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What We Think vs. What We Do: America's Nutritional Evolution

WHAT WE THINK VS WHAT WE DO AMERICA'S NUTRITION EVOLUTION Over the years, the official statements on what a nutritionally balanced diet entails have shifted and continually developed. The Standard American Diet-what most people actually eat compared to what they are supposed to eat - doesn't always reflect the nutritional ideals experts have in place. Let's take a look at our official nutrition history, and see what we can learn from it: THE STANDARD AMERICAN/ WESTERN PATTERN DIET (WHY THERE'S A NEED FOR A FOOD GUIDE) Per capita consumption of calories INCREASED BY NEARLY 25% between 1970 and 2008 Western Pattern Diet has been found to cause OBESITY, FATAL HEART DISEASE, CANCER, AND DIABETES Adult obesity has increased from 15% of the population to over 30% OF THE POPULATION in this timeframe Diabetes is also on the increase – if current trends continue, 1 IN 3 PEOPLE will have diabetes by 2050 75% 10% of America's restaurant of our caloric intake comes meals are fast food from high-fructose corn syrup The Western Pattern Diet does not have enough VEGETABLE, FRUIT, LEAN OR NUTRIENT-DENSE CHOICES within the food groups; it typically consists of: 15% PROTEIN 50% CARBS 35 % FAT TYPICAL OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, the Western Pattern Diet is characterized by high intakes of: Red Meat Sugary Desserts Refined Grains High-sugar Drinks High-Fat Dairy Products Eggs TIMELINE OF USDA FOOD GUIDES THROUGH THE YEARS 1943 U.S. NEEDS US STRONG THE BASIC SEVEN was the first depiction of recommended daily allowances Eat the Basic 7 Every Day! The Basic Seven divided food into 7 GROUPS Green and Yellow Oranges, Tomatoes, Grapefruit Vegetables Potatoes Milk and and other Milk Products Vegetables and Fruits Meat, Poultry, Fish, or Eggs Bread, Flour, and Cereals Butter and Fortified Margarine It was geared towards making sure people got the necessary nutrients PROBLEMS: Serving size was not specified Each food group was given equal emphasis on the chart (including butter) 1956 ESSENTIALS OF AN ADEQUATE DIET cut down the seven food groups to four Milk Meat Vegetables Breads and and Fruits Cereals Had specific serving sizes for children and adults Still focused on making sure people got enough food PROBLEMS: Didn't distinguish between good and bad Didn't have any sort choices within of caution about what foods to eat in categories (bacon and lean chicken are both moderation considered "meat") 1979 THE HASSLE-FREE FOOD GUIDE still sported the four food groups First to encourage moderation with "fats, oils and sweets" PROBLEMS: Still no distinction or hierarchy within food groups (bacon + chicken = both meat!) 1992 Fats, Oils, and Sweets (Use Sparingly) THE FOOD PYRAMID broke down food groups into 6 categories with daily serving recommendations Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese Group (2-3 servings) Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group (2-3 servings) Vegetable Group (3-5 servings) Fruit Group (2-4 servings) Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group (6-11 servings) PROBLEMS: Serving sizes were ambiguous and difficult to understand Nutritionists argued eventually that it over-emphasized bread and didn't offer any distinction between good and bad choices within each group (bacon seemed to be on the same plane as lean chicken, and healthy fats in the same category as bad ones) 2005 The Food Pyramid gets made over to MYPYRAMID: STEPS TO A HEALTHIER YOU Re-distributed the same food groups from bricks to wedges Featured a stairwell on the side with a figure running up it to indicate the importance of exercise The USDA introduced a customizable website to help people track their food intake and activity levels Focused on the Internet It had 12 variations based on generation, it was largely caloric intake levels - from 1,000 calories to 3,200 calories / day interactive/web-based PROBLEMS: Many found the image of Criticized for The plan was so not including specific instructions on what to The wedges online interaction were difficult to understand the runner dependent that on the stairs on the side many worried it alienated less visually confusing eat less of tech- savvy people 2011 Reimagining food guides with MYPLATE Deviated completely from the pyramid visual to a plate, broke down food into four main groups with dairy as a small side addition Fruits and Vegetables: half the plate Dairy: very small addition to the plate (emphasis on calcium) Grains and Protein: half the plate Contains helpful information on how to make each food group the most healthful (i.e. half your grains should be whole grains, protein should be lean) Accompanied by a website where you can track your food intake, activity, and weight WHAT YOU CAN DO TO LEARN FROM OUR NUTRITIONAL EVOLUTION CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN before beginning any kind of weight loss regimen or dramatically changing your activity level If you're concerned about the quality of your health, take advantage of the free resources available through the BREAKFAST MYPLATE WEBSITE LUNCH DINNER For free, you can set up your own profile and track your food intake and activity You may be surprised at how keeping aware of your habits will help you recognize if and what you need to change. INCREASE ACTIVITY GOALS MAKE A CHECKLIST O EAT MORE VEGETABLES If you're not currently active, take small steps every day to increase the level of your activity Set realistic goals Start small – do 10 minutes of exercise Park further away so three times a day instead of 30 minutes Take the stairs you have to walk a bit to get to the store instead of the elevator continuously BE AWARE OF Nutrition Facts Calories GO0 WHAT YOU CONSUME Tot Take the time to read the nutritional information of the Fat 24g foods you commonly eat. You may be surprised to find that things you think are inconsequential are actually taking a large chunk out of your daily caloric allotment. nted rotein 29 EAT NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS According to the new food guide, half of each meal should be fruits and veggies-they are dense in nutrients and generally low in calories, so they'll help you fill up healthily, and leave less room for more damaging foods CUT BACK ON LATE-NIGHT SNACKING Whether or not having a snack cut-off time actually helps you lose weight, most health experts agree that avoiding late-night snacking does a lot to help you stay within the bounds of your caloric budget FIND RESOURCES WEIGHT LOSS PLAN THAT WORK FOR YOU Whether you respond best to doing your own research and comparing notes from various nutritional experts, or by adhering to a weight loss and exercise program, find a resource that will help you stay on track and focus on what you're striving for. DIETARY RESEARCH ENJOY THE FOODS YOU EAT and strive to be the healthiest version of yourself you can be There's no denying that what Americans typically eat often does not line up to what they should eat. Over the years, the representation and details of what is considered the ideal diet have changed as the Standard American Diet has steadily moved away from true nutritional value. However, the ability to take stock of our nutritional history is only a few clicks away thanks to the internet. Given the knowledge at our fingertips, the incentive is clear for us to try to change the statistics surrounding what we typically eat and, learning from history, shift our standard diet. If we do, we might also successfully change the statistics surrounding our rampant health problems, too. END Brought to you by FRUGAL DAD Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_pattern_diet http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/12/us-weight-lifestyle-and-diet-trends.html http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/ddt.htm http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/02/usda-food-pyramid_n 870457.html#s286384&title=191 6 Food_For http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204 162-10008001-9.html?tag3page;next http://www.washingtonpóst.com/wp-srv/special/health/food-pyramid/ http://free-retro-graphics.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/food-groups.jpg http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/history/has.htm http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/19/AR2005041904597.html http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/ https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/default.aspx http://www.smallstep.gov/ga/choices.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/299047-does-not-eating-after-sevén-help-you-lose-weight/

What We Think vs. What We Do: America's Nutritional Evolution

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One of the biggest sectors that families spend money on is groceries and food. Something I never used to think about and I have lately been giving a little more consideration is the fact that there ma...

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