Remember those way-too-cheerful ads for breakfast cereal during Saturday morning ‘toons? Kids running around with Tony the Tiger or the Trix rabbit? Whatever the commercial’s story line, it always ended with some
9-year-old eating a bowl of sugary flakes as part of a “well-balanced breakfast” that included buttered toast, a glass of milk, a glass of juice and maybe a plate of steaming pancakes. Conservative nutritional estimate, excluding pancakes: 800 calories.
Is that an appropriately sized meal for a 65-pound child? In one sitting, no, but that didn’t stop my clamoring for a three-course breakfast.
My point is that, from a young age on, we follow social cues on how and what to eat. And in what nutritionists call America’s “toxic” food environment, the messages aren’t that sensible. I’ve seen candy bars for sale at dry cleaners and bagels four times their normal serving size. I’ve eaten them too. It’s easy to consume too much food, everywhere, all the time. It seems we’re one of the only countries where it’s acceptable to eat while driving or walking.
And now we’re fat. Huge. Much of the nation is technically overweight (60 percent) or obese (20 percent).
Whose fault is it? Well, if advertising dictates diet, then McDonald’s and other successful fast food options are one factor behind the bulge. Restaurants put too much food on the plate, which is an easy, inexpensive way to please customers. In the 1960s, an executive at McDonald’s figured that people want more, they just don’t want to ask for it. Solution: Take the embarrassment out of the equation by upping the portion into–you guessed it–the super size.
I suppose we also could blame agribusiness, which keeps prices low on fast-food staples, in part by lobbying the government for subsidies and tariffs. In turn, highly processed starchy foods are generally much cheaper than fresh produce. Take a look at your grocery receipt: Not only is it challenging to eat healthy, it’s pricey.
Sure, it’s our fault too. The temptations are out there, but there’s also some denial at play. Clothing manufacturers have reconfigured sizes so we don’t feel so bad about our bodies. What was an 8 is now a 4, and so on.
Of course if measured by the growth of the weight-loss industry, we’d all be svelte. Yet only one quarter of Americans are on a diet. The problem is it should be all of us–not a temporary, trendy diet, but a lifelong approach to eating. Fads are extreme and fail. A few of my friends tried the no-carb thing for a bit only to end up gorging on pasta and pizza.
A lot of this you’ve heard before, but incremental change is on its way. For example:
– The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revising the food pyramid, taking into account age, gender and level of physical activity.
– Schools are limiting the availability of soda and snacks.
– Burger King and McDonald’s, responding to public criticism, added entree salads to their menus.
– Several national chains are incorporating low-carb options.
But bigger, bolder steps are required. In an ideal world, fast food companies would offer a percentage of healthy options and limit advertising aimed at young children. The government would subsidize growers, promote healthy eating and fund more physical education.
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For a long time I thought about weight as a vanity issue–staying thin keeps away the cottage cheese thighs, right? But there’s much more at stake. Obesity, just like tobacco and alcohol, leads to severe health problems over time.
We’re all to blame. Yeah, it tasted good going down, but it’s time to do a little planning and change the menu. After a while, we hope good nutrition will replace the bad. As with any diet, it won’t happen overnight.
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