It is an unfortunate truth that many American adults and kids alike today are overweight or even obese, and a number of factors have been identified as the causes for this change in public health. The good news is that just as many solutions may exist, and this often involves prepared meals, easy dinners, easy healthy meals like breakfast and lunch, and even low carb meals if need be. Easy dinners can be cooked at home to maximize nutrition and flavor while cutting out the added sugars and fats that make fast food so unhealthy, and a good exercise regimen can help augment easy dinners and make weight loss not only possible, but also fun and rewarding. When a person overhauls his or her diet and starts cooking easy dinners for themselves or the family, good eats and good nutrition alike are possible. Quick dinner ideas can even be found in healthy lifestyle cook books, and there should be plenty of those. Easy dinners may never be far away.
Why Obesity Happens
Two main factors have been identified as causing the current obesity rates: bad diets and lack of exercise. Fast food has grown rapidly since the 1970s, but this can mean a lot of excess sugar and fats in the food meant to make it taste better. Fast food is convenient, but it also adds a lot of body fat, and processed foods, such as frozen foods found boxes, may have similar ingredients. Such food is often made cheaper than healthy and organic food, and this can add to its appeal, but not its health benefits. Trans fats, added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and more can add body fast fast when such foods are eaten. In fact, nearly 75% of the American population has an eating pattern that is missing essential dairy, oils, fruits, and vegetables. Fast food is common, but it does not meet nutritional needs.
A lack of exercise is another issue, and groups such as the CDC and American Heart Association have set guidelines that many children and adults simply do not meet, and as a result of this and bad diets, nearly two out of three American adults were considered overweight or obese as recently as 2015, and many adults are falling short of their nutritional needs as well. By contrast, the human body is designed to move and exercise daily, a holdover from caveman times when early hominids hunted live game across Africa. While modern people aren’t chasing their dinner, the human body is geared to move, and it will reward exercise and cause health problems from a lack of it. A lack of exercise can result in not just weight gain but also poor mood, bad sleep, and other health issues. For this reason and more, American kids and adults should get more cardio and muscle-strengthening work done every day, or at least meet a weekly quota.
Improving Health
The good news is that nearly anyone can reverse these bad health trends and take charge of their own health for both diet and exercise. Where food is concerned, a person should cut all fast food and processed food from their diet, then consult their doctor or a nutritionist to find out what a good new diet might look like. The person can then buy whole and organic ingredients and cook their own food, which not only boosts nutrition but can also be great fun and open up whole new recipe and easy dinner ideas. This is a critical part of weight loss, and even someone who is not obese may want to do this for the many other benefits. Many essential vitamins, minerals, and more are missing from current diets, but easy dinners with healthy food can fix this.
Exercise is important not only because it can help burn fat and calories to get someone in a healthy weight range, but proper exercise also develops muscles and is good fun. Sports, cardio, and more can be worked into someone’s daily life, and these activities can also improve hand-eye coordination, pass the time, and also improve a person’s sleep and mood in everyday life. A doctor should be consulted before launching a tough training regimen, however.