Dietary Guidelines
Balancing calories to manage weight:
Prevent or reduce overweight and obesity through improved eating and exercising
- In the 21st century the number of people in the US that are obese or overweight has increased dramatically from the past years in all age groups.
- Being obese or overweight increases the risk of many health problems such as heart disease.
Control calorie intake to manage body weight
- The path to gaining weight may start by simply eating more calories than needed.
- Many foods that are high in calories are low in essential nutrients.
- To determine ones calorie and nutrient needs, age, gender, height, weight, and amount of exercise must be taken into consideration.
Increase physical activity and reduce time spent in sedentary behaviors
- Physical activity helps people maintain a healthy weight and prevents excessive weight gain.
- When physical activity is combined with reduced calorie intake, you may aid weight loss.
- Evidence has shown that excessively watching TV and being obese is closely related.
- Reducing the amount of time watching TV may help manage weight loss and provide health benefits.
Reduce the amount of sodium intake
- All Americans consume more sodium that needed.
- Sodium is an essential nutrient, it is needed by your body in small amounts.
- The more you sweat the more sodium you need.
- Higher sodium intake = high blood pressure
- Keeping a low blood pressure in the normal range is essential in reducing the risk of heart problems.
Consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fatty acids
- Replace them monounsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
- The body used saturated fatty acids for some functions, but it makes more than enough to meet those needs.
- Higher intake of most dietary saturated fats is associated with high cholesterol and low lipoprotein cholesterol.
- High cholesterol =high risk for cardiovascular disease