Food and Weight Gain

No question about it, we are getting heavier as a nation and society. Everywhere I look I see large people, some getting on buses, sitting at the doctor's office, shopping at Walmart, walking through the mall, eating at restaurants, going to the show, and driving down the street. And I have no negative judgment toward them since I struggle with the same problem. Having lived in London, and the British are concerned about weight gain as well, it quickly became apparent that the people were generally smaller than Americans as exemplified by smaller seats on the tube, buses, and in the theaters.

I attribute the problem of weight gain to our food and the preservatives we use in all our food. While I am not a product of the 60s, okay I really, I do believe organic food without excessive preservatives is better for the body. Keep in mind that I am not a medical doctor nor a nutritionist and have no real scientific understanding of food or the body. Yet my intuition and some research tell me that the food we buy in grocery stores and the food at restaurants has an inordinate amount of preservatives in it. When I put this quality in the mix, add in our love of sugar, and our general abhorrence of exercise, it is no wonder that we are getting heavier. And so as not to point fingers, I am a classic example.

In addition to the problems of food, our metabolism slows down when we get older, resulting in the storage of more body fat. My love of bread and sweets has caught up with me again and in spite of consistent running of 2-3 miles nearly every morning, I continue to gain weight. Not wanting to go carb free every again, I am aware that I need to reduce the carbs and make the protein work correctly in my body. This will add to my energy, make my running more productive, and force me to eat less in general. Time to avoid the sweet snacks, the large intakes of bread at every opportunity, and no need to eat several tortillas and chips at Mexican restaurants.

We'll see how it goes but right now I am committed to organic foods, more protein, fiber, and fewer carbs. I resent how our food makes us bigger but I am also sadly aware of my own responsibility and contributions to the problem.