Holiday Indulgence

Obesity is the hot topic in the health world of late. Obesity in the US is at an all time high. In fact-we are the fattest country in the developed world. Weight is usually calculated by the Body Mass Index. It is a common weight measure used for adults that compare the weight and the height of a person.

I was listening to KCRW's Good Food over the weekend. This week Brian Wansink was on the show. He is the author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I enjoyed his points and look forward to reading his book.

So...you might ask..what does any of this have to do with holiday indulgence? Mr. Wansink gave an example of how many more Hershey Kisses you would eat from a bowl on your desk compared to a bowl that was moved away from direct access. People eat 70% less kisses if they have to get up and walk over to them. That statistic was shocking to me. So-put those holiday candies out of view and save yourself a pound or two.

Why are we so fat? It has to do with portion sizes, lack of exercise (eating more than your can burn) and not paying attention to our bodies as they eat. Most people eat while they read, watch TV, make a call or use the computer. No one just "eats to eat" anymore. If we paid more attention to the food we eat and our body's response to it, I believe we would be more apt to hear and feel when we are full. I am not saying these ideas and these ideas alone can solve our country's obesity problems but-I think these simple three ideas might be a good start.