By Dr. Janet Matthews
It seems that recent headlines have been screaming at us from every direction about the “obesity epidemic” and other warnings about what we put in our mouths.
I find that often the latest research conclusion being reported leaves me wondering just how much time and money was spent to get there. For example, scientists recently noted that drinking sweetened drinks contributes to the development of diabetes. Really? I never would have guessed.
Likewise, the scientific community is engaged in extensive research to find out why we have the fattest population in the history of the United States.
They are engrossed in the fine details of nutrition and human behavior, and while these details may end up contributing to the solution I think we all need to be realistic about the overall problem: we all, almost without exception, eat too much and eat the wrong things.
Smoking may be a bigger risk factor for heart disease in women, but fewer than half of us smoke. We all eat.
There was one recent research finding I welcomed heartily, since it backs up something I’ve been telling patients and friends for quite some time. The features connected most closely connected with successful and sustained weight loss were food diaries and regular exercise.
I’m sure that all of you are glancing at the thermometer and wondering how in the world I could expect you to exercise and sweat even more than you already are. That's why I’m going to give you a break and jump straight to the food diary-for now, anyway.
Basically, the idea is to write down every bite or gulp which goes into your mouth.
It’s not even necessary, at first, to try and change your diet. What’s important is to get everything down on paper and consequently focus your attention on the food choices you make, often without noticing that a choice was even called for.
What causes much of the weight gain in our culture is what has been called “mindless eating.” We eat because food is there, because other people are eating, because we’re bored, because we’re watching TV, because the clock says it’s time to eat, because it tastes good . . . or even, sometimes, because we’re hungry.
Once you’re able to write down everything you eat, begin to notice why you’re eating and why you’re making the food choices you make. We can only begin to make healthier choices if we realize first that we do have choices to make, and then that there may be factors we can change which influence our choices.
One concept which has influenced my own choices, when I remember it at the proper time, is the idea of paying attention to what cues us to stop eating. Americans tend to say that we stop because we’re full. The rest of the world thinks of stopping when they’re no longer hungry.
That’s an important distinction, especially when you’ve just sat down in front of a plate of pasta which could feed a family of four. Waddling away from the table empty handed is one choice, walking comfortably away with a to-go box sufficient for two lunches is another.
Make the right choices. Your heart, and your waistline, will thank you for it.
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