Be aware of and reshape diet

James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) had a fatal heart attack after eating a meal that included fried king prawns and a plate of foie gras.

The 275-pound actor opted for an artery-clogging feast and paid the ultimate price. That same year, 2013, 801,000 fellow Americans also died from heart and cardiovascular disease.

A study published in PLOS One reveals that high-income countries have the highest levels of adult obesity (22.72%) — and in North America, it’s hit 30.46%. Seems as a country’s GDP increases, so do waistlines (we do not expect the current economic crisis to change that). On average, Americans gained 1.25 pounds a year from 1990 to 2015. That’s a whopping 31.25 pounds — enough to tip the scales from a normal weight to heart-threatening obesity.

So here are two suggestions to help you become aware of and reshape your diet.

— Keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat or drink. A 2008 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that keeping a daily food diary doubles weight loss.

— Plan your menus; evaluate their balance of veggies, fruits, whole grains and protein. Aim for two to three servings of veggies per meal; whole grains twice a day; keep animal protein (no red or processed meat) to a 3-6 ounce serving once a day.

— Eat only when the sun is up and more before 2 p.m. than after 2 p.m. People who did that lost 25% more weight than those who ate the same amount of calories, but later in the day.