Since the mid-seventies, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply for both adults and children. Among adults, aged 20-74 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 15% (in 1976-1980) to 33% (in 2003-2004). For Children, aged 2-5 years, the prevalence of overweight increased from 5% to 14%. For those aged 6-11 years, prevalence increased from 6% to 18%, and for those aged 12-19 years, prevalence increased from 5% to 17%. These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for illnesses such as Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke and some Cancers.
One preventive measure everyone should take is to simply read nutrition facts labels. Always start with the serving size amount. That’s because all the information on the rest of the label, from calories to vitamins, is based on that amount. Sometimes a serving size will be way less than you are used to eating.
The label will also list how many servings are in the package. Even things that seem like they’d be a single serving, such as a protein shake or energy bar, may contain more than one serving. If you consume the whole thing, you’re getting more vitamins and minerals but, you’re also getting way more calories, sugar, and fat that you might not want.
Scan the label carefully and you will identify the claims – lean, light, reduced fat, low cholesterol, low calorie, fat-free, sugar free, no sugar added, etc. Let’s take a look at some of these claims. “Fat- Free” and “Trans Fat-Free” is less than 0.5g of fat per serving, which means in a 5 serving package, you still would consume 2.5g of Fat or Trans Fat. “Light” or “Lite” means only having 50% less fat, or onethird fewer calories than the regular product – no matter how much fat or how many calories are in the original. “Low calorie” means only having 40 calories or less per serving. “Sugar-free” does not mean carbohydrate-free, always compare a sugar-free product with the standard product and choose appropriately. “No sugar added” foods do not have any form of sugar added during processing or packaging, and do not contain high-sugar ingredients, but they may still be high in carbohydrates.
Always read nutrition facts labels completely and choose your purchases carefully. Another good rule of thumb is to buy items with “real food” ingredients and steer clear of highly processed products.
Andrea Seidl is a Pharmacist and Co-Founder of Inko Sport America, LLC. She can be contacted at 866.465.6776, or by email at andreainkoamerica@mac.com, or visit www.inkoamerica.com.
