Preventing Obesity Locally

Last year the Institute of Medicine released a report titled Local Government Action to Prevent Childhood Obesity. The report highlighted alarming stats about the obesity pandemic that is taking the nation by force. Within the past three decades the number of obese children and adolescences ranging from age 2-19 is slightly over 16%. Now take the obesity rate and couple it with other morbidity factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes and you have a dismal future for America’s youth.

Still not convinced about the dire situation just yet? Check out these numbers:

· Over the last three decades obesity rates have tripled in children.
· In 2004, more than 9 million children in the nation were overweight.
· In this same year 19% of children ages 6-11 were considered obese, up from 4% in 1971.

The situation looks bleak BUT there is still good news. As constituents you elect local governments to act in your best interest. That includes city officials acting locally to create healthy environments such as city parks where children can play safely, grocery stores where people can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for their families and restaurants that post caloric content on their menus at the point of sales so patron may make healthy food choices.
As we all know, community involvement is vital for success in any initiative but everyone needs to work together to take action.

Three things you can do locally in Houston:

· Take a self pledge to be physically active at least three days this week for 30 minutes. To make it more fun, include the entire family. You could go on a family run or spark up some sibling rivalry by playing a family game of soccer.

· When eating lunch with co-workers asked how many calories are in the entrée you are ordering. As patrons you have a right to now. Don’t be afraid to hold up the line…it’s your turn.

· Ask your local representative to implement local policies that promote health. Take action by clicking on the link to the Houston DINEs Microsite: http://houstondines.org/home.aspx

To read the entire Institute of Medicine report check out the link below:
http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=47908

An APPetite for Health

Over the last few months Houston DINEs has stressed the importance of counting calories and knowing your caloric needs. In the city of Houston dining out and doing it with health in mind is extremely difficult. There are so many options on any given day.Houston might be among the top city with the most restaurants per capita. In addition to a vast number of restaurants Houston, also has an extremely high obesity rate of over 30% in Harris County.

While we as Houstonians absolutely love to eat, we should always keep our health and the health of families as our first priority. The first step towards eating better is knowing what the healthy options are. In an ideal world where restaurants post caloric content on menus we would be able to easily identify what is healthy and what is not. In the meantime, let your smart phones do all the work by downloading the Lose It app. The Lose It app allows users to track their daily caloric content. Knowing your numbers help to reduce obesity and combat weigh gain.

Thanks to the Lose It app you can log your food consumption and daily physical activity, and record weights almost the same way that you create a monthly spending budget. Don’t have an Iphone or Black Berry? You can you the web based version by logging on to www.loseit.com website. It simply requires a free Loseit.com account. It’s easier than low calorie apple pie. Check out this YouTube presentation to see how it works:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1n3Kxy-lNk&feature=player_embedded

Eat to Win!!

Now that’s it's football season your Sundays, Mondays and some Thursdays will be filled with touch downs, terrible calls by referees and your favorite burger. As we embark on the best 16 weeks of the year it's important to be mindful of our energy needs. Translation: we need to eat to win to combat obesity!!

No more than 30% of your daily calories should come from fat. Your specific fat allowance will vary depending on your calorie need. Most adult women should consume a range of 1,600- 2,000 depending on age and physical activity level. The average adult male should have between 2,000-3,000 also depending on factors such as age and physical fitness. No matter the case, it’s important to know how much you are consuming. Numbers are important during football season, right?

Below is a list of the three highest calorie laden burgers:
1. The Ruby Tuesday Colossal Burger has 2,014 calories. Yikes!!
2. Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Triple Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing has 1,901 calories
3. Outback Steakhouse Blooming Burger has 1,880 calories

Each burger has an entire day’s supply of calories for any adult. Keep in mind this doesn’t include snacking between quarters or any beverages. To stay healthy question the play and ask how much or how many calories you are consuming.

For more information about eating healthy follow Houston DINEs on twitter.
https://twitter.com/HoustonDINEs

Schooling You on Calories...and the Freshmen 15

Class is Now in Session: Subject: Freshmen 15…A Course You Don’t Want to Pass!!

Now that school has reconvened students can look forward to pop quizzes, cram sessions, frat parties and weight gain in the sum of 15 pounds. Studies show that first year students are extremely likely to gain weight over the next two semesters, more commonly referred to as the Freshmen 15. Studies show that students on average gain 3 to 10 pounds during their first 2 years of college. Most of this weight gain occurs during the first semester of freshman year.

Aside from not being able to fit into your favorite super low-rise, skinny jeans doctors warn that students who typically pack on the extra pounds usually establish a pattern of weight gain that more often than not can lead to health risk factors such as obesity.

Don’t be alarmed…there is hope. To maintain healthy weight it's important to exercise through the week and pay special attention to what you eat. Too many calories can be the demise of a figure flattering wardrobe. Here is what you can do…When you order either from the cafeteria or your student union that houses chain fast food restaurants pay attention to the food labels. Labels that show calorie content provides you with information that can help you decide what to choose as part of an overall healthy eating plan. Checking the labels on menu items can alert you when a food is high in “ingredients” like sugar so you can be prepared to make tradeoffs. Similar to a final exam, knowing and having information available helps you ace the test or in this case curtail the Freshmen 15.

For more information checkout this article on TeenHealth.org: http://bit.ly/9Q4efm
Be sure to follow us on Twitter: HoustonDINEs

Learn More About Houston DINEs

Mark Your Calendars!

Grassroots Action Team Meeting (GAT)

September 8, 6:00 pm

Featuring NBC’s The Biggest Loser Contestant, Cherita Andrews

Hear Cherita’s inspirational story of losing over 100 pounds!!

 Who: American Heart Association’s Houston DINES

 When: September 8, 2010, 6pm

 Where: AHA Office, 10060 Buffalo Speedway/Corner of W. Belfort

Why: Houston DINEs GAT needs your help to visit with young professional leaders in the Hispanic, Asian and African American Community. Help us to enlist volunteers to the Grassroots Action Network and promote healthier lifestyles in Houston!

Please rsvp by September 3, 2010 to: t-nancy.thorne@heart.org