One in five Americans dies from an obesity-related illness, according to a report released last month by U.S. health officials. Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and certain type of cancers have all been linked to obesity. The larger the waistline, experts say, the greater the risk of health problems.
Two out of three Americans are either overweight or obese–that’s 67% of the population or more than 190 million people.
But the really alarming trend is that the problem is worsening, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicting that by the year 2020, 75% of Americans will be either overweight or obese. The trend is clear, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): In the year 2000, no state had an obesity rate of 30% or higher; by 2010, 12 states reported rates of 30% or more.
While many among us laugh off “a few extra pounds” as perfectly harmless, the truth is health-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer are all linked to obesity. It’s no laughing matter: obesity diminishes quality of life, shortens life span and, not least of all, takes a toll on the health care system which drives costs up for everyone.
If I were to award a single food item with the title of “Fastest Way To Pack On The Pounds”, hands-down the winner would be refined sugar.
We have been eating more and more sugar over the past 200 years, which has led to rising obesity numbers. Back in 1822, the average person ate only 6.3 lbs. of sugar per year compared to 130 lbs. of sugar in 2013. That’s more than 20 times as much sugar in our modern diet! No wonder two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese!
One of the reasons that your diet is filled with so much sugar is that some form of refined sugar is included in virtually every single processed food. This is yet another reason that it’s important to cut those processed and packaged convenience foods out of your diet.
Why is sugar so bad? Not only does it promote rapid fat storage, but sugar also:
Weakens your immune system
Causes insulin resistance
Is addictive–as addictive, it is believed, as hard drugs
Speeds up the aging process
Raises your risk of disease
Contains empty calories
Cutting sugar from your diet is easier said than done. Once it is a part of your daily diet, cravings strike, causing you to eat it even more frequently. But there is hope.
Here are seven ways to crave less of that sugar that’s killing your results and keeping you from attaining your goal weight:
1) EAT MORE PROTEIN: A diet rich in protein keeps you full, satisfied and less likely to crave sweets. A great way to make sure that you are getting enough is to plan each meal and snack around a protein. Plan breakfast around eggs, lunch and dinner around baked chicken breast, and make snacks hard boiled eggs or baked meatballs.
2) AVOID ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: One of the biggest fitness myths out there is the idea that calorie-free, artificially sweetened beverages don’t impact your fat loss results. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that the diet soda you’re sipping is making it harder for you to reach your goal weight. While the diet soda itself doesn’t contain calories, it has been proven to cause cravings for sugary foods. Put down the diet soda and instead pick up a refreshing bottle of spring water.
3) STEER CLEAR OF SABOTEURS: The sad truth is that people in your life will try to sabotage your low sugar diet. You’ll run into that pushy person at the office who insists that you eat a donut, the well-meaning family member who dishes you up a bowl of ice cream, and the friend who comes over with a plate of his home-baked cookies. The best avoidance strategy is to sincerely thank the sugar-pusher for their gift, tell them you wish you could eat it, and then blame me – or your trainer – as the bad guy who says that you need to cut back on sugar.
4) TRY DARK CHOCOLATE: For those moments when your sweet tooth is relentlessly badgering you for something sweet, ditch the super-sugary candies and stick with a small square of very dark chocolate. Chocolate that is 70% or higher in cocoa content should be the only candy that you keep on hand. The benefit of the cocoa, in addition to the lowered sugar content, makes dark chocolate an occasionally justifiable treat.
5) STICK WITH FRUIT: What’s sweet, colorful and comes in hundreds of flavors? Organic, seasonal, fresh fruit, of course! As you remove refined sugar from your life, feel free to add in some natural sugar by way of fresh, local fruit. It’s amazing how satisfyingly sweet fruit is–it’s truly nature’s candy.
6) CHANGE YOUR PALATE: As you begin to limit your intake of refined sugars, you’ll find that your tolerance for sugar decreases. This means that something that didn’t taste sweet before – say a green apple – now has uncanny depths of sweetness. What’s happening is that your sweet receptors are becoming more finely tuned, now that you’re not overwhelming your palate with sickly-sweet refined sugar.
7) WORKOUT LIKE YOU MEAN IT: A regular, challenging exercise routine will not only get you into amazing shape, it also reduces your cravings for sugar. The endorphin rush brought on by vigorous exercise is an even more powerful feel-good-feeling than the pleasure gotten by indulging in sugary foods. Make challenging, consistent exercise a part of your life by signing up for a fitness program.
Photo: Sodas are loaded with sugar. Diet sodas may not contain calories, but the taste raises your desire for sugary foods.
Peter Jackson is a certified fitness and nutrition coach and the owner of Push Fitness (www.PushFitnessFTL.com) and Club One CrossFit (www.ClubOneCrossFit.com) in Oakland Park. He welcomes your questions at Peter@PushFitnessFTL.com.
