In our last post about obesity, the rapidly rising rates of obesity shocked many of our readers. In fact, we received the most comments on that post since we started blogging.
When we asked YOU what you thought it would take to lower America’s obesity rates, you sent us a comprehensive, yet creative, list of why our nation continued to grow obese: poor nutrition education, lack of access to fresh foods due to poverty, large portions, and lack of physical activity. Okay so clearly, we all understand the risk factors. The real question, which we posed before, is how do we actually overcome these obstacles?
Where are the veggies?
To see drastic reductions in obesity rates at a national level, less emphasis must be placed on individual behavior because our surroundings make it almost impossible to resist unhealthy foods! Think about it…most Americans live in obesogenic – promotes weight gain rather than loss – environments where:
- It’s easier to find 5 fast-food restaurants than a safe walking path
- Tomato and lettuce can only be found…on a cheeseburger
- Big gulps keep growing
- Flashy ads make 99-cent processed sweet & salty “foods” irresistible
- Fast food restaurants take any measure, including putting TVs in restaurants, so customers will stay longer, and eat MORE.
- At the same time, fast food restaurants also encourage convenient eating in the car (forget the table manners grandma taught) with 24-hr drive-thrus.
So, we understand – fast, convenient foods are hard to resist! Overcoming the many challenges in our environment requires:
- Community Involvement: Fostering healthier lifestyles may mean building safer bike lanes, more playgrounds, parks, walking paths, and improving public transit
- Increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables: More must be done in communities where only corner convenient stores with processed foods are present, or in schools where school lunch standards are poor.
- Change our relationship/understanding of food: With so many fast food restaurants with large portion sizes around, we must reacquaint ourselves with real food and appropriate portion sizes. Have you ever investigated what’s REALLY in fast, processed foods and how the ingredients affect your health? You may be surprised…
- Individual commitment: With knowledge about real food, and conviction, it IS possible to move more and make each bite count. People are taking steps towards better health everyday, and believe it or not…they’re enjoying delicious foods, too!
Do you think our nation is up to the challenge? Think we can decrease obesity rates as fast as they increased?
Its amazing the small difference of cutting out High Fructose Corn Syrup can make – and more amazing how much stuff its in. Thank you Earth Fare for your commitment to carrying food without fake ingredients. I feel better because of what I put in my body, which in turn gives me the energy to enjoy physical activity – even if its just walking my dogs.
We Love EARTH FARE! We are trying really hard to cut out high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors out of our diets. My 7 year old and 2 year old like most of our choices. I think they miss the sugar cereal….But, that is o.k. We are all feeling better, losing weight, being more active and enjoying the food. We don’t visit fast food restaurants very often. And, when we do, we try to make the best choices available. Treats are not treats not staples! But, the treats from Earth Fare, are delicious! The organic toaster pastries are their new favorite.
“It’s easier to find 5 fast-food restaurants than a safe walking path”
Speaks volumes!
You are right Maria – what about the new Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet – are you kidding me?
I saw that commercial and I couldn’t believe it! Really!? You are going to associate Taco Bell fast food as a part of a healthy diet!!! Then there is the part where she is like, these results aren’t typical but it worked for me..or something like that…
I’ve become passionate. So sorry. I could keep going but i’m preaching to the choir. But REALLY!?!?
Our workplace is the worst for sugary, artificial, processed junk food. It’s how our bosses “reward us.” We got tired of it so we decided that every time they bring in that junk, one of us makes a run to Earth Fare and buys some veggies and fruit. We then cut those up and put them next to the junk that they bring us. Without fail the healthy options are always gone before the junk. This only took about six months before our bosses realized what was going on. Now they bring us veggies and fruits. And if we do get sugary treat they are from Earth Fare.
