As Americans ring in the New Year, studies show they are also letting out their belts out one more notch, as the U.S. obesity rate continues to climb.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, in 2001 more than one in five Americans were obese — more than 20 percent above their maximum healthy body weight for their height — up 6 percent from 2000. With these numbers in mind, it’s no surprise that a common New Year’s resolution includes losing weight and getting in shape. But as obesity continues to weigh-in at higher numbers each year, it seems Americans are having trouble keeping their resolutions to get fit.
Princeton Club West manager Peter Gerry recommends setting an obtainable fitness goal that includes incremental steps. Gerry said reaching small goals helps propel people to keep working out.
Gerry suggests a combination cardiovascular aerobic activity and weight lifting as a good start to getting weight down. He said three 30-minute cardio workouts and weight-training sessions each week are a great start to increase energy as well as lose pounds.
But Gerry and other experts agree simply working out is not enough to successfully drop pounds. Jeremy Isensee, a sports nutrition coordinator with the University of Wisconsin’s athletic department, said how you eat and when you eat is equally important to drop weight.
Isensee suggests eating five or six small meals each day rather than two or three large ones. He said small meals help distribute caloric intake throughout the day, which helps prevent excess, unused calories from being stored as fat. Isenee also said more frequent meals keep blood sugar and energy levels constant throughout the day.
Another key to eating healthfully is to keep meals balanced ? eat lean protein sources to limit fat, and watch empty calories, including sodas and candy, Isensee said. But this does not mean depriving yourself of all your favorite foods; Isensee says this could be counterproductive.
“You should allow yourself a treat once in awhile, otherwise you’re setting yourself up for failure. But treat yourself in a smart way; don’t overindulge,” Isensee said.
Isensee says college students face a unique set of problems that make healthy eating a struggle, including late hours and irregularly timed meals. To avoid late-night pizza cravings, he said that eating a snack rich in protein, such as beef jerky or yogurt, offers satiety, a “full feeling,” that will help skirt an urge to gorge on high-fat alternatives.
Isensee also recommends keeping fresh fruits and vegetables around the house for quick, healthy snacks throughout the day.
UW senior Michael Arndt says he plans to target both his diet and physical activity to keep his New Year’s resolution of ditching 20 pounds by spring break. Arndt plans to work out regularly and curb his eating after 8 p.m.
This is Arndt’s first New Year’s resolution, and he plans to keep it, but he knows it may not be easy, especially avoiding bar-time trips to get fast food. He said he knows it is easy to consume lots of calories during a night of drinking, but he is not sure he wants to give up booze as part of the resolution because he says it is just part of Madison culture.
“I’m a victim of circumstance, so not drinking isn’t an option for me,” Arndt said.
Source: Netherlands Heart Foundation and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, released January 2003
