SNACKS, NOT PORTIONS BLAMED FOR U.S. OVEREATING PROBLEM
Americans have gotten a lot of flack over the years for being supersized, but our high rates of obesity may not be for the reasons we thought after all.
Sure we eat too much, but it’s not how much we’re eating in one sitting, it’s what we’re eating throughout the day.
According to a new study published by Health.com, portion control isn’t the main reason Americans are overweight. Much of our weight gain can be blamed on snacking.
Within the timeframe the study was conducted, there was a 12% increase in portion size, versus a 29% increase in the number of snacks we consume.
In the mid-2000s, government surveys show, the average American adult ate about 2,375 calories per day, nearly one-third more than he (or she) did in the late 1970s. What accounts for all those added calories?
According to a new study, the biggest single contributor to the sharp rise in calorie intake has been the number of snacks and meals people eat per day. Over the past 30-odd years, the study found, Americans have gone from consuming 3.8 snacks and meals per day to 4.9, on average — a 29% increase. [SOURCE]
Doctors interviewed blame advertisements and the increased availability of snack foods for the problem.
For clarity, the snacks the doctors are talking about aren’t fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s the potato chips, candy bars, cookies, etc. that are doing us in. I’ve never really been a fan of chocolate or potato chips, so this has never been my issue. But there’s a reason I don’t keep Golden Oreos and Spree candies in the house!
AMERICA’S MOST & LEAST ACTIVE CITIES RANKED
Men’s Health Magazine has published a list of America’s least active cities. There are 100 cities listed, #1 being the most active.
San Francisco (pictured) is the #2 most active city in America receiving an A grade. Which city do you think is #1?
Lexington, KY is the LEAST active city in America, receiving an F grade, and spot #100 on the list!
Here is the methodology for their criteria:
We looked at where and how often people exercise (Experian Marketing Services); the percentage of households that watch more than 15 hours of cable a week and buy more than 11 video games a year (Mediamark Research); and the rate of deaths from deep-vein thrombosis, a condition linked to a lot of sitting (CDC). And since some people define “exercise” loosely, we gave credit for any physical activity in the past month (CDC). [SOURCE]
Below is their published list with the city’s ranking, name, and letter grade:
Least active
100 Lexington, KY F
99 Indianapolis, IN F
98 Jackson, MS F
97 Charleston, WV F
96 Oklahoma City, OK F
95 Tulsa, OK F
94 Little Rock, AR F
93 Nashville, TN F
92 Laredo, TX F
91 Birmingham, AL F
90 Charlotte, NC F
89 Corpus Christi, TX F
88 Memphis, TN F
87 Wichita, KS F
86 Sioux Falls, SD F
85 Fort Wayne, IN F
84 Omaha, NE F
83 Toledo, OH F
82 Lincoln, NE F
81 Louisville, KY D-
80 Greensboro, NC D-
79 Des Moines, IA D-
78 Columbus, OH D
77 Las Vegas, NV D
76 Cincinnati, OH D
75 Jacksonville, FLD
74 Billings, MT D
73 El Paso, TX D
72 Lubbock, TX D
71 Buffalo, NY D+
70 Houston, TX D+
69 Columbia, SC D+
68 New Orleans, LA D+
67 Tampa, FLD+
66 San Antonio, TX D+
65 Winston-Salem, NC D+
64 Plano, TX D+
63 St. Louis, MO D+
62 Bakersfield, CA D+
61 Cheyenne, WY D+
60 Fargo, ND D+
59 Fresno, CA C-
58 Cleveland, OH C-
57 Detroit, MI C-
56 Dallas, TX C-
55 Virginia Beach, VA C-
54 Chesapeake, VA C-
53 Kansas City, MO C-
52 Milwaukee, WI C-
51 Durham, NC C
50 Fort Worth, TX C
49 Raleigh, NC C
48 Orlando, FLC
47 Pittsburgh, PA C
46 Albuquerque, NM C
45 Riverside, CA C
44 Stockton, CA C
43 Jersey City, NJ C+
42 Newark, NJ C+
41 Providence, RI C+
40 Richmond, VA C+
39 Sacramento, CA C+
38 Philadelphia, PA C+
37 Santa Ana, CA C+
36 Baton Rouge, LA C+
35 Phoenix, AZ B-
34 Norfolk, VA B-
33 New York, NY B-
32 St. Petersburg, FLB-
31 Chicago, IL B-
30 Baltimore, MD B-
29 Colorado Springs, CO B-
28 Aurora, CO B
27 Los Angeles, CA B
26 Boise, ID B
25 Anchorage, AK B
24 Honolulu, HI B
23 Burlington, VT B
22 Wilmington, DE B
21 San Diego, CA B+
20 Madison, WI B+
19 Tucson, AZ B+
18 Boston, MA B+
17 San Jose, CA B+
16 Manchester, NH B+
15 Portland, OR B+
14 Austin, TX A-
13 St. Paul, MN A-
12 Miami, FLA-
11 Bridgeport, CT A-
Most active
10 Minneapolis, MN A-
9 Denver, CO A-
8 Atlanta, GA A-
7 Portland, ME A-
6 Reno, NV A-
5 Salt Lake City, UT A-
4 Washington, DC A
3 Oakland, CA A
2 San Francisco, CA A+
1 Seattle, WA A+
Where does your city rank?
