Friday, January 22, 2016

Nutritional Guidelines

I read yesterday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agricultural updated nutritional guidelines.  The goal is to encourage Americans to improve eating habits to reduce obesity and to prevent diseases such as Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.  I will share with you the five recommendations.

  • Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan.  Eating patterns are the combinations of foods and drinks that a person eats over time.
  • Focus on variety, nutrient dense foods and amount.
  • Limit calories from sugar and saturated fats, and reduce sodium intake.
  • Shift to healthier food and beverage choices
  • Support healthy eating patterns for all.

How many hundreds of thousands of dollars did this piece of wisdom cost us?  If this was really educational, we would not have the obesity problem leading to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.  Are most of the overweight or obese people such because they don't understand which foods are "nutrient dense" and how to "limit calories from sugar and saturated fat"?  I think we have a long way to go in educating our people about nutrition. It is a problem that crosses over all income brackets.   Until then, the best place to start is to read food labels or find a nutritionist to show the right path. 

Resource:  ACSM Sports Medicine Bulletin  Jan. 19, 2016