healthy living is a choice

By Peter DuBois

There is a lot of talk today about health and fitness. Seems no matter where you go, what you read or what you watch, there’s someone giving advice about eating habits or exercise, or that they have the answer we’ve all been looking for to get in shape. Despite the available advice, America is the land of the overweight and home of the out of shape.

What’s causing waistlines to increase? Convenience. Most people want what they want now. Instead of making a healthy meal ahead of time and taking the time to sit down and enjoy it, Americans opt to scarf down fast food in between soccer practice, dance recitals and business meetings.

An annual report, America's Health: State Health Rankings, claimed in the 1990s, healthy improvements were being made in the United States at a rate of 1.5 percent a year. Due in part to smoking-related cessation programs, the United States improved 17 percent from 1990 to the year 2000. But since 2000, the improvements stopped rising so much and are now at the rate of only 0.2 percent each year. Obesity is up 97 percent since 1990.

USDA is doing its part to help people make better choices. Since 1992 USDA has offered a food guide pyramid of how we should eat. It’s been revised this year to better accommodate the changing needs of our nation, however some things have stayed consistent: variety and portion control.

The food guide is a great resource to help learn about nutritional habits. Visit www.mypyramid.gov

Farmers are doing their part to help Americans get fit. According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio farmers raise more than 200 different crops including livestock, vegetables, fruits and fish. Portioned lean meats such as chicken and turkey, natural fruits and vegetables grown here, like broccoli, potatoes and melons along with an unbeatable fishing industry provide Ohioans with many of the foods needed to live a healthy lifestyle; residents simply must decide to take advantage of eating healthy.

There are plenty of ways to fit exercise in as well in Ohio. Try taking a walk through one of Ohio’s 74 state parks with more than 163,900 acres of land and water, or try swimming, biking or hiking.

All in all, Ohio is a great source for a healthy lifestyle.

Peter C. DuBois, M.Ed., C.S.C.S., owns Optimal Health and is a personal trainer in Westlake.

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