Today we see the largest obesity epidemic that the world has never seen before. In the last two decades, we saw a steady increase of caloric intake by children, men and women and at the same time an increase in malnutrition of children. The problem is being overfed and undernourished!
Obesity is a key predictor of diabetes and cardiovascular risk and even some cancers which is avoidable. The intake of high fructose corn syrup in most packaged foods, white sugar, white flour, shortening and trans fat are making us fatter than ever before! At the same time, the intake of nutritionally dense whole food, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts and good fats are getting lower, being replaced by these highly processed junk food.
The problem partially lies in the flawed food pyramid that we were taught in school, where at the base of the pyramid we are told, we could have 6-11 servings of bread, pasta, and other grains. And at the tip of the pyramid, we are told that we are allowed little fats. The last generation has seen the rate of obesity double! This pyramid has to be flawed!
Low fat diets have been the trend of the last generation. The number of perceived healthy food advertised on television are usually high in sugar and carbohydrates. In their efforts to keep fats low, many food manufacturers have to compensate for the lack of mouthfeel from low fats with higher levels of taste from salt or sugar or artificial sweeteners. Many of these advertisements target children as their audience, hence the rise in childhood obesity.
Are you overweight or obese? Is your child overweight or obese? Do you suffer from fatigue, headaches, digestive problems like bloating, flatulence or heartburn, poor concentration, insomnia, sinusitis or postnasal drips? If so, look at what you are eating. If you fuel an aeroplane with diesel, you don't expect the aeroplane to fly, do you?
