidden fat and sugar. In fast food
restaurants, supersized servings of french fries and sodas are often two to
five times larger than when they were first introduced. Jumbo portions
appeal to our pocketbooks, but assault our waistlines! It really contributes
to the obesity epidemic!
4. Unrealistic Expectations!
Fashion focuses on beauty, glamour and extreme thinness. Less than
10% of the population genetically fit the professional model height and
weight charts. Yet men and woman are sold this image everyday. They are
told this is normal, this is attainable, but it is a lie! It is psychologically
unhealthy. The fact is 70% of women feel depressed after looking at
pictures of models. When trying to reach a model-like shape as your goal
it often feels unattainable and impossible, it makes weight loss and
wellness more difficult and frustrating. Learn what your healthy weight
range for your height is and strive for that!
5. Instant Quick Fix Society!
Ironically, society is perhaps one of the biggest roadblocks to wellness
today. We live in a quick fix, lipo-suction, instant-coffee convenience
world. We are a society that craves fitness, beauty and loathe fatness. We
want instant, convenient results. We don't welcome delayed gratification.
Lipo-suction, while definitely helpful for some, in general terms is the
dieter's instant coffee. The truth is, quick fixes often are short term. For
example, on a typical diet, losing 45 pounds in 3 weeks is not nearly as
healthy as losing it more slowly and stands a better chance of being put
back on. Patience and understanding can be a virtue and mean permanent
wellness.
These roadblocks now find themselves not only in America but extending into
countries all around the world. Take a look at a few world wide facts:
Countries that traditionally had healthy diets, like Japan, now have an
incidence of obesity that has increased from 5% to 20%, suggesting that the
obesity epidemic doesn't solely lie in America.
In poor countries around the world, as soon as they are introduced to
American foods, the richer classes become obese and the poorer classes
remain malnourished. In fact, in some parts of Africa, obesity afflicts more
children than malnutrition! McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Hungry
Jacks, and Pizza Hut are only a few of the fast food companies leading
western countries into obesity.
There are 158,000,000 Type 2 diabetics in the world today. This disease is
closely related to obesity, because 95% of diabetics are obese. It is estimated
that in the next ten years, there will be 212,000,000 diabetics in the world
and 80% of all heart disease will occur in Type 2 diabetics.
Wellness is a way of life that changes everything; the way you feel, the way you
relate to people, the way you look, and how long you will be around for your
family. The problem is people don't know what to do. With these roadblocks they
are overwhelmed, they think there is no answer. The good news is there are
answers! Begin by educating yourself with a few health and nutrition tips. It
doesn't have to be difficult. Weight loss and wellness is a process that not only
gives you physical results but changes your thinking and ultimately your behavior
forever. With the right information, there is no roadblock strong enough to stop
you on your way to lasting good health!
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Suzanne is a weight loss and nutrition mentor. She is dedicated to helping others lose weight and take control of their own health through good nutrition. For a FREE weight loss profile and survey go to http://fitandtrim.net/?refid=AboutAuthors-24562 or for more information go to http://www.fitandtrim.net/information
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