Lose Weight and Keep it Off

Childhood obesity in America continues to grow at alarming rates, with government statistics indicating at least 30% of all children are overweight or obese, this is where weight loss diet can help. In 2010, first lady Michelle Obama pronounced childhood obesity an epidemic and launched a health initiative to help address this problem. One of the major goals of her initiative was to begin providing healthier meals in schools. A healthy weight loss diet program to correct obesity in children is more easily accomplished than when the overweight children become overweight adults.

A pre-requisite to any weight loss diet, whether for children or adults, is an initial consultation with the family physician. Improper or unhealthy dieting can further compromise the state of health for dieters and can exacerbate physical problems. Most doctors agree with the newer concept of a plant-based diet versus the older, traditional meat-based diet. In 1956, the “four basic food groups” meal plan was introduced as a healthy diet, and based around meats as one of the four groups. For the next 36 years, this plan was the prevailing method taught in schools. As this generation of children became adults with kids of their own, research-based statistics revealed this method was not particularly healthy.

In 1992, the United States Department of Agriculture issued its “Food Guide Pyramid”. Geometrically, with the base of a pyramid being the largest portion, foods were pictured here to illustrate they were to be the biggest part of a healthy diet. Vegetables, fruits, and grains became the foundation to healthy eating. Meats were pictured at the very top of the pyramid, along with dairy products, illustrative of how meats were now relegated to the smallest part of a healthy diet. For almost 20 years, with some variations to include preferences by vegetarians and vegans, this food pyramid has stood the test of time and research to emerge as the new standard for a healthier America.

With our knowledge of this new food guide, why have obesity statistics continued to spiral out of control? For one reason, weight loss diets abound, offering a quick fix to a lifetime of poor eating habits. Another reason is the fast-paced schedule most people have as part of their lives which, all too often, involves fast-food meals. Notoriously loaded with fat and empty calories, fast food is suggested as the largest contributor to America’s problems with obesity. Visits to drive-through windows on the way home from work give people pre-made meals, with paper wrappings and paper plates for no cleanup afterward. The price they pay is not only for the convenience of a ready-made meal, but it is also for compromising their health.

A first step toward the goal of a healthy weight loss diet can be simply to eliminate all fast food. Planning a weekly menu of healthy meals (based on the food pyramid) is the second step. Next is making a list of ingredients needed for the meals. A trip to the grocery store armed with the newly made list completes the planning phase. Working moms and dads may find it easier on their schedules to prepare all meals in advance, perhaps over a weekend. This way, meals can be simply heated and served in less time than the usual trip to the drive-through for carryout. A realistically conservative goal is to implement this schedule for only one week. At the end of the week, a family can be well on their way to a healthier way of life using a weight loss diet.