What’s Ailing America?

Until now, the mortality rate has been at a continuous up rise since the 1970’s. Today more Americans are experiencing higher levels of stress with busier lifestyles, leaving little time to care for themselves. An epidemic of heart disease, metabolic diseases, high blood pressure and obesity are at an all time high. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination, a survey showed more than one-third of U.S. adults were obese in 2005 and 2006, 33.3% were men and 35.3% were women. The CDC says 1 in 3 adults have high blood pressure and 31% of them are not aware they have it. In the same year, American Heart Association estimated more than 80,600,000 men; women and children in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. In 2005, the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases gave and alarming statistic of 20.8 million people in the United States have diabetes with 6.2 million not aware they have the disease. In our society today, why has this become a problem, when there are more choices of non-fat, fat-free and trans-fat-free foods? Are we missing something?

There are several contributing factors to this epidemic, first the lack of exercise. Technology has made life easier with the result of more adults and children becoming sedentary. Computers and the internet have made multitasking a cinch. Paying your bills online is very common. In addition, you can send typed letters and attachments to people via the internet (email) without ever having to walk to the mailbox. Children and teens are spending more time in doors playing Nintendo and Xbox games instead of outdoor activities. In October 2007 NPD Inc., a marketing and research group, took an online survey from 3,474 members. The results showed young teens from the ages of 12-17 years of age spending as much as 10 hours per week playing computer or video games. Thirdly, we live in a fast food society where everyone eats on the go. Most intact homes have two parents working, who don’t have the time to cook nutritious homemade meals, so they resort to precooked or processed foods that are high in sodium or other unhealthy ingredients. The average adult is consuming more than 2500 mg of sodium a day. This is a problem when the recommended daily allowance should be under 2400mg and no more than 1500mg for people with high blood pressure. These types of foods also contain a high percentage of saturated fats. Fourthly, Americans are choosing to buy food items that are labeled fat-free, sugar-free or trans-fat-free, this is not always the case. These food items may contain a higher amount of other unhealthy ingredient to substitute what the food is lacking. A large number of trans-fat-free food products still contain a small percentage of a very unhealthy fat. For instance, look at the ingredients of a food product labeled, “no-trans-fats”, if you find the words, partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils and shortening, it still contains the culprit. The FDA allows a daily allowance of 2 grams of trans fats a day. Such a small amount has been showed in a study of 140,000 subjects to increase the incidence of coronary heart disease by 23%. Trans fats should be avoided whenever possible.



What’s the solution? Take time and read food labels. Although the labeling on food products maybe tricky, the FDA has made nutrition labels more legible. Most food labels show the amount of nutrients you are getting in a particular food product. In addition, you’ll find a breakdown of the percentage of nutrients in a particular food item that goes toward your daily allowance based on a 2000-calorie diet. Labels are also telling us if a food product is high in sugar or lacks in fiber. Parents can set better examples to their children by making healthier food choices. An example would be to have your child pick a vegetable at the grocery store to try at dinnertime. Next, allow your child to take part in preparing and cooking the vegetable. This helps the child feel more in control of what they’re eating. Parents can also make eating healthy fun for their child by making food characters. For instance, try slicing an apple in half and coring it; next spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on each half, then add two small slices of bananas for eyes and a few raisins to make a mouth.

As a Personal Trainer/ Health Coach, I’ve worked several years in the health and fitness industry. Guiding people along to help them make better nutritional choices and incorporate exercise into their daily lives by taking small steps. Research has shown that exercising for as little as 20-30minutes a day can make you healthier. If you’re really unfit an struggle with a full 30 minutes of exercise, this can be broken down into 2-3
10-minute exercise sessions and still provide health benefits. Eating five small healthy meals a day that include several servings of fruits and vegetables can actually help speed up your metabolism, versus skipping meals. When we skip meals the body tends to store those calories because it’s not being nourished regularly. On the other hand, when the body is being nourished regularly it uses those calories as they come, thus speeding up the metabolism. However, if you exceed the amount of calories your body needs on a daily bases, this can backfire causing weight gain. The key is to stay active and eat healthy.

Longevity is still at an up rise for those who practice a healthy lifestyle and make nutritious food choices. Those individuals can expect to live into their 80’s. On the other hand if Americans don’t start holding themselves accountable by making lifestyle changes for the better, the result will be a poorer quality of life and a premature death with a life expectancy of around 30% less.