Weight Control

In the last few weeks I've posted information on childhood obesity and healthy holiday eating. Since being overweight or obese is such a national problem (sixty-six percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese), I thought I'd post some helpful links on weight control, which will be helpful if you overindulge during the holidays!

Here is brief overview from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases:

Eating too much or not being physically active enough will make you overweight. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. A weight-control strategy might include:

- Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods
- Eating smaller portions
- Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
- Being physically active

If you are overweight or obese and want to lose weight, here are some helpful links you should check out:

Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Weight Loss for Life (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

What It Takes to Lose Weight (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

It is so important to get kids to eat right at a young age. If they have a healthy outlook about food, then they will grow up knowing the importance of a balanced diet. One thing that will help them develop good eating habits is getting them involved in cooking at a young age. If they learn how to prepare healthy food early on, hopefully they will continue that all their lives. Rachael Ray's Yum-O organization has a great recipe search tool that you can use to find healthy recipes that are suitable for kids of all ages to make. You can limit your searches by selecting an age group and/or certain food categories. Here is the link for that: http://www.yum-o.org/recipe_search.php.