Bigger isn’t necessarily better, especially when it comes to the weight of nearly two-thirds of people in the United States.
A sweeping new study published in the Lancet in November reveals the striking rise of obesity nationwide since 1990, when just over half of adults were overweight or obese.
“Most comprehensive U.S. analysis of overweight and obesity at the national level and across all states and age groups estimates that obesity rates [among some age groups, including older adolescents] have at least doubled over the past three decades,” according to Healthdate.org, an independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“Southern states including Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, West Virginia and Kentucky had the highest levels of overweight and obesity among older adolescents, with over half of older adolescent males in Texas and nearly two-thirds of older adolescent females in Mississippi living with overweight or obesity.”
Overweight and obesity can trigger serious health conditions – many of which are now occurring at younger ages, including diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, cancer, mental health disorders, and even premature death.
Additionally, both conditions are occurring at younger ages than in the past.
Jennifer Mazarredo is a Clinical Nutrition Specialist at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center. She says it’s not about being skinny, it’s about being healthy.
“Obesity can be genetic. It’s often not the fault of the person who has the disease. But overeating is eating past the point of fullness. When we overeat, we eat even though we aren’t hungry.
“There’s not one simple cure for this pandemic,” she continues. “The business community could help by making their packaging more understandable. Not only are ingredient lists difficult for most people to understand but the portion sizes are totally unrealistic. The calories and additives listed by serving often are much less than the average person consumes.”
If a person thinks they are getting the calories, sugar and chemicals of a single portion while eating a serving that is actually two or three “portions,” that tends toward obesity.
The American Heart Association has some tips on how to read – and understand – packaging information. They include:
- Check the size of a single serving and the total number per container. Is that a realistic serving size for you?
- Check total calories per serving and container. How many calories are there in one serving? If you eat two servings, make sure you double the calories and nutrients.
- Limit certain nutrients. Focus on the amount of saturated and trans fats rather than the amount of total fats. Total sugars can include both natural and added sugars. Limit the amounts of added sugars, saturated fat and sodium you eat.
“Super sizing is a huge issue in this country,” says Mazarredo. “Portion control is much better in other nations. You may not be able to control what is served, but you can control what you do with it.
“If you go out to a restaurant, get a to-go box when you sit down, not when you leave. Fill it before you start to eat. Most of us feel the need to clean our plate. Plus, if you’re that person who wants to feel like they got their money’s worth, you won’t feel like you’re leaving part of what you paid for behind.”
Healthline, a digital health media company that provides evidence-based health information to consumers, reports that portions have grown in astounding ways during the past few decades, calling the phenomenon “portion distortion.”
In the mid-1980s, a typical bagel measured about 3 inches in diameter. Today’s standard bagels are nearly twice as large, according to Healthline.
This trend is not unique to bagels. From restaurant plates to fast-food meals, portion distortion may be leading people to eat past the point of fullness. Over time, this habit can cause unwanted weight gain and increase your risk of developing certain chronic illnesses.
A major scientific review of 72 studies found that people – regardless of sex, eating behavior, body weight or susceptibility to hunger – ate more if given larger portion sizes.
“Everyone seems to be too busy to prioritize meals and Americans are known to love a ‘quick fix,’” says Mazarredo.
“Ozempic (the wildly popular weight-loss drug) is offering people who don’t really need it the convenience they crave even though we don’t know its long-term effects,” she adds.
Henry Ford Health explains that Ozempic alone won’t help you lose weight permanently, in any case. You’ll also need a balanced diet that includes three small meals and two light snacks daily and a regular exercise program.
An article published recently in Forbes discussed the impact of snacking on our caloric intake.
Many American adults eat a meal’s worth of calories in snacks every day. Consumption averages 400 to 500 calories daily, which represents roughly a quarter of an average adult’s total caloric needs.
In addition, most of the snacks consumed offer very little nutritional value, with many of the most common snacks high in carbohydrates, fats and sugars.
Healthline reports that some evidence suggests that increasing your meal frequency through snacking may help manage hunger and improve blood sugar regulation. But you’ll need to snack on nutrient-rich foods like fruits, nuts, whole grain products and vegetables, and stay within an appropriate overall calorie limit.
Mazarredo says chances are we’re not going to stop snacking, but there are healthier ways to do it. “Take advantage of apps and credible websites to make life easier. Not only can you find better ways to satisfy the snack impulse, but they offer ways to make your entire meal experience healthier.
“For instance, the well-known Plate Method is a simple and visual tool used to guide healthy meal planning. It divides a plate into three sections, representing the recommended proportions of different food groups: vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.
“It’s explained in detail on the American Diabetes Association website.”
Mazarredo would love to see healthy eating information geared towards children by advertisers, schools and businesses. “When we started to direct anti-smoking campaigns and messages to kids to bring home to their parents, it was game-changing. The results were impressive. Why can’t we try something similar with nutrition and food information?
“Children are being affected by the weight issue in record numbers. They are developing type II diabetes and fatty liver disease which is directly attributable to overeating at increasingly younger ages.
“Consuming a diet high in sugar and fats will not only cause unwanted health problems today, but it will give your child years in which to amass harmful side effects.”
Jennifer Mazarredo, RD, LDN, CNSC is Health First Clinical Nutrition Specialist at Holmes Regional Hospital in Melbourne. She has a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Food and Nutrition from McNeese State University.
