Discussion 6

The Role of Diet in Preventing Underweight, Overweight & Obesity

Here we come to a subject that is quite touchy for Americans – weight.  But lets face it, most of us could stand to lose a few pounds and then some.  Weight issues in our country are some of the most predominate health issues we face in the modern world.  In fact, “The most recent data indicate that 72 percent of men and 64 percent of women are overweight or obese, with about one-third of adults being obese” (USDA & USDHHS, 2010, p. 1).  While you may be hoping that there is some wonder drug that can take care of all your weight worries, I won’t be the first one to tell you there isn’t.  But, if you are interested in learning about how a healthy diet can naturally help you lose weight and keep it off, you may want to stick around.

Before we delve deep into the topic of weight, I should make some things clear first by defining the weight issues.

• Underweight is characterized by being below a normal healthy weight by 10% or more (Boyle & Roth, 2010). 
• Overweight is characterized by being 10 to 20% above a normal healthy weight (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).
• Obesity is characterized by being 20% or more above a normal healthy weight (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).

*Tip – To determine if you are at a healthy weight try out the CDC’s BMI calculator: 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html  

A Healthy Diet:

As discussed in an earlier post, there are five basic characteristics of a healthy diet: adequacy, balance, calorie control, moderation and variety (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). (For an elaborate discussion on the key characteristics, read my blog discussion two).  These characteristics are essential in developing healthy eating habits that can help you lose weight and maintain it. 

Defining the ideal diet is difficult because dieticians, nutritionists, doctors and everyone in between have their own idea about what a healthy diet should consist of.  Despite this, my research through various nutrition textbooks and my consultation of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans indicates a general consensus about the best foods we should include in our diets for health. 

A Healthy Diet Should Be Primarily Comprised of:

• Whole foods – those foods that are unprocessed and natural.  Whole foods include: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, milk and some meats (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). 
• Plenty of water – 2.7 liters a day if you are a woman, and 3.7 liters if you are a man (Sizer & Whitney).
• Moderate amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (Brown, 2011).
• High amounts of carbohydrates, and adequate fiber from whole foods (Brown, 2011).

Factors of the Ideal Diet that Encourage Weight Loss and Healthy Weight Maintenance:

Water:

When the body is hydrated, it performs at its best, and all systems in the body function ideally (Brown, 2011).  Our digestive system processes food better, and we have greater amounts of energy to burn.  Water also contributes to feeling less hungry. 

Whole Foods:

Unprocessed and pure whole foods are simple foods provided to us naturally by our Earth the way nature intended.  These foods are the ideal sources of nutrients for a healthy body (Brown, 2011).  They are typically low in saturated and trans fats, and sugars, and high in carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates:

My oh my how I love carbohydrates.  Carbs the best source of energy for the body, and also the lowest in calories (Brown, 2011).  Carbohydrate rich foods are typically whole foods, and are often low in fat and contain fiber and starch that promote a healthy weight.  Nutritionists recommend that carbohydrates should comprise up to 65% of our daily calorie needs (Brown, 2011).

Fiber:

Most Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diets, and it’s a shame because fiber naturally helps us to maintain a healthy weight.  Fiber is a form of carbohydrate (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  It promotes optimal functioning of the digestive system, ensuring that our foods are properly digested and nutrients absorbed for peak performance (Brown, 2011).  Fiber can also help reduce cholesterol naturally, promotes healthy blood pressure, helps us to maintain blood sugar levels longer, and ensures healthy bowel functioning (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  Fiber also helps us maintain a normal weight because fibrous foods are typically low in fat, and they help us to feel fuller longer thereby reducing hunger and food intake (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  The greatest sources of fiber are found in natural foods: whole grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables and legumes. 

Good Fats:

Who said that fats can’t be good for your body?  The unsaturated fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated – are the fats found naturally in many whole foods.  Unsaturated fats promote good heart health, naturally promoting healthy cholesterol levels, and stable blood pressure (Brown, 2011).  Studies on unsaturated fats indicate that they naturally help people to lose weight and also reduce central body fat (Body Ecology, 2008).  Fats also contribute to the feeling of fullness, and can reduce food intake and overall hunger (Brown, 2011).  Nutritionists recommend that unsaturated fats should comprise 20 – 35% of our daily calories needs (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). 

       Preventing underweight, overweight and obesity is best addressed through diet, but lifestyle, physical activity levels and genetics also play a role.  Stick to what you can control, eat well and exercise often, chances are you’ll find that you are able to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight long term. 

References

Boyle, M. A., & Roth, S. L. (2010). Personal nutrition (7^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

    Cengage Learning.

Body Ecology Inc. (2008). The 6 benefits of monounstaturated fats (MUFAs). Retrieved

June 1, 2013, from http://bodyecology.com/articles/6_benefits_monosaturated_

fats.php#.Uaya0-tMaIk

Brown, J. E. (2011). Nutrition now (6^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2012). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (12^th ed).

Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

United States Department of Agriculture & United States Department of Health

and Human Services. (2010). Dietary guidelines for Americans: 2010. Retrieved

      May 30, 2013, from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines

      /2010/PolicyDoc/PolicyDoc.pdf