Healthy Diet and Nutrition Tips :: Papers

People in America are becoming more and more overweight. They are lacking information about nutrition. They don't know that certain foods can prevent certain diseases. Here's some information to help you understand the importance of eating and dieting right. OBESITY IN AMERICA It seems that in today's society, families are too busy to sit down and eat dinner at the table like a family. The parents are too busy with work, and the children have after school activities. So they just grab something quick to eat through the drive through at their local McDonalds, and don't even think twice about the lack of nutrition they are receiving. "Today, approximately 35 percent of women and 31 percent of men age 20 and older are considered obese, up from approximately 30 percent and 25 percent, respectively, in 1980" (Losing Weight Safely, '1). "Men with more than 25 percent and women with more than 30 percent body fat are considered obese" (Losing Weight Safely,'1). This is an outrageous number. If people would just take a little time out of their day to watch what they eat, the people of this country would be some much healthier. "Fifty-eight million American adults ages 20 through 74 are overweight, and the number of overweight Americans increased from 25 to 33 per cent between 1980 and 1991". "One in five children are at risk of being overweight. Ten percent of children are overweight or obese. The number of overweight children had doubled over that past 15 years, and 70 percent of overweight children aged 10 to 13 will be overweight and obese adults." (President Clinton releases new dietary guidelines, '1). "Obesity is a risk factor for diseases such as coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke, and diabetes" Clintons, '1). The children of America need to be taken care of now so that later in life they won't have any medical problems. NUTRITON AND HOW IT CAN PREVENT DISEASES Nutrition is an everyday thing that people take lightly. They believe that it won't affect them one way or another. But it does. The first step in healthy nutrition should be to follow the food pyramid. It consists of (1) bread, cereal, pasta, rice; (2) vegetables; (3) fruits; (4) milk, yogurt and cheese; and (5) meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. A sixth group (fats, oils, and sweets) should be eaten in moderation. " By law, most food labels now must display a Nutrition Facts panel containing information about how the food can fit into an overall daily diet.