Origins of Obesity

Obesity is a leading health problem in America. At least one third of American adults are obese. Obesity is defined as anyone whose body fat is above 25%.

A sedentary lifestyle and modern conveniences are the culprits that leads to obesity. Id days of old, men and women both worked the land. Think about it - they churned butter, milked
cows, chopped wood, bailed hay, dug wells, built their own homes, washed clothes on a scrub board, pumped water, and much more. In other words, the people of our American society were
physically active.

Today, everything is instant and convenient. We have couch potatoes and couch tomatoes with their remote controls and sweet and salty snacks.

At the end of the great depression of the 1930's, many modern conveniences were introduced into our society to make our life easier. All for what? I'll tell you, it's so we don't have to
work so hard. All so we can take it easy. All so we can sit down and do nothing. We think all the labor saving devices are saving us time and effort. In reality, they are making us lazy.
In our laziness, our bodies are deteriorating, our muscles are
diminishing, our bowels don't function properly, we don't think clearly, and we are more nervous than ever.

Even our jobs are sedentary. Secretaries and receptionists
aren't the only ones who sit all day long. Computer programmers and webmasters sit at their computers all day. Scientists and lab technologists sit in a lab all day. Other people who are sedentary on the job are researchers, authors, poets, artists,
insurance agents, telemarketers, and telephone operators. And the list goes on and on.

We aren't as active as our grandparents were when they were young. Therefore, we need to look for ways to be active.
Physical activity not only helps you to become a slimmer you, but also provides many health benefits. Walking should be your best friend.

Slimmer You is a lifestyle not a fad diet, nor a quick fix. Rather, it is a spiritual matter. It's about changing habits and believing in your self.

What we eat and drink along with the level of physical activity is what determines whether you'll be a slimmer you or not.

http://www.slimmeryou.org

Bette has been writing articles in the weight loss, diet, and nutrition arena for over twenty years. Her degree is in applied science with a major in Medical Assistant. She is a member in good standing of the (AAMA) American Association of Medical Assistants and is a consultant for http://www.slimmeryou.org.

LETTUCE GARDENINGArleen M. Kaptur

Lettuce is a great way to begin this years garden. There are several different varieties
to choose from.

First, there is common lettuce and Romaine lettuce. Then we have this
category broken down even further into Head Lettuce (sold in supermarkets under
the name of Iceberg, Great Lakes, Imperial, Ithaca, or Oswego). It is tightly compressed
and the center ball is pale green.

Loose-leaf lettuce forms a rosette of tender green leaves. Stores sell it as Oakleaf,
Ruby (because the leaves are tinged with red), or Salad Bowl.

Butterhead lettuce has a softly compressed head with green outer leaves and pale green
to yellow inner leaves. It falls under the market names of Buttercrunch, Dark Green
Boston, Tender-Crisp, Deer Tongue, and Summer Bibb.

Head lettuce - 15 foot row yields about 15 heads of lettuce

Loose-leaf lettuce - 15 foot row yields about 2-1/2 lbs. of produce

Butterhead lettuce - 15 foot row yields about 15 heads

Romaine lettuce forms a vase shape and has a tightly compressed head. It stands about
10 inches tall and has a more piquant flavor than the other varieties.

Lettuce should be planted where it will get full sun in Spring and Fall, but partial
shade during the hottest part of the Summer season.

Plant your lettuce seeds when night-time temperatures are no longer likely to fall
below 25 degrees.

Sow the seeds sparingly about 1/2 deep and thin the plants.

The pulled plants are good to eat so dont just toss them.

Keep the soil moist but do not wet the foliage any more than necessary.

Head lettuce matures in about 10-11 weeks after the seeds are sown.

Loose lettuce matures in 6-7 weeks, Butterhead is ready in about 9-10 weeks,
and Romaine comes to full maturity in about 11-12 weeks.

If you dont use up all your lettuce seeds, dont throw them away. Unused seeds
will keep for about 6 years.

So, if you are a salad lover, than growing your own lettuce is just the thing for
your garden. Picking your own fresh salad fixings will make that rabbit food
staple of any fine meal an extra special treat.
Arleen M. Kaptur 2002

Arleen has written numerous articles for magazines/newspapers.

Author: SEARCHING FOR AUSTIN JAMES
Author: e-cookbooks
Website:
http://www.rusticliving.info
http://www.topica.com/lists/simpleliving
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving

Don't Blame the Government for America's Obesity

Peter Jennings presented a report on Monday, December 8th regarding obesity in America. The show looked at the roles our government and agriculture play in our eating habits, as well as advertising (especially directed at children). The report blames the government for subsidizing corn to be fed to farm animals, as opposed to helping farmers produce more vegetables and fruit for human consumption. They also pointed out that advertising for junk food specifically designed to reach children is unethical.

Its good that Mr. Jennings pointed out the link between corn-fed animals and the misuse of antibiotics because many people dont understand this. Basically, he stated that farm animals must be fed antibiotics because a corn-based diet is not what their bodies are designed for. And if you think about what cows eat when left out to graze, hes right. They eat greens, not corn. Other agricultural cost-saving practices also contribute to illness in animals. Although not mentioned on the show, overcrowding and confinement are major problems on large farms. When humans consume meat from animals whose food was laced with antibiotics, the humans often develop immunity to those drugs. This means that when people get sick, the drugs prescribed by the doctor might not work. So the duration and severity of your illness could be much worse as your doctor searches for a medication that will kill the disease. Obviously, depending on the severity of your condition, this could even result in death.

