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Writing Assignment: Food Intake Analysis
Obesity rates in the US have reached epidemic proportions
Obesity rates in the US have reached epidemic proportions
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Recommended: Writing Assignment: Food Intake Analysis
Almost everyone in America has a basic understanding that what you eat has implications on your overall health. However, whether we choose to pursue a healthy lifestyle or not is a different discussion. Although there are many factors that determine what food we eat, we usually do not choose the best options for the advancement of our health; as evident by America’s obesity epidemic. Three principles of nutrition are balance, variety, and moderation. Most Americans obviously disregard moderation, and consequently the other two. Because of our disregard to the three principles, we are nutrient deficient. To improve our nutrition we must first understand the correct nutrition to intake. After being enlightened on nutrition and recording personal data on …show more content…
My goal is to continue keeping track of my dietary journal to make sure I regulate what nutrients I need and what nutrients I need to decrease for overall health. In addition to improving my overall health, I want to improve my body mass index (BMI). At 5’9 and 165pds my bmi is at 24.4. This is a normal BMI. I am very comfortable in my appearance but would like to decrease my BMI for a better cosmetic appearance and sit at a healthier weight for my body. My goal weight is below 160 pounds. With my actual calorie intake around 2100 calories, I plan to decrease my consumption to 1600 calories a day to try and loose one pound a week. My current diet fails to meet the three principles of balance, variety, and moderation. I need to be more mindful of my fat intake to make sure I am balancing carbohydrates, protein, and fat at the recommended proportions. Also, I need to create new menus for breakfast and lunch instead of my typical meals that lead to no variety. Through the intake analysis, I recognized what I was doing wrong and what I need to do to fix my dietary intake to achieve optimal
Michael Pollan, an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism (Michael Pollan), writes in his book In Defense of Food, the dangers of nutritionism and how to escape the Western diet and subsequently most of the chronic diseases the diet imparts. In the chapter “Nutritionism Defined” Pollan defines the term nutritionism. Pollan’s main assertion being how the ideology of nutritionism defines food as the sum of its nutrients, and from this viewpoint Pollan goes on to write how nutritionism divides food into two categories, with each macronutrient divided against each other as either bad or good nutrients, in a bid for focus of our food fears and enthusiasms. Finally, Pollan concludes that with the relentless focus nutritionism places on nutrients and their interplay distinctions between foods become irrelevant and abandoned.
The population in the United States as of 2009 was 307,006,550 the younger population is projected to slightly increase and eventually plateau though the older population has been steadily increasing and projected to continue on an upward trend (Vincent & Velkoff, 2010). The lack of a healthier diet is something that has been highlighted in the media for the past decade and more often than not we are seeing the effects of overindulging and the consumption of highl...
For some time, scholars and writers have continuously debated as to what constitutes or defines the idea of healthy eating, mainly because of the increase in the number of people diagnosed with ailments associated with bad eating habits. It has quickly become the forefront of issue, particularly in the United States. In recognition of this on-going debate, this composition seeks to compare and contrast two well-known authors concerning how we think about and consume food. In Michael Pollan’s discussion, “Escape from the Western Diet,” he discusses the negative sides of nutrition science, including conflicting theories surrounding the elements of healthy food consumption and why solutions are essential for the Western diet and lifestyle. “Escape from the Western Diet,’’ is among the articles that talks about the eating habits of individuals in the society. In the article, Pollan points out not only the numerous conflicts concerning what types of diets – including carbohydrate-based, the inclusion of omega-3s, other nutrition-specific needs - that are believed to directly affect general health or specific illnesses, but also how western nutritionism compares to other countries diets affect longevity outcomes. In the end, Pollan suggests that the United States must seek solutions that move towards more natural, unprocessed, plant-based lifestyles that ensure that individuals are making what they consume a primary
For years, I have been eating what I want. Food choices are a significant factor that affects our health. What we like or crave, often, is the determining variable in what we eat. Finding the right balance of food choices is the key factor in improving our health benefits. Choosing nutrient-dense foods will provide more nutritional value than foods that are found to be low in nutrient density. Making the right choices in foods, however, is extremely difficult. Often, I find myself enthralled in the latest fad, not considering the subtext of the foods I am eating, such as nutrients, vitamins, healthy fats and unhealthy fats, cholesterol and minerals. The diet project underlined a three-day food entry intake that provided a dietary analysis report
The late Nineteenth Century saw increased industrial growth in the United States. One of the major developments that led to the increased industrial growth was the expansion of the railroad. The railroad provided infrastructure that made it cheap to transport goods from one place to another. Investors could now build industries in different parts of the country and transport products fast and to a wide network of consumers. Another resource that fostered industrial growth was the influx of immigrants into the United States. During this time, many foreigners were able to come into the country and provide cheap labor for building industries thus reducing the cost of industrialization. In addition, the country was in need of vigorous development to cater for the needs of the growing population at that time.
The amount of information on what a healthy diet and weight are is almost limitless, and health standards continue to change as more research is completed. Adding to the confusion in the general populace, many different industries further muddy the waters with unrealistic body image standards, massive portion sizes, and food choices that have substandard ingredients that perpetuate obesity and poor health. Although many diet experts will offer that simply changing what we eat and reducing our weight will improve our health, the issue is more complex and confusion about proper nutrition, its links to disease, and diet failures will persist until the food industry and so called food experts focus on actual science and not their financial bottom
Education plays a dominant role in the lives of students all over the United States. Since most students spend roughly eight to twelve hours in school, it is important to make sure that they are provided with a healthy and nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack.
