The right time to focus on our health

The “COVID-19.” No, not the virus. I am referring to pounds.

We have all heard how people gained weight during quarantine from the stress of being cooped up at home. Whether finding comfort in cooking and preparing gourmet meals out of boredom, increasing alcohol intake to handle the chaos of working from home, or taking up baking as a new hobby — the result is the same, with the extra intake of calories showing up on the scale.

We are living in the middle of a pandemic. Yes, this is an unprecedented situation, but does it mean we should shrug our shoulders and go about our day? It’s easy to convince ourselves that the circumstances justify the weight gain.

Very few of us would have predicted that a pandemic was at our doorstep for 2020. However, we have known for the past decade that the typical American diet can lead to a number of medical problems including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions.

The recently published US Dietary Guidelines found that 74 percent of American adults and 40 percent of American children are overweight or obese. Heart disease is still the No. 1 cause of death, with hypertension and saturated fat as significant risk factors for its development.

Consistent evidence shows us these risk factors can be reduced or prevented with weight loss, a healthier diet and an increase in activity of level. Yet, despite this knowledge, we Americans are reluctant to change our dietary ways. The majority of foods we regularly consume are highly processed and laced with added sugars, or include animal products that are high in saturated fat.

A year into this pandemic, we have learned that COVID-19 causes a spectrum of symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic to respiratory failure and death. As we learn to better understand this virus, we have evidence that certain behaviors and medical conditions lead to more severe complications for those who contract the virus. Some of these medical conditions include heart disease, obesity, smoking and diabetes.

Ironically enough, this virus has a symptom profile that includes loss of taste and smell. Do we think this is a coincidence? Or is this yet another example of survival of the fittest and should serve as a wakeup call for Americans to rethink our relationship with food? It is now, more than ever, that we need to understand what is in the food we are eating and the repercussions of those excess pounds.

Here is the bottom line: Weight loss isn’t easy, but the concept, at its most basic, is pretty simple and equates to calories in vs calories out. I agree that habits are not easily broken; but when you remember that not all calories are equal, and that food that tastes good can be satisfying and healthy, then it becomes a little less overwhelming. Through nutrition research, we continue to learn more about our metabolism and “good” vs “bad” calories. And for most individuals, it is possible to burn more calories than you are eating, feel satisfied and lose weight.

How we decide to accomplish this is up to each of us individuals. But let us look past calories for a minute because for weight loss to be sustainable, it is necessary to focus on making small but sustainable lifestyle changes.

Baby steps. Replace a processed grain for a whole grain. Change to low-fat milk or dairy products. Cut back on soda intake. Double the serving size of vegetables at dinner and cut back on grains. Eat less meat. Minimize snacking. Rather than eating ice cream every night, switch to every other night. Eat food grown from the earth rather than food processed in a factory. These small steps can truly add up to make a difference over time and achieve longlasting results. Will you lose three pounds in a week? No. but you may lose five pounds in three months while still enjoying some of your favorite foods in moderation. You’ll have a lot to celebrate and you’ll be on the right path to a healthier you.

The next piece of advice I have is to move your body. The current recommendation is to get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week. Remember to keep it simple; I recommend moving for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Take a walk, play a family soccer game, go for a hike or clean the house. Find something to enjoy that involves physical activity. Not all of us need to be runners or own expensive equipment to be fit. Just make a commitment to yourself to get moving every day.

We should teach our children about the foods we are eating, so they can learn healthy eating habits at a young age and carry them throughout their lifetime. Give it a try. Other than pounds and disease risk, what do you have to lose?