| Healthy
Lifestyles on the Decline. |
According
to two large scale studies that appear
in this month's American
Journal of Medicine, only a
small portion of adults ages 40-74
follow a healthy lifestyle.
The studies' criteria:
- Exercise
at least twelve times monthly
- Eat
five or more fruits and vegetables
daily
- Maintain
a healthy weight (BMI of 30 or
less)
- Mild
alcohol use
- No
smoking
The
researchers claim that over eighteen
years, the number of Americans that
adhere to all five healthy lifestyle
habits decreased from 15 percent to 8
percent.
Public
Health Professional's Worst Nightmare
As a public health educator, I hate to
see results like this. It creates
immeasurable frustration. However, if
you deconstruct our society over the
last twenty years, can we really be
surprised?
Exercise.
We spend more time in our cars because
of urban sprawl and longer work
commutes. When do we walk anymore?
Urban Planners have made it very
difficult. Physical activity in
schools have been curtailed if not
completely eliminated. Longer work
days impedes time for exercise. These
are just a few examples.
Fruit
and Vegetable Consumption.
American cash crops are corn, wheat,
soy, and rice. They receive almost one
hundred percent of USDA subsidies.
What incentive do farmers have to grow
fruits and vegetables? In the last few
years, the locavore movement has made
a small dent. Monsanto has an answer
for this. If their legislation flowing
through Congress passes (under the
disguise of food safety), only seeds
sold through biotechs would be
allowed.
Maintaining
Weight. How can Americans
maintain their weight when food has
become more processed, portions have
doubled, and the USDA Dietary
Guidelines mirror our cash crops
(along with milk and sugar)? Fast food
dominates. Big Food and The National
Restaurant Association own Congress.
Parents are coming up short in their
effort to instill the core ideals to
improve their children's eating habits
in order to maintain healthy weight.
Mild
Alcohol Use. The researchers
state that moderate alcohol use is on
the rise, and with the amount of daily
stressors, this is not surprising.
No
Smoking. While the researchers
claim that the percentage of smokers
has remained unchanged, which is
astonishing considering all of the
effort that has gone into smoking
cessation, at least there has been
great improvement in minimizing
exposure to second hand smoke.
Defying
These Numbers
I cannot imagine clients who are more
dedicated to healthy lifestyles than
ours. While it is easier to follow a
healthy lifestyle than it was eighteen
years ago, the daily struggles are
still vast. I would venture to say
that the percentage of our clients, as
well as subscribers of this
eNewsletter, who meet the healthy
lifestyle criteria, is much higher
than eight percent. We encourage you
to take a second of your time to
participate in our informal
poll. As always, we appreciate
your input.
Healthy
Lifestyle Poll
Let's
show the rest of the country it's
possible!
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Have a happy, healthy day.
Bonnie, Steve, and
the staff at Nutritional Concepts
Inc.
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|
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nutritionalconcepts.com
1535
Lake Cook Road
Suite 204
Northbrook,
IL 60062
847-498-3422
nutrocon@aol.com
Since
1985, bringing the wellness of
tomorrow, today.
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