KOKU’S SUMMER 2011 BIKINI BODY (PIC)
In the off chance I too decide to try my hand at New York City politics, I thought some anonymity might be needed. Hmm…maybe I should bring back the pixels!
I’ve had several people ask about my ab routine and diet, and while I’m willing to share all of the details, I want it to be very clear to folks that: 1.) Genetics determine the rapidity of your progress. 2.) Commitment achieves the desired results.
I will include all of the info in a future blog post. You have to stay tuned. 
But for now—here’s the bikini I got in the mail yesterday after taking advantage of Victoria’s Secret’s Semi-Annual Sale!!
Now I just need to find a beach safe enough to patronize since people are getting shot and KILLED on the boardwalk.
Surely one of you has a membership to a private pool!! Why can’t we be friends?
Everybody have a safe summer, and good luck in achieving all of your goals. I have seen some incredible progress pics, this year; so many ladies are putting their health first and I love that!!
Edit: For the people asking why I’m standing like that—um, just try & figure out what would happen if I let those bottoms go. Yeah, no lol.
US LIFE EXPECTANCY REDUCED DUE TO OBESITY & SMOKING
A recent study has shown that life expectancy in hundreds of counties, mostly in the South, has decreased. Obesity and smoking have proven to be contributing factors.
The study found that life expectancy for women fell significantly in 702 of the nation’s more than 3,100 counties. The largest declines – by nearly 2 years – were in Mississippi’s Madison County, near Jackson, and the adjacent Hughes and Okfuskee counties in eastern Oklahoma.
Life expectancy dropped for men in 251 counties, by more than 2 years in Kentucky’s Perry County in Appalachia and Mississippi’s Madison.
In 158 counties, it dropped for both men and women. In some cases, counties with plummeting life expectancy were next to or very near counties with rising longevity.
There is some debate about why life expectancy estimates rose and fell more in some counties than others.
Murray and his colleagues said they checked issues like poverty or racial makeup, and those didn’t explain the difference. They believe high rates of obesity, smoking and other preventable health problems may be main reasons. [SOURCE]
Take care of yourselves people! What you choose to put in your body may slowly be killing you!
BLACK PEOPLE DON’T RIDE BIKES?
I was discussing my plans to upgrade my current bicycle with a couple of friends when one of them said he wishes he could ride a bike but can’t. I thought maybe he had never learned, or had some physical limitations, but his answer was “If anyone from the hood saw me on a bicycle, they’d think I fell off.”
Huh? I’d expect that anyone that self-conscious would be even more inclined to hop on a bike. They’re great for recreation, fitness, and for some of us—yes! A commute!
Every bike isn’t pink with streamers and double baskets! And unless you’re a drug dealer or a child, BMX bikes should really be out of the question.
But a good bike, one that’s comfortable, reliable, and sturdy, is a much better investment than the $104/mo many of us have been shelling out to the MTA.
Here in NYC, the city has slowly but surely been integrating bike lanes throughout the boroughs, making it much easier to find safe routes and bike parking. For me, it’s just silly to drive and wasteful to take public transportation everyday.
My commute to work is approximately 15 minutes via train—if there’s no delay, 30 minutes by bus, and 20 minutes on my bike. If I drive I spend 30 minutes looking for parking before I cave and end up paying for it. Why am I wasting my money?
In regards to my pending upgrade, I’d originally limited my budget to no more than $200, but after calculating the cost savings (vehicle/public transportation) over time, I feel comfortable exceeding that and getting something that will outlast my riding years.
Avoiding Target, Toys-R-Us, or any other general retailer, I’ve been going about this search by going to bike shops where the associates are trained to fit people to the best bikes for their body types. I’ve sat, stretched, spread, and rode. My department store Schwinn will do for now, but I’m ready for the big time!!
So if you see me in the hood on a Surly…..holler!!
SUNSET SOCA AT BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK 6/2/11
Sunset Soca!
The Party that kicks off summer returns Thursday, June 2, 6:00-9:00pm
Tickets are on sale now! Get them here.
Join the Conservancy for a hot, hot, hot evening of tropical tunes, dancing, sizzling Caribbean food, and revelry for all ages on Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park!
This year’s Sunset Soca will feature entertainment by Jah Pan, a steel drum and calypso band, and a special set by Trinidad Soca darling Lima Calbio, Caribbean inspired food and specialty cocktails from Ditch Plains by Benchmarc Events, and a silent auction.
Location:
Pier 1 Furman and Old Fulton Streets Brooklyn Bridge Park