Sometimes you just have to make a simple statement without saying anything. And we have noticed also that our bosses aren’t eating McDonalds as ofter as well!
only two things will allow this sort of change in the current population – price and/or ease. That’s all we ever seem to respond to. Good food shouldn’t be CHEAP – but if we’re buying locally and if we’re preparing our own food we can eat inexpensively. The next thing we need is all our convenience foods reimagined with good ingredients. Again, as long as the cost stays relatively low (of course it will go up, and it should) and it is AS EASY to aquire, prepare (if any prep needed) and eat that will help this nation begin to make the change away from processed crap.
I try my hardest to eat the best I can, and I still give in a lot more often than I’d like because its just easy. I would love to have more fresh and healthy options in a McD like setting. I would pay more for it and I would visit all the time if I could have that.
It would be AWESOME if EF had a drive through. I don’t know why, but that little thing would make a big difference. Isn’t that sad. But its honest and there it is.
I believe that our schools need to be doing a better job of providing our students with fresher foods that contain lower calories. The other day I went into my child’s middle school and saw them selling pint size ice cream-YES, in SCHOOL! Now that’s just wrong!
Maria and Jennifer, I totally agree! Every time I see that commercial I have a little freak out. You know what else bugs me? Pop Tarts commercials…..”Made for fun” (as everything gets covered in frosting). What happened to things that were made for FOOD!!!
Stephanie P- Way to go for switching to the organic toaster pastries! They’re made from real FRUIT!
By the way, can’t help but notice that the Pop Tarts have NEVER left my local Earth Fare’s Boot bin. I guess they have all of the bad ingredients in them, not just one or two. Scary stuff!
One special comment I like is: “It’s easier to find 5 fast-food restaurants than a safe walking path”
So true! Making our region a bikeable and walkable place is a worthy cause and addresses obesity directly. We need safe accessible recreation venues.
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The Taco Bell diet lady only ate like 1000 calories a day to start, and reduced it to like 500 over time. It was basically starvation.
A great list!
It is missing one thing though – what about the harassment and general rudeness obese people often endure when getting out there and moving? How many people have been sent back to the couch out of shame after being smirked at or ignored in the gym, glared at on the trail, and yelled at through open car windows on the sidewalk.
Under the umbrella of “caring” about obesity comes a lot of superiority and negativity which also endorses hate. A fat person exercising is your equal, regardless of how they look in their workout gear. Treat them with respect and foster an environment of respect and even fun and friendship. Be the gracious hosts to the healthy party and more people will want to stick around!
i am having a problem finding the coupon for the pantry makeover. i have already signed up for the newsletter.
Tannerose3
The Pantry Makeover is different thatn the newsletter. Click on My Health Journey from the main page of the earthfare website. Then click on “Get Started” under the log in information. After you register the coupon will pop up for you to print. Get 10 of your friends signed up and you can get a $25 gift card!
You know. I have just started my whole foods, no artificial sweetners, colors, preservatives life style and I think it is great. I am also clinically obese. I have noticed just changing what I am eating has helped a lot. Obesity is a real problem in America. I could care less if I ever see another fast food chain resteraunt again. It would be one thing if it was safe enough to walk to MCDs and then walk back to work off some of the calories. But, in this world a woman can not walk any where alone. I would love to see the whole world embrace eating problems as a whole. Not only eating disorders that make you skinny and frail, but recoaching obese and over weight on the right things that are good for you and taste wonderful. I have found so many things at EF that are so wonderful, and now instead of taking orders for Moe’s or BoJangles, my co-worker and I pile up in the car and go to EF to get the lunch special and some Yerba-Mate’ tea… It is easy. Let’s urge our families and communities to grow gardens and take care of them, so that everyone has an opportunity to taste the fresh veggies and fruits of the earth. It is important for your little ones to see how a tomato plant or strawberry bush grows and flourishes. They learn about plants and their great service to our beautiful earth, and then get to enjoy a healthy snack on a hot day. We just need to reach out and help people.
Hi Courtney!
I think what you just said was wonderful. I am speaking to a group of women next week about how to begin their own healthy journey, and I think a lot of them are in the same situation as you. They are looking for that recoaching you describe. Thanks for the personal story.
