What Are We Eating?

Ever wonder why people are gaining more weight these days? Why has weight gain only been on the rise since the 1970's? What were people eating back then and how does it compare to what we are eating now?

Miriam Nelson, PhD, director of Tuft's John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention has authored a new book, "The Strong Women's Guide to Total Health". In it, she reviews the diet changes we have made over the past 30-40 years.

In the 1970's women ate about 1,600 calories per day. After the year 2000, we started eating more than 1,800 calories/day. An extra 200 calories per day equals an extra 73,000 calories per year which translates to an extra 21 pounds! No wonder we keep gaining weight! So where do those extra calories come from?

• More meat. Our meat intake has increased by 50 pounds per person per year. The average American eats 8.8 ounces per day while the recommended amount if 5-6 ounces. Extra meat adds extra saturated fat to our diets. Saturated fat is believed to lead to increased LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Less milk but more cheese. We drink only 60% of the milk we drank 50 years ago. Why is milk important? It is our main source of calcium and vitamin D which are important for bone health. Milk comes in a variety of fat contents of which skim and 1% are the best. Cheese is high in saturated fat. The 400% increase of cheese in our diets is most likely due to higher intake of pizza, fast-food sandwiches and nachos.
• Women are only eating one half of the daily recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables. Fruit intake is mostly limited to apples, bananas and grapes while vegetables intake is mostly tomatoes, onions and leafy lettuce. Approximately 80% of tomato consumption is in the form of processed tomato products such as tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and ketchup.
• The availability of grains rose 41% over the last 35 years. The problem is that we are eating the wrong types of grains. Refined grains which includes cookies, cakes, bagels and other dessert foods make up the majority of the grains we eat. We need to eat whole grains such as whole grain breads, cereals, pastas and brown rice.
• Forty two percent of the added 300 calories per day we have added to our diets is from added fat. This is not entirely bad. Some fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are good for us. They are found in vegetable oils, fatty fish such as salmon, olives, nuts and seeds. Unfortunately, the 41% increase is mostly from saturated fats which lead to higher cholesterol levels. Foods high in saturated fats include french fries, snacks, desserts and baked goods.
• The average American now consumes 142 pounds of sweeteners per year. This includes sugar and corn syrup. This intake is mostly driven by the increase in the amount of soda, processed foods and baked goods that we now eat.

As you can see, it is not just an increase in one food product or food group that is causing weight gain. It is an increase in every food group. But not all increases are bad. By increasing fruits and vegetables, we tend to decrease intake in other areas. Fruits and vegetables have fewer calories leading to a decrease in overall caloric intake. Increasing whole grains would decrease the intake of refined grains. Many refined grains have added fats and sugars. By switching to whole grains, those additional calories would be eliminated.

The next blog will continue this article and discuss how to eat better.