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Snacking, not portion size, largely driving U.S. overeating

www.BeHealthConscious.org

By Anne Harding, Health.com

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Over the past several decades Americans have steadily gotten fatter. Although our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are partly to blame, a big reason for our national weight gain is that we're simply eating more.

In the mid-2000s, government surveys show, the average American adult ate about 2,375 calories per day, nearly one-third more than he (or she) did in the late 1970s. What accounts for all those added calories?

According to a new study, the biggest single contributor to the sharp rise in calorie intake has been the number of snacks and meals people eat per day. Over the past 30-odd years, the study found, Americans have gone from consuming 3.8 snacks and meals per day to 4.9, on average—a 29 percent increase.

The average portion size has increased, too, but only by about 12 percent. And, surprisingly, the average number of calories per 1-gram serving of food (known as "energy density") actually declined slightly over that period, which suggests that calorie-rich food has played a relatively minor role in our expanding waistlines.

"The real reason we seem to be eating more [calories] is we're eating often," says the lead author of the study, Barry Popkin, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The frequency of eating is probably, for the average overweight adult, becoming a huge issue."

Popkin blames food advertising and other marketing for the shift from three square meals a day to near-constant eating.
 
"It's all about making people think they want to have something in their hands all the time," he says. "Why are we snacking all the time and munching all the time? [Food] is there, it's available all the time, it's tasty. It's not very healthy, but it's tasty. It's sweet, it's salty, it's fatty—it's all the things we love."

Lisa Young, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and the author of The Portion Teller, agrees that the ubiquity of snack foods has helped drive overeating.

"You never used to see food staring you in the face when you went to…a drugstore," says Young, who was not involved in the new research. "It's in your face and it's cheap. You go get a magazine, you can get a candy bar."

To tease apart how eating habits have shaped calorie intake, Popkin and a coauthor analyzed data from four nationally representative food surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1977 and 2006. Their analysis, which appears in the June issue of the journal PLoS Medicine, was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

The findings weren't entirely unexpected. In a previous study, Popkin and his coauthor found that the amount of time between snacks and meals has shrunk substantially since 1977, while the amount of calories consumed from snacks has risen dramatically.

Christopher Gardner, PhD, the director of nutrition studies at Stanford University's Prevention Research Center, in Palo Alto, Calif., says that although the new findings ring true, the survey-based approach Popkin and his colleague used has some inherent limitations.

Despite being nationally representative, the surveys didn't follow the same individuals over time, and in some cases also used different questions and methods, Gardner points out. Moreover, they relied on the participants' memory of what they'd eaten in the previous 24 hours, which can be unreliable.

"When people try to describe the portion sizes they are consuming, they are often inaccurate," Gardner says, adding that similar inaccuracies may crop up when recalling and calculating the energy density of specific foods. In fact, he says, the number of meals and snacks may be easiest of all to remember and track, which may have somewhat exaggerated its importance to total calorie intake.

But Gardner, too, says that frequent—and often mindless—snacking has come to seem normal.

In our food-filled environment, Young says, "We need to be conscious of when we eat, how much we eat, and what we eat."

Young recommends sticking with three meals a day and choosing healthy snacks (such as fruits and vegetables) rather than processed foods. "And keep your portions in check," she says.

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Healthy Thanksgiving Food

Top 5 Healthy Holiday Foods www.BehealthConscious.webs.com

Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in Nov 2005; Updated in Nov 2006

(HealthCastle.com) On average, a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner can contain more than 2,000 calories. We often put our focus on what not to eat, but there are still many nutritional goodies in our traditional dinner that we should not overlook.

5 Healthy Holiday Foods

1. Pumpkin - Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A and also provides fiber. Pumpkin seeds are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (the good fats). Pumpkin itself is quite low in calories and is a healthy holiday food. Pumpkin pie, however, becomes a high-calorie food because it's made with eggs, sugar, evaporated milk and baked in a high-fat pie crust. To make a lower-fat pumpkin pie, you may consider using an egg substitute, light cream or low-fat evaporated milk in your recipe. Go for a pie crust with the lowest amount oftrans fat possible. Better yet, try a home-made pie crust recipe that is not made with shortening.
   
2. Cranberries - Cranberries are packed with Vitamin C and also provide a fair amount of dietary fiber and manganese. Cranberries also contain proanthocyanidins, a type of antioxidant that can prevent the adhesion of bacteria to the urinary tract sometimes causing urinary tract infections.
   
3. Sweet Potato - Sweet Potato is a rich source of antioxidants such as Vitamin C and beta-carotene. Similar to the banana, it is also an excellent source ofpotassium. If you eat the skin, you will also reap the health benefits of fiber, making the sweet potato a healthy holiday food.
   
4. Turkey - In addition to being an excellent source of protein, turkey offers the least amount of fat per serving, among all other meats, if you pass on the skin.
   
5. Green Beans - Green beans are probably one of the healthiest holiday foods out there. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K (important in bone health) and manganese. They also contain a good amount of vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and iron. Green bean casserole in a traditional Thanksgiving meal is rather high in calories as it contains butter, cream of mushroom and cheese. Prepare this dish with lower-fat version of these ingredients such as fat-free cream of mushroom and light butter and you will be able to enjoy the yummy taste without the guilt!