The diet of the average person in the United States can be seen as less than ideal to anyone who has knowledge of nutrition and proper diet. According to Center For Science In the Public Interest (CSPINET), the diet of the an average individual in America is said to lead to increase the risk of many diseases. This is due to the amount of saturated fat, sodium, calories, and added sugar (para. 1). In 2016, Frerichs, Intolubbe-Chmil, Trowbridge, Brittin, Teitelbaum, & Huang, explain that the factors of
Since 1916, the United States Department of Agriculture (the government agency responsible for all U.S. policy regarding agriculture, food, and farming) has revised their recommendations several times. Unfortunately, money talks and the USDA’s recommendations are based on outdated science and are influenced by people with business interest. Even so, its recommendations are considered almost “holy” by physicians, nutritionists, and dieters, but in reality, they are the root cause of the problem. A single visit to our local public school cafeteria and it will become clear that they do not have the best interests of the children at heart. What they are feeding our innocent children is preposterous. Doctors, the people we trust and expect to be “the experts”, do not know much about the subject of nutrition. A vast majority of medical schools in the U.S. require just 25-30 hours or less of nutrition training, and some do not require at all. So doctors must rely on the ...
Eating is an instinctual habit; however, what we decide to put in our body is a choice that will affect our way of living. In “The American Paradox,” Michael Pollan, a professor of journalism at University of California, Berkeley, disapproves of the way Americans have been eating. The term “American paradox” describes the inverse correlation where we spend more of our time on nutrition, but it would only lead to our overall health deteriorating. According to Pollan, our way of eating that had been governed with culture, or our mother, was changed by the entities of food marketers and scientists, who set up nutritional guidelines that changed the way we think about food. Nutritional advice is inaccurate as it is never proven, and it is not beneficial
Eating is extremely important, it is also important to eat healthy. Most Americans eat without any concerns; they are not questioning or researching what they are feeding themselves or their family. A lot of that has to do with their financial stability, not having the time to prepare a meal due to their time-consuming work schedule, also lack of knowledge and education on what they are consuming. In this bibliography, I will go over all three articles and explain what they are about.
Proper nutrition is important in maintaining a long and healthy life. Most Americans are rushed due to their busy work schedules, and do not take the time to plan their diets properly. Like me, most Americans are unaware of the importance of eating a healthy diet and consume too many foods without the proper nutrients. Throughout my life I have been fortunate. I have not had any major health problems, and have been able to consume most foods without having to worry about gaining weight. These last two years, however, I started to gain weight and have become concerned with my diet. Changing my poor eating habits has been difficult for me, however, having this assignment has taught me that it is not as difficult as I previously imagined.
For many years, I ate whatever I wanted without regard to the nutritional value of the garbage I was putting in my mouth. About six years ago, at the age of 44, I found myself feeling fatigued all the time. I had no energy and couldn’t even walk around the mall without giving out of breath. I also started having a lot of aches and pains. Even though my blood pressure was in the normal range, my cholesterol levels were not. I am only five feet three inches tall, and at that point in time, I weighed 148 pounds. I felt like I was carrying around a ton of bricks. I decided to make a change and started making good, healthy decisions about what I was putting in my mouth. I gave up fried foods, over-processed foods (especially anything with trans fats), foods and liquids high in sugar, and paid special attention to my sodium intake. I started reading the food nutrition facts on everything that had one. Some people might say I became a fanatic about food labels, but I think it is essential to understand what you are putting in your mouth. Actually, it didn’t take long, I memorized the nutritional values of many of the food products I buy on a regular basis, Of course, if I’m interested in a new product, I still read the nutrition facts for that product. I stick to bak...
I placed myself on a diet until the doctors know what is going on with my health and body. The foods I am eating daily are plant foods, natural galactose that comes from natural fruits. My BMI is high because I am gaining weight for no reason and some of my medications have side effect of weight gain. My estimated energy requirement calories that I should be consuming on daily is about 2,318. My average EER on my daily dietary log averaged to about 700 calories a day. I started to eat a lot of whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruits to lower my BMI and eat the daily EER calories I need to lose weight and start to feel healthy. My exercises are moderate and I do a lot of low intense cardio training to keep my muscles strong and active without being in too much pain every day. My grandfather as he is getting older needs to watch what he eats because of his gout. This is a form of arthritis disease that older people will sometimes get. Gout is painful and will inflame the joints in on your body and this happens when too much uric acid crystallizes and deposits to the joints. My grandfather has stop consuming alcohol and watches what he eats and makes sure that he is losing weight and getting proper exercises to relive some of the painful joints. He also watches his sodium levels and eats a lot of calcium and grain
One way the population of America can overcome the issue of obesity is by simply eating healthier. Further explained, people can start making healthier decisions on what they decide to eat. An example would be choosing to eat an apple over a bowl of ice cream. This is often easier said than done. Sugars and sodium counts are very high inside the foods that can only satisfy a sweet tooth. The ingestion of carbohydrates, saturated fat, and trans fat are very easy to overlook. The food pyramid is a great visual of what people should be eating daily in order to maintain a healthful way of life. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and protein should become the main focus at every meal. Another way to eat healthier is to follow the suggested serving size by eating smaller portions. By law it is required for food-producing companies to place a label on their products with a listing of the serving size and ...