The United States is a country where the servings are large, the food is fatty and a sedentary lifestyle is not uncommon. This, as a result, has led to a childhood obesity rate triple that of a generation ago, and become one of the most prominent killers in the country. However, the problem is preventable with education on what a balanced diet consists of and control over what you eat.
Diet and Body Function
A balanced diet is needed for the human body to achieve proper growth, development and body function. Some nutrients important to a person's health are not produced in the body and must be attained from an outside source. Certain nutrients also help an individual battle the risk of some chronic diseases they may be susceptible to later in life. Consuming nutrients in excess has its own health risks and is a more common problem now in the United States.
A Leading Killer
According to the 2010 edition of the "Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report," poor diet and physical inactivity were second only to tobacco use in the leading causes of death over the the past two decades and could soon overtake tobacco as the leading killer in the country. A modified diet could reduce health care costs and the death of more than 100,000 people who die each year from poor diet paired with a lack of physical activity.
Prevents Chronic Disease
A number of the diseases plaguing the United States today have been linked to an unbalanced diet, combined with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. They include cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, constipation, diverticular disease, iron-deficiency anemia, oral disease, malnutrition and some cancers. Making an adjustment to just one group in the food pyramid could help to reduce the risks of some of the chronic diseases.
Establish a Good Diet Early
The need to establish good eating habits for your children is evident as it has become more common for children to be diagnosed with diseases like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure--once considered adult illnesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion state in the 2005 report, "The Quality of Children's Diets in 2003-04 as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index," that poor eating habits established in childhood may transfer to adulthood, leaving them at an increased risk as they grow older.
Food Versus Supplements
In many instances, supplements are taken to make up for a nutrient missing in one's diet or to protect oneself from certain chronic diseases. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee stresses that nutrient intake should come from food rather than pill form, and reports that there is no evidence supporting the use of multivitamin and mineral supplements in the primary prevention of chronic disease and only limited evidence suggesting supplements are beneficial in reversing chronic disease.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy And Promotion: Part D. Section 2: Nutrient Adequacy
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Background And Purpose Of The Dietary Guidelines For Americans
- Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Center For Nutrition Policy And Promotion: Part B. Section 1: Introduction
- Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Center For Nutrition Policy And Promotion: The Quality Of Children's Diets In 2003-04 As Measured By The Healthy Eating Index-2005
- Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Center For Nutrition Policy And Promotion: Part D. Section 2: Nutrient Adequacy
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