Sugar And Other Culprits That Are Making Us Gain Unhealthy Weight

The obesity epidemic in the U.S. has reached epic proportions. According to the Center for Disease Control, 36.5 percent of all adults suffer from obesity. While Americans have steadily become more sedentary, it is the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) that has had the greatest impact on our overall health. U.S. Department of Agriculture data analyzed by the Pew Research Center reveals that since 1970, our eating habits have changed in ways that have created more problems than they have solved.

According to the Pew Research Center report, the average American consumes the following amounts of food every year:

• 1.2 gallons of yogurt (many people didn’t eat yogurt in 1970)
• 36 pounds of cooking oil (three times more than 1970 levels)
• 2.1 pounds of margarine (down from 7.2 pounds in 1970)
• 47.9 pounds of chicken (more than doubled since 1970)
• 39.4 pounds of beef (fallen by over a third since 1970)
• 21.9 pounds of cheese a year (three times more than in 1970)
• 12.6 gallons of milk a year (42 percent less than in 1970)
• 77.3 pounds of some sort of sweetener (not including noncaloric ones, like aspartame, sucralose, and stevia—and down from the average American's peak sugar consumption of 90.2 pounds per year in 1999)

So why are these trends problematic? For starters, the increase in consumption of cheese and cooking oil translates into an increased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and weight gain. The quality of the cooking oils are also a concern as many on the market are GMO-sourced. The herbicides used on GMO crops contain the toxin glyphosate which causes a myriad of health problems.

While there has been somewhat of a shift from traditional sweeteners to synthetic ones like aspartame, sucralose, and stevia, the 77.3 pounds (or 22.9 teaspoons per day) of sugar that the average America consumes annually is likely the biggest contributor to obesity and diabetes. In 1970, the primary source of sweeteners was refined sugar. Because Americans consume large quantities of processed foods, sweeteners are now more often derived from high fructose corn syrup.

The 29 percent increase in grain consumption, usually in the form of bread and pastries, is also linked to weight gain as they break down into sugar which spikes your blood sugar levels. If these calories are not used, the body stores them as fat.

So what should we do to correct these trends? We should start with eating balanced diets that include the proper amount of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats). Our sugar intake must be aggressively reduced. We should choose high quality cooking oils like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. It is critical that we eliminate fast food  and processed foods from our diets. And lastly, to complement our healthier diet, we must get out and get moving! Take a look at what four people are doing to promote a healthier lifestyle:

If we incorporate quality sleep, plenty of water, and stress reduction into our new regimen, we can look forward to becoming more healthy and weighing properly!