Stop the Presses: Another Study Done!

This breaking news just in from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: U.S. adults not just eating more, but more often.

Over the past 30 years U.S. adults have been eating larger portions and eating more often, according to a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers.

The findings help illustrate that how Americans are eating contributes to the country’s obesity epidemic.

“First, the food industry started ‘super sizing’ our portions, then snacking occasions increased and we were convinced we needed to drink constantly to be hydrated,” said Barry Popkin, Ph.D., the study’s senior author and W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

“This study shows how this epidemic has crept up on us. The negative changes in diet, activity and obesity continue and are leading to explosions in health-care costs and are leading us to become a less healthy society,” said Popkin, a member of the Carolina Population Center.

The study is believed to be the first to examine the combined contribution of changes in three key factors (portion sizes, food energy density and eating frequency) on people’s total calorie consumption. The findings appear in the June 2011 issue of the journal PLoS Medicine.

As if another study is going to cure obesity or change the basic formula - excess calories leads to obesity. It's time to stop studying the issue and begin working on it. When I read this latest study, I had a vision of all these Ph.D. types sitting in a huge auditorium, like during the ancient time when a patient was studied, all staring down at fat people like they were some sort of slide on a microscope. I will admit that the findings are spot on, but there is nothing new or profound here. We eat too much and we snack too often.

We can analyze this until we are blue in the face - I know I was - blue in the face - but that was because I was a Smurf at a Halloween contest. It's time for those suffering from the eat-all-you-can-buffet syndrome to STOP! Think about the consequences, think about the wasted dollars on empty calories, think about the legacy left to the children.

Don't let the smart food industry marketers continue to lead us into temptation! Get back to real normal portions sizes and stay there. Your waist line will thank you!

Why Track Calories?

How many of you hate tracking what you eat? Yeah, my hand is raised, too. The article from John Hopkins Medicine below might change your mind. Think of tracking calories as tracking your money. As much as you don't want to overspend, paying no attention to your purchases could easily sink you deeply in debt. Not paying attention to the amount of calories we consume could easily move us into obesity.

Now, more than ever, we need to track our calorie intake. Why? Because we have become a nation of super-sizers. We no longer "know" what a normal portion really is. We no longer know how many calories we should consume to maintain a healthy weight. The only way to get back on track is to track what we eat and when.

Why track when we eat? Well, that's where we learn our triggers: those emotional times we eat when we're not really hungry.

How Keeping a Food Diary Can Help You Lose Weight

Looking for a powerful set of weight-loss tools? Search no further than the pen and paper in your desk drawer. Writing down everything you eat each day in a food diary can help lead you to weight-loss success.

Tracking the food you eat in a food diary compels you to pay closer attention to your diet, including what foods you choose, portion size, how frequently you eat, the emotions that impact your hunger and cravings and what leads you to stray from your healthy eating plan. And having this information in hand in a food diary can help you spot eating patterns … and reach your weight-loss goals.

The Evidence: Keeping a food diary may nearly double weight loss, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In the study, 1,685 overweight or obese adults (average age 55) who were taking medication for hypertension and/or high cholesterol were asked to keep food diaries as part of a weight-loss program. After six months, the participants lost an average of 13 lbs, but those who kept food diaries six to seven days a week lost nearly twice as much as those who didn't.

How to get started: Select any kind of paper or notebook for your food diary. Index cards work well because they are easy to carry around in your pocket or purse.

In your food diary, designate spaces for the following information for each meal: date, meal, time and place, food and beverages consumed and mood prior to eating. Write in your food diary immediately after eating -- don't rely on your memory.

When you make an entry into your food diary, break it down into its components. For example, if you have a hamburger, enter the patty, bun and any toppings or sauces. Next to each item, include the portion size. Be as specific and accurate as possible, using a food scale, measuring cup or measuring spoons whenever you can. Research has found that when people guess at their portion sizes, they tend to substantially underestimate how much they've eaten. (Not surprisingly, they also tend to overestimate how much exercise they do.) To determine calorie counts, check the food label or consult a calorie guide.

It's crucial to be honest. Nobody else has to see your food diary, and you have nothing to gain (except extra pounds) if you cheat. So don't forget to include BLTs -- bites, licks and tastes. Also remember to write down all of the beverages you drink. A glass of wine, a cafe latte or a can of soda can all contribute significant numbers to daily calorie counts.

After you calculate the amount of calories you consume each day, check it against your ideal calorie intake. Now you know the formula for weight gain. When calories consumed are greater than calories burned, they get stored as fat.