The Health and Fitness of a Nation - What Happened?

Do you ever wonder why the whole culture of people, and that we Americans, got so fat, so out of shape, so tired, and so plagued by pain, lack of mobility and disease?

Do you ever wonder why, despite the sad shape of our bodies, so that we are willing to learn about health and adopt principles and life-giving diet and lifestyle habits?

What happened to us as a culture, and how did it happen?

Follow along, if you would, the chronology of the spiral of our eating and exercise habits.

It all started hundreds of years ago, but let's start in 1956 with the birth of the "four food groups ."

We have been sold to Big Mama myth of all - ". four food groups" They told us, and we believe that we must eat meat, dairy products, and refined breads, cereals and grains to be healthy .

We were also told to believe other lies and deceptions:

· We have, and most of us still do not, you must eat meat to get enough protein.

· We have, and most of us still, that meat protein is superior to plant protein.

· We have, and most of us still do, that we need to eat protein for strength and energy.

· We have, and most of us still do not to eat chicken and fish to lower cholesterol.

· We have, and most of us still do not, that milk "does a body good, " and we have to drink it for strong bones and teeth.

· We have, and most of us still do not, that osteoporosis is caused by not getting enough calcium.

We've got all the essential nutrients - protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, calcium, vitamins, phytochemicals, fiber - that we need for health and life of plant foods, with no fat, cholesterol, salt, toxins , animal protein and calories found in foods of animal origin and foods.

However, our cultural habits and traditions of today is built on the infamous "four food groups" and six myths above.

At the same time we bought it - hook, line and sinker - the original "four food groups," our culture is lured into the convenience convenience food

convenience food came in the form of canned food - canned vegetables, fruits, soups, spaghetti sauces, spices and juice

Convenience foods also came in the form of frozen foods, boxed breakfast cereals, instant oats, cream of wheat, and refined, white bread.

These convenience foods are our mothers' lives easier, and they fit the model of "four food groups, " so our moms gave us these foods without forethought or question.

But, although practical, convenience foods were often loaded with salt, sugar, chemicals and / or fat and lacking in nutrients. And they were often high in calories.

How well I remember Campbell soup and Velveeta cheese toasted sandwiches and lemonade from fresh, frozen concentrate. And what about those dried cereal in the morning and frozen or canned peas, corn, green beans or night?

I'm sure you can think of as convenience food your mom gave you.

Who is even thinking about that when food is changed by processing, canning, freezing and / or packaging, they are deprived of many of their nutrients?

Who even thought that if we fill in these convenience foods along with meat and dairy products, then you certainly do not eat enough of disease prevention, health-promoting foods, namely fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains , and legumes?

In addition to the infamous "four food groups" and convenience foods, fast foods exploded into our lives, beginning in 1960.

Fast food is quick, easy, cheap, and tasted good, just the right combination for mothers in the 70s and 80s, who were going through their own transformation becomes liberated and entering the workforce. Convenience foods and fast foods are a very busy life easier.

and then the children of these working moms grew up with fast and convenient food and got used to the taste, affordability and acceptability of these foods.

Let's face it. If children are given the choice between a meal consisting of hamburger, fries and pop or a meal consisting of salads, brown rice and steamed vegetables, a meal that they will choose? In fact, what would you choose a meal or at least want to choose?

Before the case of women who work from their homes, the children did not get a choice of what to eat. Children are told what they had to eat. But that parental awareness shifted when women spent so much time outside the home.

Kids, hooked on fast food, whine to their moms on the go for a quick burger or pizza, and working moms, too tired or too distracted or too stressed, would often be recognized. It was just plain easier for busy moms make their kids' desires, rather than prepare a nutritious meal and say, "No!"

Children were taught that they could eat whatever they wanted in the quantities they wanted. And they were not taught the difference between good and bad food choices food choices.

Result: spoiled palates, spoiled attitude of "I want what I want when I want it", which was conducted over into adulthood, and, ultimately, the taste buds are not the only things spoiled, spoiled the whole body.

To make things go from bad to worse, the phenomenon of television invaded our living rooms. Children and adults alike became more sedentary. Unfortunately, the more TV we looked fatter and less fit we get.

In addition, advertising on television has had a tremendous impact on our eating habits and our attitudes about food. Of course, computers and game boys we chain our chairs and even more than just TV.

In addition, remember that physical education was emphasized in 1960? Remember John F. Kennedy 's President Award for physical fitness? Well, P.E. has lost its favor with the baby boomers and became less and less emphasized in schools. In fact, since 1988, Illinois is the only state to require daily PE left

Bottom line: as Americans ate up and up and moved into their bodies less and less, we as a nation got fatter and fatter and sicker and sicker

Then the Americans become obsessed with losing all the excess weight gained by bad eating habits and lack of activity and exercise.

, however, we did not want to lose weight by eating properly and exercising more - no, it's too much effort and too much time. We're spoiled Americans like quick weight loss. So what many of us latch on to? Any diet that came along to loudly touted quick fixes and easy solutions.

Does the diet work? Just look around and the truth will be revealed.

How many millions of dollars are spent each year on the latest miracle diet, and how many of us still carry around way too much weight? It does not take a genius to see that they simply weight loss programs, diet is called, simply do not work.

Just look at the popular, and one I have to completely shutter, Atkins' diet. You know the one - one that is overloaded with high-fat, high cholesterol, and high animal protein. Dr. Atkins is being marketed and boasted about the diet for decades, and made ​​millions of dollars from millions of unsuspecting dieters.

However, it is not you ever take a close look at Dr. Atkins before his untimely death? He could not hide the fact that the assailant has always seemed a lot of pounds. Even after decades of following their advice, he still could not keep the pounds off. He is just another proof that little fad weight loss diets simply do not work.

and look at the troubles that we as a nation, are in now.

Americans are sicker, fatto, and more of form than ever. And it's getting worse, not better. If you do not believe that all of the above, just walk into one of our high school and look at our weight, under-fit children.

We are born from the loins of our culture. For over fifty years and have built up food and exercise habits to collectively accepted standard for our culture. And today we have the products and culture.

standard for our culture is, and for the most part is still filling our stomach meat, dairy products, boxed cereals, canned soups, canned fruits and vegetables, sugar, Crisco, and Betty Crocker. In addition to McDonald's and fast food across the country, our health slid from bad to worse. lack of exercise only accelerated the downward spiral.

It'sis hard to break old habits and conditioning in order to turn your body and your life around . decisions that have to do now to get the best comfort, energy and activity are not choices we have been taught and conditioned to like children.

It can be tough to consciously eat better, but it is much harder to resist getting a breast cut off, cut out the prostate, or a foot cut off because of diabetes. It is much harder to get her breasts buzz-sawed open for heart surgery, to set fire to radiation, or to get sick from chemotherapy, than it is to fill your stomach with fresh, whole fruits and vegetables.

What will it be? Get hit with a stroke that paralyzes you on one side of your body or eating fruits and vegetables and walking on their own for the rest of your life?

It seems simple, very clear choice for me. Not to you?

only because the health of our nation's plummeting down, does not mean that your health is doomed to the same dreaded course.

your health and fitness are your responsibility, and that it is time to take that first step on your own time you're the best.