The 7 best fat-blasters

The 7 best fat-blasters BehealthConscios.webs.com

• by Health.com, on Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:01pm PDT

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By Su Reid-St. John
We all have days when there's no time to get to the gym. So we wondered: Which close-to-home cardio activities blast fat fastest?

Wonder no more. Here are the top seven fat-and-calorie burners, from Los Angeles based celeb trainer Ramona Braganza, who has helped shape the amazing bodies of stars like Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway.

Try any one of these, and you'll boost your metabolism for up to a whole day afterward. One small workout, one giant payoff.

1. Inline skatingBurns 425 calories in 30 minutes

Surprised? While skating might be so much fun you forget you're actually working out, it's also numero uno on our list when it comes to blasting fat and calories.

The big burn stems from the side-to-side movement of your thigh and butt muscles (demanding more from your body than the straightforward motion of our number-two activity -- running). And your core gets involved in a big way to keep you balanced.

What's more, you get all these benefits without putting too much stress on your knees and other joints. Skate at a strong, steady pace. Don't forget your helmet, wrist guards, and knee and elbow pads.

Boost the burn: Alternate one minute of hard skating with one minute of medium-paced strokes.

Health.com: Get a beautiful butt in 4 weeks

2. RunningBurns 374 calories in 30 minutes

The typical runner's shape is sleek and lean, and there's a reason for that: The major running muscles -- legs, butt, core -- happen to be the biggest calorie-and-fat-burning muscles in your body.

To get the most out of each stride, swing your arms close to your body, don't lean forward, and keep your feet low to the ground. To lessen impact, land on the middle of your foot, then roll through to your toes.

Boost the burn: Alternate fast and slow intervals, or take to the hills.

Health.com: How to run faster

3. Jumping ropeBurns 340 calories in 30 minutes

You knew this workout had to be high on the list. After all, it's one of pro boxers' favorite ways to train.

To get the most from each jump, use a rope with handles that reach to just under your armpits when you stand on the middle of it, and follow these top-form tips: Jump with your feet slightly apart and body upright, and keep your jumps low to the ground. Don't have a rope? You'll get the same benefits by doing the movements rope-free.

Boost the burn: Frequently switch up your speed (slow, fast) and style (jumping with one foot, then two feet), or jump rope while you jog.

Health.com: How to jump the weight off

4. Hula hoopingBurns 300 calories in 30 minutes

There's a reason Marisa Tomei and Beyoncé hoop to keep their bodies beautiful -- it's a major fat-and-calorie torcher. To do it yourself, grab an adult-sized hoop (they're larger and heavier than kids' hoops, making them easier to spin); you'll know you have the right size if it reaches your chest when you stand it up in front of you.

No fancy moves required, either. Simply keep it going around your waist. To start, stand with one foot in front of the other and shift your weight back and forth (versus around in a circle). And don't worry if you're less than perfect at first; you'll still knock off major calories, plus get better every time you spin.

Boost the burn: Get how-tos for advanced moves and a fun workout at Health.com/hula-hoop.

Health.com: Hoop yourself slim

5. TennisBurns 272 calories in 30 minutes

Don't think you need to round up a partner or trek all the way to a court to break a super sweat with racket in hand. (Though if you have a pal and a nearby net, you'll burn the same calories.) Simply find a flat area near a wall or garage door that you can hit the ball against.

Alternate forehand and backhand shots -- then see how many you can do in a row without goofing. Stand 10 to 25 feet away, which will force you to hit harder. Even practicing your serve will get your body in burn mode, because you'll have to run and bend to pick up your missed balls.

Boost the burn: Try to hit the ball consistently for 50 or 100 strokes. "Having a goal will make you work harder to reach it," Braganza says.

Health.com: 30-minute workout, no gym required

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6. DancingBurns 221 calories in 30 minutes

This may not be the biggest calorie-burner in the bunch, but it's still an excellent -- and fun! -- metabolism booster. (Just look at Kelly Osbourne, who jump-started her amazing 42-pound loss on Dancing with the Stars.)

The key is to keep the tempo high, choosing songs with fast rhythms like Latin or Bollywood, and don't rest between songs.

Try Braganza's favorite trick: Download a workout's worth of your favorite tunes. Begin with an upbeat inspirational song think "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga, then move on to songs with increasingly faster tempos. Slow the beat toward the end to cool down.

Boost the burn: Use your arms! Raise them in the air and move them to the beat.

Health.com: Dance your way to toner abs and legs

7. Walking vigorouslyBurns 170 calories in 30 minutes

That's right, walking actually made our list. Full disclosure, though: A leisurely stroll with a friend won't cut it. You should be walking briskly enough that it's difficult to keep up a steady conversation.

To get the most from your biggest calorie-burning muscles -- legs, butt, and core -- take short, quick steps, keep your torso upright, and pump your arms back and forth (not side to side) in time with your stride. With each step, land on your heel and roll through to your toes.

Boost the burn: Alternate two minutes of brisk strides with one minute of as-fast-as-you-can-go walking (or jogging)