Weight Loss Programs

A Healthy Diet for Controlled Weight Loss

Why is our society becoming so unhealthy? More and more people are becoming obese and it is occurring at an alarming rate. It not only affects adults but now our children are facing the same problem. The money spent on health care is growing each year when in reality we should be spending less on health care because of the advances in the field of medicine. Of course weight is not the only health problem we face but it has certainly become a major issue. People have to learn how to achieve healthy weight loss rather than thinking pills will solve the problem.

Just how serious is the health issue in our society? The statistics may alarm you, but usually we don’t see the real problem until it affects us directly. In the United States alone, in the year 2000, the population was 276 million. Nearly half of the population — 125 million Americans — lived with some type of chronic condition. About 60 million lived with multiple chronic conditions. Examples of chronic conditions are diabetes, cancer, glaucoma and heart disease. The number of people with chronic conditions is growing at an alarming rate and this does not include the over-weight and obese people, who are trying and failing in their attempts at healthy weight loss. So Why Are We Sick?

Some may think my next statement will be foolish, unfounded or even cynical. Regardless, we are all free to have our own opinions, one of the freedoms of living in this great country. So here goes. I believe that basically there is so much sickness because poor health is economically profitable for a lot of big companies and shareholders. Including:

* The food industry with all the ‘designer’ junk foods and beverages that hold no nutritional value and actually make us fat(overweight) and sick.

* All the polluting industries that fill our lives and bodies with harmful chemicals and toxins.

* The ‘sick care’ industry that figured out long ago that there’s a lot more money to be made in treating symptoms with drugs and surgeries in expensive hospitals than in patient education, prevention and natural medicine and weight loss.

The huge multi-national companies have changed the way we live. From the way we entertain ourselves to the way we eat. We live in the age of fast food, canned food, frozen food, packaged food, and many other types of processed and ‘convenience foods’. All this food is intended to cater for the modern stressful lifestyle we are all leading. If you wish to lead a healthy life it is important to realize that you need to take responsibility for the food you eat. You need to educate yourself to understand the effects that processed foods can have on your health and also for those who are obese the effect processed food can have on your attempt at healthy weight loss.

Our foods have almost become unnatural. So many of the nutrients have been removed and artificial substitutes used to replace them. And some of these ingredients can be harmful to us. Foods that are now termed partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fats, which are harmful. Trans fats increase the bad cholesterol (LDL) and deplete the good cholesterol (HDL) levels. They make arteries rigid and clog them, resulting in heart problems. They cause insulin resistance and contribute to Type 2 diabetes. Trans fats pose a serious overall health risk, much more serious than saturated fats found in meat and dairy products. Don’t be tempted by their claims to improve healthy weight loss.

The marketing of these foods has become an issue that affects us all. Are we really being told all the facts about what is in the foods we eat? It can be very tempting to buy processed foods that state that they are “low-calorie” or “healthy” or “diet” or “low sugar” and so on. Despite their labels, they are probably more likely to add to your weight problems and your health risks. Even ready-to-eat meals supplied by the food outlets that seem to make your life comfortable and easy may have used processed food products, so be wary particularly if healthy weight loss is what you are aiming for.

If you want to make a change in your life then start by changing what foods you eat. It can dramatically improve your health.
Depend more on fresh foods and do not be discouraged just because they are a little more expensive. If you have to sacrifice some of the “luxuries” you enjoy. It will be worth it. Eat wholesome fresh foods in the interest of maintaining good health and ensuring healthy weight loss.

Jan Whalen

jwhalen92347@yahoo.com

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