The CDC has just come out with reports on how we move and what we eat

  • We flunked the 2 S’s: Sugar and Sweat

Americans aren’t moving enough, nor smart enough

  • The majority of us, 80%, are exercise polluted
  • The CDC says, to stay well, we need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week
  • Either 20 minutes daily, or
  • 75 minutes of vigorous activity twice weekly
  • Along with muscle strengthening at least twice a week (which very few Americans do, perhaps as few as have reached Nirvana)
  • Personally I like bouts of short high-intensity intervals but they have to be done regularly (3-5 30-60 second intervals of ‘going all-out’)
  • The two worst states (flunked) that don’t move much – West Virginia and Tennessee.

Not only do we not move enough, we eat too much. And too much of what we do eat, is comprised of sweet sugary stuff. This isn’t rocket science.

If you just look around you see this everywhere. I was in the post office this morning and while people watching I noticed, once again, that the majority of folks were shaped like potato people, with huge bodies and thin unexercised limbs. In particular I observed a huge woman and a huge man, obviously close and in love, waddling in as though they had no muscles at all. Wow. What a site. It always amazes me how women this huge will give meticulous attention to their nails, their make-up, their accessories, but apparently not to their waistlines nor the mirrors inside their homes.

The CDC has just released the statistics as to what Americans are putting in our mouths – food pollution.

This data comes from the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional survey of the US population.

 

Bottom Line Sad Sweet Statistics:

  • We consume too much added sugar.
  • Most of it comes from refined bakery goods, breads, cakes, cookies, and then also from jams, chocolates, ice cream and pancake syrup.
  • One third of added sugar calories came from what we drink (sweetened juices or sodas) especially for children and teens.
  • Most of the sugars are consumed at ‘home’.

This is like what the Team Study found out. This was a study looking at where Americans get most of our air pollution. It turned out that pollution exposure didn’t mainly occur outside the home, or near super fund sites, on the freeway or on the job, it was inside the home. The bad news was that most pollution occurred inside the home. The good news was, that it was inside the home. Both are true at the same time. Because, if pollution is occurring inside our own hearths, this means we can do something about it.

It’s the same with food pollution. Most of the sugar we buy and then consume occurs in the privacy of our own homes.

The good news is: this means we can thus do something about it. It’s not like someone is holding us down and force-feeding us sugar and barring us from moving. We have will.

We have control. It’s based on choices. Choices are often based on education. The more education one has the more likely one is to have a better relationship with the 2 S’s, Sugar and Sweat. The higher our educational background the more likely we are to exercise better and consume sugar less.

More News Breaking Statistics:

  • Men have a bigger sweet tooth than women, consuming an extra 335 sugary calories a day.
  • Non-Hispanic black men and women consumed the most added sugar per total calories.
  • Two thirds of US adults are overweight or obese.

Genetic factors play a role in fatness, but they’re not the whole story.

Structured meal plans; smaller dishes, no seconds, conscious eating, strategic fasting and meal replacements are all helpful. (I write about many of these things in hopefully helpful and motivational ways in Retraining Your Tongue, available on Amazon and BodyMindHormones.com)

Other Reproducible Weight Tricks:

  • Eating a healthy snack before shopping makes for more sensible purchases and less chip binging in the car on the way home.
  • Eating less sugar
  • Moving more, and more smartly (as mentioned above)
  • Adds up to a healthier thinner you.

Be less sweet and more sweaty, or be square. Or actually, be more shaped like a potato. Hmmm. I’d rather be able to wear stylish belts, myself.

The role for health coaches, health Internet sites, educational forums to inspire others to eat better and move wiser, from prestigious institutions to rogue intellectuals, it’s all good and it all helps. In England, when a patient sees a physician, they often leave the office with a long list of self-help books, Internet sites and resources to further educate and motivate. These are proven winners to help us stay on the path that beats the door wide open to longer, healthier lives.

We need to help each other stay more aware, and act on that awareness.

It takes a village, these days, to keep us healthy.

Thank you for letting me be part of your healing village.

Please contact me and let me know how I can help. [email protected]