(Ivanhoe Newswire) � One in three American children is overweight, and they're growing into overweight adults.
According to the book "Fast Food Nation," in 2000, we spent $110 billion on fast food and are more sedentary than ever. The lifestyle of the 21 century is being blamed, but small changes can make a big difference.
From biggie sized meals to sugary juice drinks, people worldwide are consuming more calories than ever before. And it doesn't take much to add up.
"Say, an extra Lifesaver. If you take in one more Lifesaver over what you burn, theoretically, you're going to gain a pound of weight a year," says James Hill, Ph.D., a nutrition expert at Colorado Clinical Nutrition Research Unit in Denver.
Hill says eliminating 100 calories a day or burning 100 more is all it takes to prevent weight gain. Replacing a soft drink with a diet drink or water saves a 150. Leaving four bites of a cheeseburger leaves 100 calories. A small fry in place of super size saves 400 calories. "Now, it isn't going to produce a lot of weight loss, but if we could stop weight gain, no more weight gain, then with each generation, we have less and less obesity," Hill tells Ivanhoe.
He heads the campaign "America on the Move." In Colorado, and 19 other states, people are encouraged to strap on pedometers and get walking. He says: "What we ask people to do is to wear it for a few days and find out how many steps you're taking and add 2,000 more. Two thousand steps takes about 15 minutes. It's about a mile, and it's a hundred calories."
It may not sound like much, but Hill says it's a place to start. "If we can't get people walking," he says, "it's unlikely that we'll be able to get them to be more active."
Nona Wood never considered fitness. "Exercise? God forbid. What is that horrible word?" But, she started walking and was hooked. And now, more than 10 pounds lighter, she sees the difference little steps can make.
There are several ways to cut 100 calories. Simply removing four pieces of pepperoni from a slice of pizza can save you that much. Leaving 10 french fries on your plate will also do it.
If you would like more information, please contact:
James Hill, Ph.D.
Colorado Clinical Nutrition Research Unit
Denver, CO
[email protected]