According to health.com,over the past several decades Americans have steadily gotten fatter. Although our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are partly to blame, a big reason for our national weight gain is that we’re simply eating more.
In the mid-2000s, government surveys show, the average American adult ate about 2,375 calories per day, nearly one-third more than he (or she) did in the late 1970s. What accounts for all those added calories?
According to a new study, the biggest single contributor to the sharp rise in calorie intake has been the number of snacks and meals people eat per day. Over the past 30-odd years, the study found, Americans have gone from consuming 3.8 snacks and meals per day to 4.9, on average — a 29% increase. The average portion size has increased, too, but only by about 12%. And, surprisingly, the average number of calories per 1-gram serving of food (known as “energy density”) actually declined slightly over that period, which suggests that calorie-rich food has played a relatively minor role in our expanding waistlines.
We’re eating more often and the frequency of eating is probably, for the average overweight adult, becoming a huge issue. Some blame food advertising and other marketing for the shift from three square meals a day to near-constant eating.
I think there’s just so many opportunities. You never used to see food staring you in the face when you went to a drug store for instance. It’s in your face and it’s cheap. It’s just easy to grab a magazine and a candy bar.
Make healthy options available for you and your children. If your only option for that “snack” is a piece of fruit or yogurt, then your decision is made. Speaking from experience, if my choice is chocolate chip cookies or a piece of fruit I’ll make the wrong choice!
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