As the obesity epidemic grows in scope, so too does the “blame game.” Lack of exercise, over-consumption of food, sedentary work environments, lifestyle choices, biological predispositions, genes…the list of possible culprits for America’s fatness goes on.
Fast food is a common target. Earlier this month, an advocacy group launched a campaign petitioning 26 hospitals across the country to remove a major fast food restaurant from their cafeterias with the aim of sending a “better message” to consumers.
Some of the reasoning behind the group’s initiative comes from a 2006 study published in the journal Pediatrics that concluded that allowing fast food centers to operate in hospitals not only affects guests’ consumption of fast food on the day of their visit, but also unintentionally boosts the perception of the “healthfulness” of fast food in general. Here’s more research that supports the initiative:
Courtesy of wagnerfpa.wordpress.com.
So being near to fast food increases the likelihood of obesity, but will removing fast food from hospitals (and other institutions and neighborhoods) help solve the problem?
Consider this:
Blaming fast food restaurants for obesity can place us on a slippery slope. Should we remove buses from our streets to force people to choose the less convenient, but “healthier” walking or biking options? After all, sitting for long periods of time is correlated with obesity, and most adults do not get the recommended level of exercise.
Similarly, while we should limit consumption of fast food, we can’t eliminate it from the American diet as long as there is a demand for convenient, inexpensive, and (arguably) tasty food. We need to improve health through education and develop incentives that encourage healthy lifestyle decisions, proper nutrition, and exercise.
Perhaps a partnership between hospitals and Weight Watchers (or other proven commercial weight loss programs), or the establishment of walking groups or active events within hospital walls, could promote lasting change.
We won’t make any progress in the fight against obesity by playing the blame game at the expense of taking responsibility for our health into our own hands.
Courtesy of www.topnews.in.
What do you think? Will restricting fast food lead to a decrease in obesity? How can we as individuals, families, and institutions promote a healthier America?
M2 Personal Trainer Adrian Fleisher has been involved in the fitness, wellness, and coaching industries for approximately 20 years. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, and a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from Austin Peay State University. He also holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Business.
Adrian is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has extensive experience working with elite level athletes, but enjoys working with all types of clients.
Adrian is answering your fitness questions today.
I have been working out for a while, and have begun to see a drop off in progress. What is up with this?
Adrian: Most individuals enter into a program with the best intentions. They work out with great regularity. Usually, these individuals are rewarded for their efforts with some physiological changes. More muscle, greater strength, better endurance. Also, their clothes fit better, they sleep better, and they experience greater energy.
BUT, then the dreaded workout plateau hits. When I meet with a client who is experiencing this, it usually takes just a few questions to get to the cause.
Most clients are victims of their own habits. They come to the club, get on the same piece of cardio equipment, hit the same “quick start” button, and do the same level, every single time. To the human body, this is like eating oatmeal for breakfast, lunch AND dinner, every single day.
You get the point.
The human body (or in our parlance, the “human organism”) is absolutely awesome at adapting to the stressors placed upon it. Weights, cardiovascular training, balance training, stretching, etc. are all examples of stressors. The human organism is also incredibly efficient at adapting just enough to these stressors.
To sidestep the plateau, you need to be proactive in implementing variety into your workouts. Go ahead, push that “random” button. Possibly hop on a different piece of cardiovascular equipment. Seek out one of our qualified personal trainers for guidance on one of our group programs. When you change the stressors you place upon your body, your body will thank you by changing!
I am most interested in losing a few pounds. How do I go about losing weight?
Adrian: Fat stored in the body serves a number of purposes; one specifically is fuel for the body to function. Believe me when I state that there are many ways to go about losing weight. Some of these methods are very, very aggressive, and as a result are not recommended. When entering into a weight loss program, remember that you are attempting to take caloric money out of the body’s energy account.
Your body will fight you a bit in this process. This is exactly why prudent weight loss strategies include a three-pronged approach. Through utilizing proper nutrition, cardiovascular training, and strength training, you will gain the best results.
Each element within the strategy is equally important:
I tend to keep the nutritional process very simple with my clients.
Food fulfills a very utilitarian need to fuel the body, and also provides a fundamental experienced through the eating process. Eating a meal is social as well as physical. It brings families together, allows for business deals to be (excuse the pun) hashed out, and satiates the physiological and psychological need to eat.
Far too often, clients are trapped in the weighing, measuring, and stressing over the numeric component of food. Personally, I believe this takes away from the fundamental joy of food. Make no mistake about it, a person needs to have the basic understanding of portion size, and how that plays into well balanced eating decisions.
Further blog posts will elaborate further regarding each of the above. Midtown also has a great educational program regarding nutrition. Please see Neil Wywialowski, our Fitness Director and he will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Thanks, Adrian.
Do you have a question for Adrian or another personal trainer? Share it with us in the Comments section and we’ll answer it for you in a future post.
