Nutrition Information


The Non-Diet Diet


Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each year on weight loss products. In fact, the opposite is true. The Center for Disease Control claims that at least 65% of adults are overweight or obese. With the growing list of woes associated with obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the weight problem in America has become a serious concern. Yet we continue to look to fad diets as the answer to this serious problem - as if living on bacon and eggs, cabbage soup, or low-calorie meal replacement drinks could ever be construed as a healthy solution.

A review of popular diet programs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stated that most weight loss programs offered little or no proof that participants were successful in loosing weight or keeping weight off in the long run. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stated that of the millions of people that diet, less than 5% of those who actually loose weight will be able to keep it off in the years to come. It has been surmised that a dieter may shed approximately 100 pounds in the course of a lifetime, but gain back 120 lbs. One benefit of weight loss organizations, however, was group support. Dieters who joined support groups appeared to loose more weight than those who decided to go it alone.

Fad diets themselves bring with them a plethora of health concerns. Restrictive low calorie diets can be self-defeating. The body's metabolism slows moving the system into energy conservation mode and holding on to every calorie for future use instead of burning it. Precious muscle mass is broken down, and low lethargy occurs. Low carbohydrate diets can result in dehydration and constipation. The risk of heart disease is escalated due to the increase of bad cholesterol found in animal fats. When nutritional integrity of the body is threatened due to the elimination of a particular food group, the dieter is at risk for many health problems including osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, immune system issues, electrolyte imbalances, and eating disorders. And with diets, as opposed to permanent lifestyle changes, the probability of gaining back what you have lost, and then some, is high.

In a culture obsessed with physical perfection perhaps we must evaluate how we think about weight in general. Are we dieting to be healthy, or just thin? If the later is the objective, then further investigation into dieting motivation may be necessary, but if health is the ultimate goal, then looking at lifestyle changes may the place to start. Are you an emotional eater, have a compulsive sweet tooth, or someone who eats out of boredom? Do you eat fresh foods or only things that come in a box, bag, or through a drive-up window? What is the overall condition of your health? Is your lifestyle sedentary or active? What type of physical activities do you enjoy? Questions like these help you build the foundation for creating a customized Non-Diet Diet - a common sense plan for living that will result weight loss, elevated energy levels, and improved health and well-being.

Quick fixes usually result in long term failures, and while the answer to America's weight problem may not come in the form of a magic diet, it need not be extremely complicated either. Maintaining a sensible meal plan, including complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables, and sweets in moderation, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy attitude regarding the weight/health connection may be the simple answer you've been looking for.

Deborah Martin is a writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. For more information regarding her Non-Diet Diet and other programs visit her website at http://www.dreamlearncreate.com .


MORE RESOURCES:

New York Daily News

Vulnerable New York Should Have Access To Food, Nutritional Supports
eMaxHealth.com, NC - 17 hours ago
“As a result of the national recession, hunger prevention agencies in New York State are experiencing an unprecedented increase in requests for nutrition ...
NNYers laud Paterson's State of State WatertownDailyTimes.com
Paterson delivers NY State address Bennington Banner
all 481 news articles


Will Americans put on "recession pounds"?
Reuters - 2 hours ago
... and refined grains, which are cheaper," said Adam Drewnowski, the director of the Nutrition Sciences Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. ...


Boston Globe

Old-fashioned lifeline
Boston Globe, United States - 2 hours ago
But the IV nutrition also damages their livers. Dr. Rusty Jennings, a pediatric surgeon and one of Ellie's doctors, described the double-edged sword ...


7 tips to fight the flu with nutrition
ABC15.com (KNXV-TV), AZ - 2 hours ago
Registered Dietitian, Ashley Koff, says you don’t have to resort to medications to fend off the flu; you can fight it naturally with nutrition. ...


It’s nutrition, not obesity
Edmond Sun, OK - 6 hours ago
17, 2008), let me say again, and as many times as is necessary, it’s not weight but nutrition issues that plague Oklahoma’s children. ...


Potato industry spotlights nutritional benefits
The Packer, KS - 15 hours ago
A conversation with virtually any representative of the potato industry will quickly focus on the vegetable’s nutritional benefits. ...


ALLMAX Nutrition Announces the Launch of its New Pre-Workout ...
PR Web (press release), WA - 1 hour ago
According to the research team at ALLMAX Nutrition, MUSCLEPRIMEâ„¢ is composed of a specific blend of anabolic ingredients that effectively prepares the mind ...


Scandinavian Clinical Nutrition: SCN Signs Nordic Distribution ...
Business Wire (press release), CA - 1 hour ago
Scandinavian Clinical Nutrition AB (SCN)(OSE:SCN) has signed an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement for the company’s products in Scandinavia and ...


Fatburgr Collects Restaurant Nutritional For Easy Reference
The Consumerist, NY - 5 hours ago
By Chris Walters , 10:09 PM on Thu Jan 8 2009, 63 views Riley writes, "I remember seeing a couple of articles about restaurant nutrition information awhile ...


New contractors sought for senior nutrition program
Delta County Independent, CO - 18 hours ago
The nutrition program is a vital service and needs to continue, AAA director Lee Bartlett explained. The program is especially vital to homebound older ...

Nutrition - Google News

home | site map
© 2007