According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.), nutrition means consuming the products and foods that help you sustain your health and support your growth. The term can also refer to all the processes relating to food consumption by a living organism.
In order to fight both hunger and obesity problems, nutrition and weight status programs were developed by Healthy People 2020 so as to promote a healthy diet and monitor body weight among Americans (“Nutrition and Weight Status”, n.d.).
According to the same source, Americans keeping a healthy diet should eat nutritional products rich in vitamins and microelements covering all food groups (fruit, vegetables, dairy products, grains and proteins); abandon or significantly limit unhealthy substances or products, including trans fats, sugars and alcohol; keep within the recommended daily calorie intake (around 2500 kcal for an adult).
There are several community organizations dealing with nutrition problems, including The American Nutrition Association® that helps increase awareness in wellness and nutrition, and Center for Food Safety (CFS) working on the reduction of consumption and production of unhealthy foods and encouraging sustainable agriculture. In terms of online resources, there are also ChooseMyPlate.gov that provides various tips and information on how to stay fit and healthy, and FoodInsight.org that uploads recent articles, surveys and studies dealing with such topics as nutrition, food safety, diet, etc.
One of the most influential organizations is The Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. It is trying to make food available to all groups of people, stimulate children to eat healthy food, distribute excessive foods from farms to consumers.
It is known that around 60% of women and 75% of men in the USA are either overweight or obese (Murray, Ng, & Mokdad, n.d.). While people today to a large extent lead a sedentary lifestyle, this can potentially be one of the main factors causing obesity, especially given the fact that this disease is caused by a disruption in energy balance (energy gained with food VS energy spent). Thus, people are likely to consume more calories than they need or can physically process (“What Causes Overweight and Obesity?”, 2013).
As a result, people do not notice when they exceed their recommended daily food consumption. In this case, weight watch becomes essential for those trying to lose weight. It basically means that people pay due attention to what they eat and regularly check their weight as well as do necessary physical activities. Although such may, in theory, be conducted yourself, the best option still lies within the medical institution, i.e. regular checks by a doctor or a nurse. This way, people suffering from overweight may be sure that they are prescribed with the proper diet and medication regarding the distinctions of their illness.
As it was already mentioned, unhealthy diet is one of the major causes of various diseases and premature death. Therefore, acquiring healthy eating habits may have a number of positive benefits for the whole body. They help fight obesity and serious illnesses, sustain healthy cell function, improve physical and mental state, have healthy body weight, provide enough energy for an active lifestyle, etc. (Williams, 2010).
However, such habits are not enough to lose weight. Therefore, they have to be combined with physical exercises so as to form a healthy diet.
References
American Nutrition Association. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://americannutritionassociation.org/
Center for Food Safety | About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/about-us
Choose My Plate. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
Food and Nutrition Service. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.fns.usda.gov/
IFIC Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.foodinsight.org/
Murray, C. J., Ng, M., & Mokdad, A. (n.d.). The vast majority of American adults are overweight or obese, and weight is a growing problem among US children. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.healthdata.org/news-release/vast-majority-american-adults-are-overweight-or-obese-and-weight-growing-problem-among
Nutrition and Weight Status. (n.d.). HealthyPeople.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/nutrition-and-weight-status
Nutrition. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutrition
What Causes Overweight and Obesity? (2013, July 13). National Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes
Williams, B. (2010, November 01). What are the Benefits of Healthy Eating Habits? Livestrong.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/294101-what-are-the-benefits-of-healthy-eating-habits/