Peter Jennings went on to point out that feeding animals what they were meant to eat raises the cost of meat. He sees this as a positive thing, because maybe then people will eat less meat and more produce (and presumably lose weight). However, we must be careful about how the produce is raised as well. A recent article in a national magazine discussed a study comparing the nutrient content of vegetables and fruits raised with pesticides using traditional mass production farming techniques to organically produced counterparts. The mass produced foods were found to contain significantly less vitamins and minerals than organically raised produce. But organic produce is more expensive. So if we raise our fruits and veggies organically, and the cost goes up, will people really eat more produce and less meat?

Paying farmers to produce more fruits and vegetables is not going to change American eating habits, because our eating habits are not constrained by the food supply. Our markets are not short on produce at all-it is quite abundant. The grocery stores are not going to allocate more space to the produce department just because the government subsidizes fruits and vegetables and makes them cheaper. Cheaper produce wont necessarily cause an increase in demand. Supply and demand rules: consumers must start buying more fruits and vegetables before the markets will expand the department. So what really needs to happen to stop the obesity epidemic in America? People need to change their eating habits!

The best reason to stop obesity is to improve health. And this has a bottom line as well. If people complain about the higher cost of eating healthy, they should really be looking at the long-term cost of being in ill health as they age. High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all very costly and all (though only some forms of cancer) are related to obesity. Blaming the government and farmers for raising the wrong foods, or raising animals the wrong way, doesnt solve the problem. People must start eating differently, and buying organic meats and produce, to save their health. The market will figure out how to respond!

Advertising junk food to kids is immoral. However, adults who eat properly set the right example and tend to have kids who eat healthy. As the TV segment pointed out, much of this advertising is aimed at children around 6 years of age. They dont do their own food shopping! They might ask their parents for sugary cereals and fast food, but the parents still have the ultimate control over what comes into the house. They can also exert at least some control over what kids eat at school and at friends homes. Set a good example and teach children why healthy eating is important. Theyll get the message. Overweight children are not getting that way on too much fruit! The wrong types of food are available to them, and that food is mostly provided by parents. It is NOT a coincidence! The do as I say, not as I do approach to parenting simply doesnt work. You must be a positive role model.

If farmers refused to raise fruits and vegetables at all, or if grocery stores refused to stock them, maybe we could shift the blame for obesity to the government and the agricultural system. But there is no shortage of healthy food in America! It is all a matter of PERSONAL CHOICE.

When Americans wake up and get concerned about their health, and stop trying to fix everything with yet another pill to pop every day, the obesity epidemic will be but a memory. Until then, if you want to know why America is fat, look at how we spend our food dollars. We vote with our money. Look at the choices we make every day!

Dale Reynolds is a weight loss counselor and author living in upstate New York. She has a book entitled "A Slim Book On Weighty Matters" which is available through her website, http://www.slimdale.com. She also has a free email newsletter on Weighty Matters.

Ten Ways to Prevent Obesity in Our Families

Ten Ways to Prevent Obesity in Our Families 2003 Heidi Zator

Children are our future and we as parents need to help them attain their highest potential. If we want to have a strong and healthy future.

Today's diet is high in the simple carbohydrates, sugar and fat. Soft drinks, cakes, candy,and junk food are constantly bombarding our families, it seems to be their daily diet.

Statistics show that heart disease is showing up at a younger age. Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions, asthma is becoming a common occurance. People are beginning to look at these as normal. Well it is far from normal!

A major contributing factor in these diseases is obesity. So what is a parent to do: the first thing we must to is to educate ourselves.

Here are 10 ways to Prevent Obesity

1/ Be an example
Children learn from their parents, the first thing you as a parent must do is to show your children that you are willing to change.

2/ Do a Kitchen Clean-up
Get rid of all foods that have refined flour,or sugar in them and replace with whole foods such as whole grains, whole sugars for example raw sugar, honey, or stevia, and foods with as little chemical additives as possible

3/ Replace soft drinks, and highly sugared snacks, with healthy alternatives. Be creative. Limit sugar intake to 10% of your daily diet.

4/ Limit your dietary fat intake to less than 30% of your total calories, saturated fat should be less than 10%. Avoid all trans fatty acids, such as hydrogenated fats.

5/ Exercise, exercise. It doesn't matter what you do. Be it team sports, walking, running, hiking, or tennis. Just get your body moving.

6/ Consume at least five daily servings of fresh raw fruits and vegetables,especially dark orange or green vegetables and citrus fruits. Six servings of wholegrains and a least 3-4 calcium-rich foods, and make sure you get plenty of dietary fibre.

7/Try to have 6 small nutrient-dense meals a day, rather than 3 large meals. Do not eat after 8pm. Avoid repeated unsuccessful attempts at weight loss (crash dieting).

8/Include a food supplement, high in vitamins and minerals.

9/ Consume at least 2000 calories of high-nutrient foods Select low-nutrient foods periodically, maybe once a week, as a sinday. But your daily diet should consist of high quality foods.

10/ Drink at least 6 8oz. glasses of pure, filtered water a day. Water is the best cleanser.

If you follow this advice, you will not only be preventing obesity but will also: improve resistance to colds and infection. reduce risk of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis, increased resistance to stress maintain a feeling of wellbeing, help prevent premature aging increase energy to enjoy life and improve emotional and mental health.

Heidi Zator is dedicated to helping people become educated on family health.

Heidi Zator, a mother of 5 with bsc in holistic nutrition.