Current Trends in Nutrition

		Lona Sandon, MEd, RD/LD Section Editor, Current Trends in Nutrition Section Editor, Women's Nutrition - Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition; UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas - American Dietetic Association Spokesperson

Are you in the top three percent?
Posted: July 2005
Source: Lona Sandon, MEd, RD/LD

1. Are you a non-smoker?
   Yes or No
   
2. Are you at a healthy body weight?
   Yes or No
   
3. Do you eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables per day? (2 ½ cups or more)
   Yes or No
   
4. Do you get 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity activity 5 or more times per week? (2 ½ hours per week)
   Yes or No

If you answered yes to all the questions above, you are in the 3% of Americans who follow a healthy lifestyle according to a recent study published in the Archive of Internal Medicine (Vol. 165, Apr 25, 2005 ). A healthy lifestyle was defined as having all four habits. The lack of healthy lifestyle habits has been associated with chronic disease (heart disease, cancers, diabetes, stroke, hypertension) and overall decreased quality of life.

Many of us at least meet one of the healthy habits but only 35% of the 153,000 adults interviewed reported having at least two of the habits. Seventy-six percent were non-smokers, 40.1% were at a healthy weight, only 23.3% ate five or more fruits and vegetables, and a mere 22.2% say they exercise five or more times per week. Nine percent of those in the survey would answer no to all the questions above. However, it is no surprise that an overwhelming majority of Americans do not meet public health guidelines for living a healthy lifestyle.

If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, here are some tips to get you moving into the 3% of Americans living a healthy lifestyle.

Stop Smoking

• Ask your doctor about programs or medications for stopping smoking. Or contact the National Cancer Institutes Smoking Quitline : 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848). Additional online resources: http://smokefree.gov/
  

Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Weight

• Make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian (RD) specializing in weight loss to assess your current eating patterns and medical history to design an individualized eating plan. Be prepared for follow-up visits, you didn't gain the weight over night, it won't come off in one visit.
• To find a dietitian first start by contacting your health insurance company. You can also go to www.eatright.org and enter your zip code in the Find a Nutrition Professional text box.
  

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

• Keep a food diary of just the fruits and vegetables you eat each day. Set a goal of three each day for the first week, add one more serving each week.
• Try adding cut up fruit to salads or veggies to pasta sauce. Use sweet fruits, peppers, onions, avocados, and spices to make fresh salsa to top grilled meats.
• Adding dried fruits to stir-fry's is another way to get more without much fuss.
• Use your blender to make bean-based dips or spreads to add veggies to your diet. Just throw in a can of beans, drained and rinsed, along with carrots, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, a little olive oil and squirt of lime juice. Use your imagination on the ingredients.
  

Increase Physical Activity

• Keep your walking shoes by the door or television as a reminder to get up and move.
• Set a goal to squat, lunge, crunch, or leg lift your way through the commercial of your favorite shows. There is about 20 minutes of commercials built into one hour of TV programming.
• Logon to www.acefitness.org for additional fitness tips.
• Have a walking meeting instead of a lunch meeting with colleagues.
• Make a date at the gym, tennis court, or roller rink, rather than a restaurant.

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