Most of us are aware of Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide and its recommendations to eat a certain number of servings from each food group each day. Being careful with our serving sizes will help us fight the global obesity epidemic that we are facing today. Being smart about food portions will help us address the problem of obesity.
Serving size savvy
Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide advises Canadians to consume a certain number of servings per food group each day. This number is presented as a range, with considerations for your body size, your level of activity, your age, your gender, and physical factors such as being pregnant or breastfeeding.
For grain products, the recommended daily range is:
- 3 to 6 servings for children (between the ages of 2 and 13)
- 6 to 7 servings for teens (between the ages of 14 and 18)
- 6 to 8 servings for adults (ages 19 and above)
For example, one slice of bread is a serving, as is ½ cup of brown rice. To help yourself visualize these serving sizes, remember that 1 cup equals 250 mL, which happens to be the standard size of a drink box.
For vegetables and fruits, the recommended daily range is 4 to 6 servings for children and 7 to 10 servings for teens and adults. For example, each medium-sized fruit or vegetable is one serving, as is ½ cup of juice or ½ cup of canned/frozen/fresh fruit or vegetables.
For milk products, the recommended daily range is 2 to 4 servings for children and teens, and 2 to 3 servings for adults. For example, one milk serving is 1 cup of 1% milk, or 2 slices (or 50 g) of cheese, or ¾ cup of yogurt.
For meat and alternatives, the recommended daily range is 1 to 2 servings for children, and 2 to 3 servings for teens and adults. For example, one serving is 75 g of lean meat, fish, or poultry (about the size of a standard computer mouse), or 1/3 cup of tofu, or 125 mL to 250 mL of beans.
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding require more calories than the average adult. They should add an extra 2 to 3 Food Guide Servings daily. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should take a multivitamin with folic acid daily, and pregmant women should make sure that their multivitamin also include iron. You can consult with your health care professional about which multivitamin is right for you.
For more details on Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide, visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/onpp-bppn/food_guide_rainbow_e.html.
The growing obesity epidemic
Experts tell us that there is a global obesity epidemic and, troublingly, our
children are also at risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that
obesity is one of the world's most neglected public health problems, and it
affects both adults and children alike, in both developed and developing countries.
In 1995, the WHO's records showed that there were approximately 200 million
obese adults worldwide and approximately 18 million children worldwide who were
overweight. In 2000, Canadian research showed that from 1981 to 1996, the prevalence
of obesity more than doubled for Canadian children (girls and boys), and, during
this timeframe, the rates of being overweight increased by 92% for boys and
57% for girls.
Why do these childhood obesity rates cause alarm in the medical community?
One of the major concerns is that obese children grow into obese adults who
will then arrive at an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, and other chronic conditions. Officials believe that with
such a large segment of the population facing increased risks of developing
these conditions, the threat to public health is becoming serious. At the individual
level, the consequences of these diseases include a possible decrease in overall
quality of life due to the development of a chronic health condition, and even
premature death. At a societal level, this epidemic will have financial costs
as well as social implications, as families members will have to deal with increasing
health care challenges for themselves and their family members.
So how can we counter these increasing obesity rates? The answer appears to
be two-fold. It involves the food we eat and the amount of energy we spend.
First of all, we need to modify our diets and reduce our intake of high-energy,
high-fat foods. In North America, these types of foods are common, and they
arrive in large portion sizes. Adults and children should consume diets that
follow Canada's
Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Keep in mind that the energy we take in through
our food should not exceed the energy we spend on physical activity. And that
leads us to the second part of countering the prevalence of obesity. Increasingly,
our society as a whole is becoming less active and more sedentary. Children
report spending hours daily spent in front of the television or playing video
games or other low-energy activities. More physical activity is needed! Experts
have stated that children require 150 minutes of active physical activity every
week - and appeals have been made to school boards to work this into the curriculum
for students from kindergarten up to grade 12.
Why not take control of your diet and your amount of physical activity? Set
the standard for your family and encourage them to follow. Children in particular
need to learn healthy habits early on - it's an important step to helping combat
the epidemic of obesity.
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