The topic of weight loss has been around forever and based on our nation's current lifestyles, will continue indefinitely.  And for the record, I AM one of the majority; I'm one of the two-thirds of Americans  who are overweight or obese.   I struggle with my weight, eating right, and sticking to an exercise routine for more than a couple weeks at a time.   Trust me, when I say, it is much easier said than done.  I believe a good percentage of people are similar to me, in that they understand what they need to do to become healthier (and lose weight) but they just can not seem to give that 100% commitment or they fall off the proverbial diet plan bandwagon, throw their arms up in the air in disgust, and just give up until they have, once again, gained all the weight back. 

So...  How in the world did we get here?

Well,  I'd say we had quite a bit of help.  I believe the FDA and their food pyramid has led us down the wrong path.  The food industry and their marketing of 'low fat' and 'enriched' products has also drawn many into a false sense of nutrition.  Don't forget the (fast food) restaurant industry with their out of control portion sizes.  Although, I will say, some are now trying to make up for past transgressions with healthier menu selections.  Who else?  You can add the diet aid industry to the list.  The statistics show the majority of us will fail in our weight loss efforts and regain the weight back.  The fitness and diet aid industry is well aware of that statistic.  They know their demographics inside and out.  Finally, you can not forget you and I.  We are as much responsible as anyone else is.  We willingly place the bread, pasta, chips, cereals, and sweets into our mouths.  You can not tell me, that, at any point in time, you've ever believed those hoho's, chips, or donuts were nutritious. 

Food Pyramid
The FDA Food Pyramid suggests we should eat between six and eleven servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta - foods produced from grains.  The majority of these food's base ingredients have been processed, during which, the majority of the natural nutrients are lost.  Many 'whole grain' products are also processed to the point of no longer containing natural nutrients, so don't let the 'whole grain' label fool you.  Besides, grain products react no differently than sugars do in your body.  They cause your insulin levels to rise in efforts to control the amount of sugars in your blood stream.  Stated simply, they break down into simple sugars just like a bowl of ice cream would.  In fact, the bowl of ice cream my even be healthier for you because it has milk and cream in it.  Now don't run out and start eating ice cream by the truckload just because I said it may be healthier than bread or pasta.  The simple fact is that neither are really 'good' for you.  It's just a matter of comparing two foods low on the nutritional totem pole to make a point.  So what foods should be at the bottom of the food pyramid?  I would say vegetables, broken down into two sections, cooked and uncooked. 

Food Industry
I am sure many of you have now seen the reports on 'low fat' foods.  In the last few months, the 'low fat' marketing ploy has been publicized via many mediums - magazine, internet, even television.  As one example, ice cream low in fat does not equate to healthier.  The taste associated with the fat loss (less cream) has to be replaced and is generally done with sugar, which, as far as I'm concerned, is much worse for you than the fat you would have received from the cream.  Plus, the calorie count is rarely much less than when eating the full fat version.  The other major gimmick we have fallen prey to is the word 'enriched'.  Common sense needs to prevail here. Do you really think that cereal 'enriched' with 16 vitamins and minerals is good for you?.  Let's think about this...  What happens to much of the vitamin and mineral content of food when you cook or process it?  Right, it goes bye-bye.  So after the grains have been stripped of their natural vitamins and minerals (via processing), the manufacturers 'enrich' their grains with vitamins and minerals.  Now they can claim their products have been enriched.  But doesn't everything get cooked, baked, or boiled again?  Bye, bye added nutrients.  I'm sure there are many who would argue with me on this point.  Even if you don't agree with me, you can not argue with how your body reacts to grain products.  Talk about a double negative. 

Restaurant Industry
This certainly has been the decade of 'super size', 'upsize', 'king size'...  Whatever the term, these overly large portions certainly have not taught us anything about portion control.  When we dine in finer restaurants, we also run across those who serve portions of incredible size.  Large portion size isn't the only culprit here though, the almighty dollar seems to play a role also.  We eat well past the point of being full because we believe we need to get our money's worth and it almost always prevails over our health sense.   Please remember, just because we are served a large portion of food, does not mean we have to eat all of  it in one sitting.  By the way, getting up to use the restroom in the middle of dinner does not equate to two sittings. 

Diet Aid Industry
Now I have to give credit where credit is due.  A certain percentage of the Diet Aid Industry really does have our best interests at heart and is truly interested in helping us lose weight and become healthy.  But, it is painfully obvious, that there is a large portion of the industry who is well aware of the diet failure statistics and count on that.  They sell you 'miracle' cures.  Only five minutes a day and you will have ripped abs just like me or lose 30 pounds in 30 days with our amazing pill or patch - and best yet, you can eat whatever you want.  Have you seen these advertisements?  I have.  There is no miracle cure and deep down inside we all know it.  We, as a society, have made it easy for the manufacturers to take advantage of us though.  Today it seems everyone is looking for instant results - in other words, a 'miracle' cure.  Sure, these 'miracle' cures they help you lose those first five to ten pounds of  mostly water weight.  Then when the weight loss slows down, people tend to give up, only to gain the weight back and thus begin the search for another 'miracle' cure.   It's a very profitable cycle for the Diet Aid Industry.

You and I
When all is said and done, responsibility for our weight epidemic has to ultimately lie on our own shoulders.  No one tied us up and force fed us.  We consciously made decisions to place the food of our choosing into our mouths.  We need to forget the excuses and take responsibility.  I know there is a percentage of people who have difficulties losing weight for various medical reasons.  Thyroid disease is probably the most prevalent.  If you have not read November's feature article on Thyroid Disease please do so.  Bottom line, you need to take responsibility for your own actions and decide it is time to do something about your current state of health.  Nothing will happen until you take responsibility and make a firm commitment to change.

Inspirational Quotes

---