Background

Adult Americans are becomingly increasingly overweight and American children are becoming obese at an alarming rate. Much of this is due to:

• the Standard American Diet (S.A.D), which is heavy in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and processed foods;
• a sedentary lifestyle; and
• large portion sizes.

Obesity is associated with many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and certain cancers, including breast cancer in women.

This section recommends that you make healthy food choices that follow the dietary guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This will give your body the nutrients it needs, while controlling portion sizes and limiting high calorie foods.

You should aim for a healthy body weight with a BMI between 18.5 and 25. Remember that diet alone is not as effective in achieving a healthy body weight as diet combined with exercise.