The Skinny on Fat
Th U.S. Government established new dietary guidlines in January, and unveiled a new version of that iconic "food pyramid" we've all learned to love, this week. They've officially done away with the horizontal bars on the pyramid of old, apparently because Americans have had a hard time comprehending triangular shapes that stack horizontally; since 1985 obesity and weight-related diesease has ballooned (pun intended). Two-thirds of Americans are now considered overweight, if not outright obese according to government statistics, and child obesity is the largest growing segment.
The saddest part about all this is that everyone is lying about it. The government research showed that admittal of consumption vs. grocery store purchases was dead-on accurate for foods like fruits and vegetables, but when it came to refined grains and sugars, the databases differed wildly. I know that Pyramid can be dam-tricky with all five lines and colors on it, but do we really not know what we're eating, or is denial a much easier way to hide the truth (because it's hard to hide, duh). Do we really not understand what a twinkie (or a venti carmel frappacinno (hate to tell you: 750 calories)) is made up of and does to our bodies?
I'd like to believe that I'm a health-conscious individual that understands food breakdown and the do's and don't of good-eating, but I'm also just as bad as the next guy, honestly. I fight myself nightly for ice-cream, nightly, and granted it's always low-fat, I understand the sugars suplemented to make it that way. My saving grace is working-out and a 24 yr old metabolism, not a stronger will to "fight the urge" that most people can't resist (although my wife seems to think so on rare occasion with nights when she succumbs to the dark-side that is the freezer of ice-cream when I perserver against all ice-cream odds).
So there, I can't look down upon anyone for there over-powering temptations, but I can tell you that you're the master of your domain, and that your children are under your control (or at least should be, and if you've lost that control I'd stop reading and google for a new search on parenting), so their eating habits are your success or failure (obviously to a certain age, but we're not talking about teenagers, and hopefully you've been a good enough example that they'll continue the trend, at least until college, then all bets are off, especial for thirsty freshman girls; sorry dads). Children can't get fat on what they can't eat.
You can link to the United States Dept of Agriculture for a view of the new pyramid and calculate your necessary caloric intake based on individual criteria.
The saddest part about all this is that everyone is lying about it. The government research showed that admittal of consumption vs. grocery store purchases was dead-on accurate for foods like fruits and vegetables, but when it came to refined grains and sugars, the databases differed wildly. I know that Pyramid can be dam-tricky with all five lines and colors on it, but do we really not know what we're eating, or is denial a much easier way to hide the truth (because it's hard to hide, duh). Do we really not understand what a twinkie (or a venti carmel frappacinno (hate to tell you: 750 calories)) is made up of and does to our bodies?
I'd like to believe that I'm a health-conscious individual that understands food breakdown and the do's and don't of good-eating, but I'm also just as bad as the next guy, honestly. I fight myself nightly for ice-cream, nightly, and granted it's always low-fat, I understand the sugars suplemented to make it that way. My saving grace is working-out and a 24 yr old metabolism, not a stronger will to "fight the urge" that most people can't resist (although my wife seems to think so on rare occasion with nights when she succumbs to the dark-side that is the freezer of ice-cream when I perserver against all ice-cream odds).
So there, I can't look down upon anyone for there over-powering temptations, but I can tell you that you're the master of your domain, and that your children are under your control (or at least should be, and if you've lost that control I'd stop reading and google for a new search on parenting), so their eating habits are your success or failure (obviously to a certain age, but we're not talking about teenagers, and hopefully you've been a good enough example that they'll continue the trend, at least until college, then all bets are off, especial for thirsty freshman girls; sorry dads). Children can't get fat on what they can't eat.
You can link to the United States Dept of Agriculture for a view of the new pyramid and calculate your necessary caloric intake based on individual criteria.
posted by Jonathan at 4:19 PM
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