Weighty Issues

The statistics for much of America's population are ominous. Two out of three adult Americans are overweight and one-third of the adult population is obese. Diabetes often accompanies obesity and it too is rising. A lot of effort has gone into educating the public about the dangers of being overweight, and people have responded by trying to slim down. Many now believe that "thin" is healthy and use a wide variety of techniques, including bariatric surgery, to help take off the weight. Weight loss cannot be simply calorie counting or portion control, but must include attention to the actual foods that are chosen for consumption: are they fresh or packages, plant or animal, chemical or other?


So much of the American way of living, and in particular - eating - is focused on being able to have what we want quickly, conveniently, and with some measure of entertainment. The fast food lifestyle has become normal and expected. Children are considered deprived if parents do not take them to a McDonald's type meal at least once per week, and many eat there daily. We are creating a nutritionally lost generation that is truly ignorant of the presence and value of whole, fresh, plant-based foods.

There are so many weight-loss programs offered to many who are curious and desperate. There wouldn't be so many diets to choose from if any of those diets actually worked long-term! The key point of any "diet" is that it is expected to be a "quick-fix" solution to reach a weight-loss goal; substituting one bad eating habit for another is not health supporting. Diets are more likely to contribute to increasing disease risk in one's lifetime because calculated weight loss is the focus instead of creating better health. The only way to truly manage and maintain healthy weight that keeps the body mass index well within normal ranges and generates better health is to focus on fresh, unprocessed plant-based foods as the normal way of eating. 

Consider an excerpt from the introduction of The Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010  http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htm

"The most important issue is that this set of guidelines is addressing an unhealthy American public for the first time," said Linda Van Horn of Northwestern University, chair of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. "The obesity epidemic is priority number one, and every single thing in this report is focused on addressing that problem up front."

American society has become 'obesogenic,' characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, nonhealthful foods, and physical inactivity. Policy and environmental change initiatives that make healthy choices in nutrition and physical activity available, affordable, and easy will likely prove most effective in combating obesity.

In our society, we've become accustomed to fast foods and fast fixes, rather than taking the path of long-term results. Constructing a healthy lifestyle must become the primary goal. Changing food habits to include fresh, unprocessed foods that are prepared into meals at home will do more for long-term health and well-being than counting calories. The real trick is learning to buy fresh foods at the grocery store, so that the choices available when one is hungry includes fresh fruit and vegetables and not simply packages, fast food, or snack foods. Adding daily moderate exercise will promote an even greater benefit! 

You will always feel full on a plant-based, whole food diet. It’s a diet that is packed with variety, flavor, nutrients needed for energy and is high in fiber, which will make you feel full faster and keep you satisfied longer. There is no need for calorie counting and the best part is the side effects of this diet that include: sustained and consistent weight loss, along with low incidences of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia and other conditions that limit the joy of living. A plant-based diet, part of a total lifestyle change, is the most successful way to shed excess weight, reverse existing conditions of ill health, prevent  disease, and allow for a more active life.  

Remember the statement: "An apple a day will keep the doctor away..."