The 10 Main Reasons Americans Are Overweight

Tv dinners, fast food, sugar filled and highly processed meals are cheap, fast and convenient- the high cost is in the toll your body pays as it struggles to maintain a healthy balance on saturated fats, sodium and low nutritional value. The food industry spends megabucks promoting this type of cheap, unhealthy food to us hungry Americans. Why? Junk food is cheap to produce and quickly prepared, and if it tastes good, most people will buy it. Mass production methods and the cheapest, most unhealthy ingredients make these foods extremely cheap to produce. Not only that, the employees preparing it are paid on the most minimal wage scale possible. As a result, you get what you pay for- cheaply produced, unhealthy meals with very low quality ingredients and low nutritional value. After we become sick from years of nutritional deprivation, the pharmaceutical companies step in and sell Americans the drugs to treat the resulting obesity-related conditions- can you say high cholesterol and diabetes? It's a vicious cycle that relies on Americans developing diseases caused by- then treated by- the food and drug industries.

Research has shown that babies that don't get enough sleep (at least 10 hours a night until age 4) are at risk for becoming overweight. What does that say about most American adults? Hormones have alot to do with feelings of hunger, among other things. When people don't get enough sleep, hormone levels are affected that cause abnormal hunger triggers, causing people to overeat or to want to eat at all the wrong times. 7 to 9 hours a night is the recommended amount of sleep for healthy hormone levels, and will help prevent "sleep deprived" weight gain.

Comfort food is exactly what it sounds like. Americans turn to food when they need comfort or feel depressed, and the end result is not making them feel any better. Not that the food itself doesn't. Depression or emotional distress may seem to be appeased by the ingestion of foods loaded with fat, calories and sugar. It's the resulting weight gain that's the problem.

Comfort food is so popular there are even restaurants that advertise it. Comfort food is typically high in carbs, fat or sugar and is a reminder of a familiar place or time for the consumer. Macaroni and cheese might take you back to a happy childhood, for example. When people indulge in comfort food they are, in effect, wrapping themselves in an emotionally satisfying taste experience.

Nibbling snacks while on the phone, the computer or watching tv with their minds totally on something else is another reason Americans are overweight. Without even thinking about it, they've eaten way more than they intended and the resulting weight gain proves it.

Our bodies let us know when we've had enough to eat, but sometimes if we are distracted while eating we miss the "stop" signals and overeat.

Most people might not think much about the effects of that latte or soda pop they've been sipping on, but it is adding pounds and inches due to its high sugar content. The calories in a typical 20 oz. soda can be as much as in a typical meal based on not only the sugar content but the number of servings in the size. A 20 oz. soft drink can pack a walloping 260 calories, and some people drink more than one of these high sugar concoctions every day. Consider this- people should be drinking from 9 to 12 cups of liquid daily just to replace lost fluids. There are flavorings that may be added to water that don't contribute unhealthy sugars and carbs and make drinking enough fluids health promoting rather than detrimental. And then there is always the best choice- water.

Believe it or not, your daily stress levels can add unwanted pounds to your body that can cause depression, low self-esteem and...well, stress. Of course, the mental conditions that make people eat for comfort (to relieve stress) most often directly result in unwanted pounds and inches. Stress causes your body to secrete higher levels of a hormone called cortisol, which affects insulin levels and carbohydrate metabolism. These are two metabolic activities that have a direct effect on unhealthy weight levels.

Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can cause your metabolism to slow down and your body to go into "starvation mode"- and that can lead to weight gain. People may skip breakfast because they overslept or don't feel particularly hungry when they first awaken, but eating a healthy meal first thing in the morning actually gives metabolisms a boost and helps prevent weight gain. The best types of foods to eat first thing are foods that provide slow carbs- that is, carbohydrates that break down in the body more slowly, like oatmeal and fruit. Foods like this have a healthy effect on blood sugar and insulin levels, and not only will they keep hunger away longer they will promote weight loss instead of weight gain.

There is a marketing ploy used by many restaurateurs to make people feel they are getting their money's worth when they stop in to eat. The overloaded plate causes Americans to consume about twice the food they would normally eat, providing their bodies with twice the calories needed in one meal. And who likes to walk away from a paid-for meal and leave half of it behind? All You Can Eat buffets are another danger zone when it comes to overeating. Not only do people tend to eat all they can hold, the food in most restaurants is high in fat and sodium. To keep from over-eating at a favorite dining establishment, ask for a to go box before you even start eating and tuck away half of your meal to save for later.

Alot of people have developed the habit of eating just before bedtime. Having an eating cutoff time of day, like 6:30PM, will help ensure that the last meal consumed for the day has had a chance to be fully absorbed, digested and the calories fully utilized and metabolized. Someone working a late shift whose days and nights are reversed as a result should follow the 4 hour rule- don't eat 4 hours prior to going to bed. This gives the body time to metabolize the last meal before it is time for sleep, and the muscles will not store the glucose as glycogen (which if not burned off will turn to fat).

Americans are working at jobs that require alot of sitting and not much else. And when they get off work, their leisure time is the same- sedentary activities like watching television or computer surfing and chatting are all just adding to the dangerous health situation facing our adults and children. Less than 30% of Americans exercise on a regular basis. Taking 30 minutes to an hour and using that time to walk (take the dog along! he'll love it!) or engage in some type of moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day will boost your body's metabolic rate, help keep stress levels down and overall body weight from climbing. The current national health crisis facing our children could mean, according to the Surgeon General, that the upcoming generation of Americans can expect to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Looks like it's time to get moving- literally.

After listing the 10 main reasons people are overweight, I realized something important. It all boils down to attitude. Our attitude toward food must change before we can even take the first step toward good health. The factors involved in health improvement are lifestyle factors that include food, exercise, rest, stress reduction and having the insight to know which of those factors need to change- then caring enough to implement that change. Most people with poor eating habits either don't realize what they're doing to themselves or else they don't care enough to make the effort to correct the issue. They would rather take their chances with a doctor- who may or may not realize and treat the underlying problem (diet). It takes insight to know that it is what you're eating (as well as other lifestyle behaviors) that's causing your health issues. If you overeat on a regular basis, or if "comfort food" is your self-indulgence on a regular basis, chances are your poor health is directly connected. If you are obese and you don't have a thyroid imbalance, then you have an "eating imbalance" and bringing balance into your diet should be your focus and your goal.