They Also Serve Who Can't Stand the Weight
Professor David J. Demko
AgeVenture News Service
The "Diet" is as American as ... well, apple pie ... served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that's topped with melted caramel. Yes, the American lifestyle has achieved such an advanced level of sophistication that most of us can, and do, eat ourselves to death. My twenty-some years as a gerontologist tell me that as much as 75% of our health problems are the result of our American lifestyle. Too much of everything culinary. Too little of anything aerobic. The result, America is a Waist-Land, as in we can't make ends meet when it comes to putting on our belts.
Want to know how most Americans address the problem of being overweight? They feel that as long as they are DOING SOMETHING about IT, they have an excuse for being fat. For example, ever hear someone say "I'm TRYING to lose" as they retrieve another fist full of bread sticks from the basket at the center of the restaurant table. As long as they are DOING SOMETHING (and that something includes merely thinking) about their weight problem, their overeating is acceptable. That's why many Americans continue to gain weight, because they are DOING SOMETHING about it, like making payments on a piece of exercise equipment that they never use.
So what are the dietary options available to these "horizontally challenged", ugly Americans? Right. Go on a diet. But what are our options? By the way, please don't write me saying "fat people are offended by weight-loss advocates". Folks, I've seen fat, and it ain't pretty. So when you've got to shed a few pounds, just what are the options? Plenty. Unfortunately, some of the dietary options can leave you in worse shape AFTER the diet, then before. That's because diets are risky business. That's why our good friends at the National Institute of Health (yep, some tax dollars do go for worthwhile efforts) has categorized various types of diets so that you, the American public, can live more (tax-paying) years longer. Hmmm. And you thought the government publishes educational stuff because they're just a bunch of nice guys. Any how, take a look at these Types of Diets so if, and when, you do choose to lose ... you can pick an effective and healthy weight-loss program.
- Fixed-menu diet
A fixed-menu diet provides a list of all the foods you will eat. This kind of diet can be easy to follow because the foods are selected for you. But, you get very few different food choices which may make the diet boring and hard to follow away from home. In addition, fixed-menu diets do not teach the food selection skills necessary for keeping weight off. If you start with a fixed-menu diet, you should switch eventually to a plan that helps you learn to make meal choices on your own, such as an exchange-type diet.
- Exchange-type diet
An exchange-type diet is a meal plan with a set number of servings from each of several food groups. Within each group, foods are bout equal in calories and can be interchanged as you wish. For example, the "starch" category could include one slice of bread or 1/2 cup of oatmeal; each is about equal in nutritional value and calories. If your meal plan calls for two starch choices at breakfast, you could choose to eat two slices of bread, or one lice of bread and 1/2 cup of oatmeal. With the exchange-type diet plans, you have more day-to-day variety and you can easily follow the diet away from home. The most important advantage is that exchange-type diet plans teach the food selection skills you need to keep your weight off.
- Prepackaged-meal diet
These diets require you to buy prepackaged meals. Such meals may help you learn appropriate portion sizes. However, they can be costly. Before beginning this type of program, find out whether you will need to buy the meals and how much the meals cost. You should also find out whether the program will teach you how to select and prepare food, skills that are needed to sustain weight loss.
- Formula diet
Formula diets are weight-loss plans that replace one or more meals with a liquid formula. Most formula diets are balanced diets containing a mix of protein, carbohydrate, and usually a small amount of fat. Formula diets are usually sold as liquid or a powder to be mixed with liquid. Although formula diets are easy to use and do promote short-term weight loss, most people regain the weight as soon as they stop using the formula. In addition, formula diets do not teach you how to make healthy food choices, a necessary skill for keeping your weight off.
- Questionable diets
You should avoid any diet that suggests you eat a certain nutrient, food, or combination of foods to promote easy weight loss. Some of these diets may work in the short term because they are low in calories. However, they are often not well balanced and may cause nutrient deficiencies. In addition, they do not teach eating habits that are important for long-term weight management.
- Flexible diets
Some programs or books suggest monitoring fat only, calories only, or a combination of the two, with the individual making the choice of both the type and amount of food eaten. This flexible type of approach works well for many people, and teaches them how to control what they eat. One drawback of flexible diets is that some don't consider the total diet. For example, programs that monitor fat only often allow people to take in unlimited amounts of excess calories from sugars, and therefore don't lead to weight loss.
The U.S. Public Health (USPHS) believes that it is important to choose an eating plan that you can live with. The plan should also teach you how to select and prepare healthy foods, as well as how to maintain your new weight. Remember, says USPHS, many people tend to regain lost weight. Eating a healthful and nutritious diet to maintain your new weight, combined with regular physical activity, helps to prevent weight regain.
Read more lifestyle features in AgeVenture Lifestyles.
David Demko reports on lifestyle issues and trends in Aging America.
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