Adult Consumers Need More than Just Knowledge to Curb Obesity

at 12:00 PM

A new poll of 2,620 adult consumers finds that large numbers claim to be changing the foods they eat.  Many know that they should consume less processed foods such as white bread and pasta and eat more whole grain and vegetables.  The replies were analyzed and show that the responses only suggest wishful thinking and public knowledge of what people think they should be eating rather than what they are actually putting in their mouths.  This actually rings true with conversations I have had with friends who would like to lose weight.  When I tell them that I snack on fruits and veggies, their answer more often than not is ' I like to eat apples'.  But in my case, my staples in the house are apples, spinach and milk.  As in when I run out of these types of foods I am basically forced to go to the store.  When people say that they like apples, do they just like them once in a while or are they eating them instead of french fries?

In the poll, most of those considered obese or morbidly obese claim to  be doing the same things as those who are not overweight.  So their responses reflect what they think they should be saying.  Many people know what they should be eating but are they actually putting the healthy advice into practice in the privacy of their homes?

Many times I read these reports in magazines or scientific journals and realize that no matter what the latest fad is... calories, carbs, fats etc., people in this country and the rest of the developing world are eating too much of EVERYTHING.  We have lost touch with our inner 'foodstat'.  Studies show that behavioral changes over time such as eating more and not paying attention to the built-in signals that tell us when we are full, can make it much more difficult, if not impossible, to quit eating when we should once we decide to start losing weight.

Stop making new year's resolutions, that you may never keep.  Start making actual small changes every day whether it's January 2011 or any other day.  Make changes that are not devastatingly huge!!  For example, instead of going to a fast food joint, see what you have in the fridge, and try making a meal in just a few minutes (omelette, salad, chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread).  Make it simple so you can keep practicing the new healthy behavior.  The more you practice it, the more automatic it will become.