There seems to be an unending desire to find the simplest, quickest way to lose and maintain a healthy body weight. People are willing to sacrifice an arm, a leg or both (this will reduce your body weight, but not necessarily improve your overall fitness level) to gain any possible advantage in the battle of weight lose and optimum health.
The American Heart Association (AHA) has compiled a list of recommendations all Americans should implement to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the number one killer of Americans. Although being overweight or obese is not the only cause of CVD, these conditions greatly exacerbate one's chances of contracting this disease.
Currently one-third of all Americans are overweight, and an additional one-third are obese, pushing this problem to epidemic proportions with no visible end in sight. The AHA has stated that the obesity epidemic is multi-faceted in nature, and thus the solution too must be multi-faceted. Some of the factors responsible include larger portion sizes (usually the equivalent of three or four meals); high caloric foods; easy acces to inexpensive junk foods; a social climate conducive to overconsumption, and sedimentary lifestyles. Below are the AHA 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations for CVD Risk Reduction:
- Balance calorie intake and physical activity to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.
- Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
- Consume whole-grain, high-fiber foods.
- Consume fish, especially oily fish, at least twice weekly.
- Limit your intake of saturated fats.
- Choose lean meats and vegetable alternatives.
- Select fat-free (skim), 1%-fat and low-fat dairy products.
- Minimize intake of partially hydrogenated fats.
- Minimize your intake of beverages and foods with added sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with little or no added salt.
- If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation.
- When consuming foods prepared outside the home follow these guidelines.
(American Heart Association)
These recommendations established by the AHA not only afford you the opportunity to prevent or reduce CVD; they are key factors in the battle to reduce body fat and maintain a healthy body weight. AHA recommends achieving energy balance. This process involves matching energy intake with energy expenditure. This means the calories burned through activity and sustaining life each day should not exceed the number of calories you consume each day. If you over-consume, you gain weight and if you under-consume, you lose weight – it’s that simple. But keep in mind that you should get the bulk of your calories from healthy food sources to ensure adequate nutrition and reduce your risk of CVD.
"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." – Benjamin Disraeli
