The quickest way to lose weight is to get sick.
\nThe easiest way to keep it off is to die.<\/i>
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\nSadly, when I heard this, I was near the beginning of my academic career and didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know enough to record who it was that said it. It was by somebody important\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I think. Regardless, it is true. The coupling of obesity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s significant health issues and increasing national rates with modernity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s laziness is a disaster in consumerism. In this post I will discuss some diet and food related issues that are current in our popular and Mormon discourse.<\/p>\n
First, the idea that Mormons are grossly more obese than the rest of the nation is a canard. The national data show that Utah, while more obese than it should be, is consistently less obese than the majority of the nation (if you have never seen it, go to the CDC website<\/a> and checkout their PowerPoint obesity progression map<\/a>). That said, the Church News<\/i> recently reported that Utah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Mormon population is more obese than it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s non-Mormon population, though by how much is not discussed (1).<\/p>\n People in general want quick fixes to this problem\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6and it is a problem; the US government even gives tax breaks for obesity treatment. The data are, moreover, conclusive \u00e2\u20ac\u201c diets simply don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work. Lifestyle changes do. No one can live eating a bizarre list of offerings for their entire life. Simply put, the best way to have a healthy body image is to control one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s portions and exercise. There are complications, of course; for example, some people are addicted to food<\/a>. The vast majority of the population, however, is able to maintain an healthy lifestyle given the volition.<\/p>\n Carbs<\/b> The truth is that the same calories of high-glycemic carbohydrates and low-glycemic carbohydrates are metabolized differently. A high glycemic load diet leads to obesity. Glycemic load is an effective way of describing the effect a food has on your blood glucose levels. Sugars and refined starches have high glycemic loads. Whole grains and foods with fiber and protein have lower glycemic loads. Proccessed foods are typically highly glycemic<\/p>\n Caveman did not eat wonder bread and we are consequently not built to eat only such things. He also did not sit on his fanny all day in front of a TV. If you want to eat steak all day, go hunt it with a spear. For those interested in a scientific description of glycemic load and obesity go here<\/a> and here<\/a>. If you are at a University and have access to the JAMA, here is a great paper<\/a> on why high glycemic load foods do what they do to our bodies.<\/p>\n
\nWhile carbohydrates are the center of several popular diets, most people do not understand the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what\u00e2\u20ac? or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153why\u00e2\u20ac? of them. Carbohydrates are the only food component defined by what they are not. Carbohydrates are neither, water, protein, fat nor minerals. While no one can maintain a low carbohydrate diet for too long, understanding carbohydrates is a significant part of maintaining a healthful lifestyle.<\/p>\n