Let's start the wellness revolution this Thanksgiving
THE OTHER night, I was riveted by the PBS program "RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge," based on the book by journalist Philip Hilts.
The series poignantly demonstrated the importance of clean water and good nutrition, and it assessed some of the biggest threats to world health, including HIV/AIDS, SARS - and obesity.
Does this mean obesity is threatening to destroy us, one forkfull at a time?
That's precisely the case - also stated in the book, "Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World," by Greg Crister. He says, "[Being] overweight will kill far more Americans each year than any terrorist would dare dream of taking out."
In fact, if immediate action is not taken, obesity experts such as James O. Hill, an author and University of Colorado professor, predict that by 2050, nearly all Americans will be overweight or obese. This would surely break the proverbial bank and totally collapse our health-care system.
That's why, this Thanksgiving, I suggest we begin a grass-roots wellness revolution that I'm calling "Put the Fork Down!"
Let's all do our part to lower the burgeoning health-care cost of obesity by taking one less bite, foregoing seconds, and walking for at least 30 minutes after the holiday meal - and every day thereafter.
There are compelling reasons why we should change the emphasis of this gluttonous holiday from food to fitness. Approximately 2 million deaths occur every year due to physical inactivity, according to the World Health Organization. A sedentary lifestyle ranks as one of the 10 leading worldwide causes of death, disease, and disability.
Along with inactivity, portion distortion is a major risk to your health. But you have control over that knife and fork: starting today, you can decide to eat appropriate portions.
Let it go to waste, not waist
Portion control doesn't mean you have to cut out your favorite foods. It simply means reducing the serving size. For example, eat half of what you normally would this Thanksgiving, and vow not to go back for seconds.
Here are some guidelines on what your daily diet should include (see chart for how much of these foods constitutes a serving):
Five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables.
Three to six servings of whole grain breads, cereals or starchy vegetables.
If you eat dairy, choose low-fat dairy products like skim or 1 percent milk or nonfat yogurt.
Eat only lean meats, chicken, and fish. Skip fried foods.
Avoid sweets, cookies, cakes, candy and desserts.
For the holiday:
Eat only half your meal and take the other half for lunch the next day.
Have steamed vegetables without cheese or butter.
Serve sauces, dressings and gravy on the side.
If you're fighting the battle of the bulge, stop overindulging and start moving - today!
Cut back on the calories, exercise daily and write down everything you eat, including how much. How does your idea of a "serving" compare with this chart?
This Thanksgiving, let's start the wellness revolution we desperately need to heal ourselves, the planet and the global health-care crisis. *