I agree with Jennifer above. Too many people look at obesity as the fault of the obese person. Often it has nothing to do with their choices, but it is their metabolism that is too blame along with all of the terrible poisons in the food most readily available & heavily advertised. Or, it is due to an eating disorder & our society perpetuates the addiction involved in that. It is not as simple as “get off the couch & exercise, and you’ll be thin!” as many people think. With a different metabolism those people could just as easily be in the same boat.
What I think is critically missing is authentic education. There is too much “fad education” that keeps people running from one thing to the next: avoid butter; avoid all fat; avoid trans fat; avoid protein, no wait – eat more protein, and so on – without any focus on the inherent differences in people. This is a result of scientific studies that are narrow in focus & seem to be chasing the next quick fix answer. Unfortunately, there simply is not a quick fix for true health. No drug or potion or exercise is the “cure all” answer for everyone.
But there is one thing that has been around for thousands of years that could hold the key: Ayurveda, the science of life. It focuses on the nature of each individual, and provides diet & lifestyle recommendations accordingly. Thus, each person will have a different “answer” from Ayurveda than another person, but each can reach the same result. Unfortunately since it is an Eastern medicine many people disregard it without ever exploring it for themselves. Or, they just don’t have the patience to. But if you get tired of following the trends, like I have, give this a try. It just might change your life(style)!
Here’s a very interesting article on Ayurveda as a solution to the obesity problem: http://www.ayurvedaacademy.com/ayurveda-eye-on-obesity
I hope this information helps someone. Namaste!
I love that Earth Fare is fighting obesity with their strict food philosophy and banning ingredients. High fructose corn syrup is disgusting and definitely coincides with the jump in weight gain. I am a little worried though…
I agree that knocking out bad ingredients in Earth Fare’s food will help by offering better products, but I am worried that people see Earth Fare as a place to lose weight no matter what they buy. I picked up a package of Earth Fare cookies last time I shopped and was surprised to see there was 105 calories in ONE cookie! Yes, people should regulate what they eat – and cookies are junk…but, WOW – in one cookie! Manufactured ingredients will definitely assist in obesity…but it all comes back to the fat, calories and sugar. Earth Fare is “healthy” in what ingredients the products contain – but not always “healthy” in that anything you pick up will help with weight loss. I believe some shoppers are misguided and a little naive in regards to this. It would be wonderful if Earth Fare could educate in that way as well.
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your comment. We are glad you support us in our fight against obesity! We do believe good ingredients are the starting point, and you are right that portion control is a part of that dialogue. So, we are addressing it in our next blog post! It is very timely that you mentioned it.
Thanks for the comment!
I think the other issue we face is that for many it is less expensive to buy off the “dollar menu” than it is to make a nutritious meal. I mean, I understand the issue myself, and I don’t even have kids! As a single woman, I do not have the luxury of excess cash that dual income families do, and I often waste food, due to the fact that it’s hard to make food for just one! I do save and eat leftovers, but it is very frustrating. I agree that community is key to a lot of these issues, but I also think capitalism has a huge role in this. Why do people drink milk full of hormones instead of organic (or better yet, goat’s or nut milks?)? The main reason is because we have a multi-billion dollar dairy industry that our economy depends on.
reminds me of the time mcdonalds introduced the veggie burger.
We as a people — through our elected representatives in the government — actually subsidize unhealthy, highly refined food. Yes, your tax dollars SUBSIDIZE the massive production of soy, corn, wheat, & dairy to be ultra-cheap so that it can be processed into cheap “food.”
Until a whole potato costs less than french fries at McDonalds (do the math, a whole large baking potato costs more than fries), people are going to choose the cheaper food. Especially in these hard economic times.
Greatings, Super post, Need to mark it on Digg
Ivan
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obesity can be cured by balance diet.
obesity can be cured by regular work out at the gym for at least for an hour.
we almost forget how to eat those nutritious food and live a healthy lifestyle that we end getting overweight and worst, obese. the food we eat, the lifestyle, environment, all of these are factors why people of different communities tend to gain weight abnormally.
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