Other than quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy diet is the most important thing you can do to preserve your long-term health, according to the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Most people know that making good food choices is a good idea, but it may not always be clear why eating healthy is important.
Significance
Consuming a healthy diet can reduce your risk for four of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States--heart disease, certain forms of cancer, type-2 diabetes and stroke, all of which are associated with diet, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). A healthy diet also plays a role in maintaining a healthy immune system, according to Oklahoma State University Agricultural Communication Services.
Identification
Whether or not a diet is healthy is determined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which call for people to get at least three to five servings of vegetables, two to four servings of fruits and between six and 11 servings of grains every day. The guidelines also specify that your diet should include limited trans fats, that less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat and less than 30 percent of your calories should be from all fats.
Benefits
Following the the Dietary Guidelines for Americans significantly lowers your risk for chronic health problems, according to the USPSTF, which reports that people whose diets are low in fat, including saturated fat, trans fats and cholesterol and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains have lower morbidity and mortality rates from coronary heart disease and may have lower morbidity and mortality rates for some kinds of cancer.
Prevalence
According to the USPSTF, most Americans don't consume a healthy diet every day. As many as 80 percent of Americans don't meet the recommended dietary guidelines, according to the USPSTF, putting them at risk for chronic health problems.
Considerations
Maintaining a healthy diet doesn't mean you have to give up foods that you enjoy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend limiting your intake of high-fat or other diet-busting foods or looking for healthier ways to prepare them. You can reap the health benefits of a healthier diet and still eat your favorite foods.
Member Comments