Ways to avoid food temptations

Two-thirds of the U.S. population over 20 years old is overweight and one-third of those are obese. Worldwide, there are more than a billion overweight adults.

Two-thirds of the U.S. population over 20 years old is overweight and one-third of those are obese. Worldwide, there are more than a billion overweight adults. Some statistics implicate both the food industry and respective governments in the obesity epidemic. Food processing is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the U.S.; the domestic market for processed and packaged foods reached a retail total of $429 billion in 2006 and global processed food sales were $3.2 trillion, or about three-fourths of the total world food sales.

Some interesting facts:

• Each year, 90 percent of foods marketed are processed foods.
• In 2006 in the U.S., 2,800 new candies, desserts, ice-cream and snacks were introduced to the marketplace, compared to 230 new fruit or vegetable products.
• The food industry spends $34 billion per year marketing their products. $12 billion is spent marketing to children.
• The food industry maintains that they do not make you buy what you do not want. They also blame obesity on people not exercising.

The first step to avoiding processed junk food is to change your mindset, which admittedly is not an easy task. Rather than looking at junk food as a reward that tastes good, try thinking of it as:

• Extra calories that will harm your body
• A toxic concoction of foreign chemicals and artificial flavors that can lead to disease
• A waste of your money
• Likely to lead to increased healthcare bills
• Foods not suitable for children, whose bodies are still developing and in great need of nutrients

Instead of thinking of healthy food as not tasting good, think of it as food that will fortify your body with nutrients, boost your immune system, fight disease and slow the aging process.

If you eat healthy, but feel hungry and crave other foods, you may not be eating properly for your nutritional type. If you eat the right ratio and the right types of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, you will feel satisfied and full of energy after you eat.

Resources: mercola.com, ers.usda.gov and investor.reuters.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 26, Number 5, October/November 2007.