Did you know obesity has become a national epidemic? The prevalence of obesity in the United States has been on the increase over the last decade. In fact, more than one-third of adults and nearly 17 percent of our youths were considered obese in 2012. Is there a difference between the prevalence of obesity in adult women versus adult men? Not significantly. But, middle-age adults are more likely to be obese than younger or older adults. Here is a startling breakdown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey:
• 30.3 percent of adults between 20-39 are obese.
• 39.5 percent of adults between 40-59 are obese.
• 35.4 percent of adults 60 and over are obese.
The obesity rate for preschool-age children has declined over the last couple of years, but the rate for school-age children and adolescents has increased.
• 8.4 percent of children between 2-5 are obese.
• 17.7 percent of children between 6-11 are obese.
• 20.5 percent of adolescents between 12-19 are obese.
One contributor to obesity is the amount of food we eat. Consuming and extra 100 calories per day for a year above what your body needs can cause you to gain an extra 10 pounds.
So how do you know how many calories your body needs? There are many determining factors to take into consideration, such as age, height, current weight, target weight and activity level. There are programs available to help you determine your daily caloric intake. One of these is SuperTracker, https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx. Not only do these programs determine your daily caloric needs, they can break those calories down into the different food types -- protein, fat and carbohydrates -- as well as the different food groups -- fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein. Take an active approach to controlling your weight and improving your health by knowing what food portion sizes or servings are. For example, 1 teaspoon is equivalent to the tip of your thumb; 1 tablespoon is equivalent to three thumb tips; 1 cup is equivalent to your fist; 3 ounces is equivalent to the palm of your hand. Use this to determine portion sizes of meat. A ½ cup of fruit or vegetables will rest in your cupped hand; 1 cup of cereal or cooked pasta will rest in two cupped hands.
In addition to knowing portion and serving sizes, here are a few more tips to help prevent over-eating:
• Use a smaller bowl or plate. By doing so, your plate will look fuller and the smaller portion sizes will actually look bigger.
• Look at what you're eating. Put your food on a plate or in a bowl rather than eating out of the box or bag, such as when you are eating snack foods such as chips, popcorn and crackers. This will help give you a visual cue of exactly how much you are eating.
• Stop eating when you are full. If you feel obligated to clean your plate, put less food on your plate to begin with.
• Limit your distractions. Focus on the food you are eating, rather than the TV, computer, telephone or book.
For more information on portion control, contact the Garland County Extension Office, 623-6841 or 922-4703, or email [email protected].
EHC
Interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? For information, call 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email [email protected].
Master Gardeners
If interested in becoming a Master Gardener and would like information, the public is welcome to their monthly meeting at 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Elks Lodge; call the Extension office or email [email protected].
4-H
There are 4-H clubs for Garland County youths who are 5 to 19. For information, call the Extension Office or email Linda Bates at [email protected].
Society on 05/25/2015