We need to do something about our sedentary lives. With the introduction of computers, videogames, remote controls and 24 hours TV programming, we are moving less and less. Lack of physical activity is a major cause of weight gain.
Five years ago the federal government's Center for Disease Control rang the alarm bell about America's obesity epidemic. About a third of Americans are obese, and two thirds are overweight. Efforts in the past five years to combat the epidemic have not yielded any positive results. This is a serious public health issue. Studies link obesity with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, which are the main killers of Americans.
In 2000, individuals who were overweight or obese spent more than $35 billion a year on weight loss products and services. That figure - and the nation's collective waistline – have expanded since then. Americans are trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain by buying videos, books, dietary supplements or any other product promising miraculous results. But if federal action is not taken immediately, the problem will get worse and worse.
According to the CDC, physical inactivity and nutritional deficiencies are the cause of the obesity epidemic, and only lifestyle changes can guarantee healthier lives and leaner bodies.
Lifestyle changes required to keep a desirable weight and prevent the diseases linked to obesity - such as heart ailments and diabetes - include eating fewer calories, consuming less processed food, being more physically active and reducing stress levels. But individuals alone cannot shoulder all the responsibility.
School policies regarding physical education, laws and guidelines for the food industry, including certain control over the number of calories per plate in a menu, and even regulations preventing publication of misleading claims about weight control are long past due.
In the last two decades, the number of overweight and obese children in America has doubled. As some American schools become increasingly concerned about academic standards, they devote less time and energy to physical education and physical activities in all their programs.
Schools can contribute greatly to curb the epidemic by introducing simple changes:
* School vending machines offering only single serving snacks with less than 300 calories and products that contain no high fructose syrup or preservatives
* Carbonated drinks will not be available during school hours
* Nutritional education can be enforced in schools
* Physical activity should be part of the instructional programs.
Legislation need to be passed considering stringent regulations for the food industry. There are chemicals in food, such as monoglutamate, that have been co-related to weight gain. Another problematic product is corn syrup. German researchers found a relationship between consuming high fructose corn syrup and weight gain. Fructose does not need insulin to enter cells and is easily stored as fat. Many processed foods and most sugary drinks contain corn syrup.
In the past five years, the food industry has used advertising to sell products based on their claimed potential to contribute to weight control or weight loss. For example, the National Dairy Council spent $200 million promoting the idea that milk helped to reduce weight. In June 2005, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed suit, contending the industry's advertisement was deceptive. The weight-loss campaign was based on studies conducted by Michael B. Zemel, a professor at the University of Tennessee. Who funded his research? The dairy industry.
In a 2002 report on the current trends in weight-loss advertising, a Federal Trade Commission staff group, with the assistance of the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management (consisting of experts from the scientific community, academia, health care, government, commercial enterprises and other organizations) examined false and misleading claims in the advertising of weight loss products and services.
They found that nearly 40 percent of the ads in their sample "made at least one representation that almost certainly is false." We have built a society that looks for easy, effortless solutions to difficult and complicated matters. But in our search for comfort we have paradoxically increased the risks to our health.