Do we need to change our mindset on how we decide what we are going to eat?

Do you think about the food that you and your family eat? Do you consider the consequences of eating processed, nutrient deficient foods? A recent study of almost 2,000 adults was conducted to see what the most important values in choosing lunch were. There were four options to pick from with convenience and taste coming up as the top 2 most important values. The cost of food came in third and lastly was health.

It can be very difficult to steer clear of the fast food joints that are on every street corner. Not to mention over $33 billion per year is spent in advertising to lure people to consume sugar-laden, fast, junk foods. These processed, nutrient deficient foods are also overloaded with hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats.

What will happen if America continues down the path of choosing food because of its convenience? In 2007, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health warned:

if not halted, the ever-increasing obesity crisis will explode by 2015 to 24% of children and adolescents being overweight or obese, and 75% of adults being overweight with 41% being obese. Currently over fifty percent of people with severe weight problems have diabetes alone.

Even the CDC has articles related to nutrition and childhood health and how important nutrition is for kids who are constantly growing and developing into their adolescent years. The CDC states:

Consequences of Unhealthy Eating
Unfortunately, many young people in the United States make poor eating choices that put them at risk for health and social problems.

· Research suggests that not having breakfast can affect children’s intellectual performance.1,2
· Poor eating habits and inactivity are the root causes of overweight and obesity. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6–11 more than doubled in the past 20 years, going from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12–19 more than tripled, increasing from 5.0% to 17.6%.3
· Overweight children have a higher rate of low self-esteem, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, and gall bladder disease.4
· It has been estimated that as many as 7 to 8% of females in the United States suffer from anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.5

If you would like to read more on nutrition and how certain foods will promote health through their anti-iinflamatory effects, click the highlighted nutrition tab below. Thanks!

Nutrition Info