Previous: “Healthy Dietary
Pattern” Recommendations broadened to include important
concept of: “Healthy Lifestyle Pattern!”
Please read and forward to
all your clients, prospective and former clients,
friends, family, associations, and anyone you want to
live a long and healthy life! You should also forward
this to all local state and federal representatives.
Many government agencies are considering legislation to
remove soda and candy machines from our schools.
Allowing our officials to read this will provide them
the evidence they need to do the right thing, to protect
our children…the next generation of Americans!
Jim Bell, PhD(c), president
of the International Fitness Professionals Association
(IFPA) was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to the
Governor’s Task Force for the Obesity Epidemic. Jim was
asked by the Governor to bring his knowledge, experience
and dedication for the health and fitness lifestyle to
the Obesity Task Force in order to develop viable
solutions to this growing epidemic.
Currently, nearly 70% of the
American Population is overweight, obese or morbidly
obese. Statistical analysis of the current Obesity
Epidemic predicts that 70% of the American population
will be obese by 2012. The Obesity Epidemic has lead to
the Metabolic Syndrome that has created both an adult on
set diabetes epidemic and a Cancer Epidemic, as well as
a tremendous increase in other diseases: cardiovascular,
cardio respiratory disease, hyper-tension, osteoporosis,
etc.
Many medical and health
experts agree that 80% of all health care related
expenses in the USA are directly related to the poor
lifestyle choices that Americans make. If this trend
continues the result will be for more devastating for
society. 70% of populations obese will place an
untenable burden on not only our health-care system, but
on society as a whole. Couple this number with a recent
report form New York City that 50% of New York’s school
age children will be obese by 2012 and anyone that has
even a modicum of understanding of developmental
physiology can predict that 50% of our nation’s children
will suffer debilitating diseases far to early in life,
so early in fact, that they will never achieve their
mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, artistic, or
financial potential.
Because of the “ALARM BELLS”
going off, all over the country the American Heart
Association (AHA) revised their dietary and lifestyle
recommendations aimed at preventing cardiovascular
disease and published them in the June 19 Rapid Access
issue of “Circulation”:
“The previous
recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the
new ones broaden that concept to include the importance
of a healthy lifestyle pattern, lead author and
Chairwoman of the AHA’s Nutrition Committee, Alice
Lichtenstein, DSc, from Tufts University in Boston, said
in a news release. “The two go together-they should be
inseparable.” The highlights of the 2006 American Heart
Association (AHA) recommendations for a healthy diet and
lifestyle are:
The
AHA recommends consumption of an overall healthy diet,
aiming for a healthy body weight (body mass index
between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2), a desirable
lipid profile, a normal blood pressure (BP; defined as
systolic BP < 120 mm Hg and diastolic BP < 80 mm Hg),
a normal fasting blood glucose (defined as < 100 mg/dL),
physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco products.
A
healthy diet includes eating vegetables and fruits;
selecting whole-grain, high-fiber foods; consuming
fish at least twice a week; limiting intake of
saturated fat to less than 7% of energy, trans
fat to less than 1% of energy, and cholesterol to less
than 300 mg/day; minimizing added sugars and salt; and
consuming alcohol in moderation.
The
AHA recommendations should be applied when eating
inside and outside the home.
Guidelines for fat intake are more restrictive than
the 2000 AHA guidelines. The goals can be achieved by
choosing lean meats and vegetables, selecting fat-free
(skim) or low-fat (1% fat) dairy products, and
minimizing the use of hydrogenated fats used in
commercial food preparation.
Fish
consumption should include oily fish high in EPA and
DHA, with caution for children and pregnant women to
avoid fish with potential for mercury contamination (eg,
shark, swordfish, and king mackerel).
Patients with CHD are advised to consume 1 g of EPA
and DHA daily, and those with hypertriglyceridemia
should consume 2 to 4 g daily as capsules under a
clinician's care.
Alcohol consumption should be restricted to 2 drinks
for men and 1 for women daily. 1 drink is defined as
12 oz of beer, 4 oz of wine, 1.5 oz of 80-proof
distilled spirits, or 1 oz of 100-proof spirits.
Salt
intake should be restricted to no more than 2300 mg
daily for those without hypertension and 1500 mg daily
for those at risk for hypertension.
Diets
rich in potassium are recommended.
To
maintain a healthy body weight, adults should engage
in at least 30 minutes of physical activity to
maintain weight.
Adults wishing to lose weight should engage in at
least 1 hour of physical activity daily.
Physical activity may be accumulated through the day,
and sedentary activities (such as watching TV and
playing computer games) should be reduced.
Physical activity guidelines are updated from 2000 AHA
recommendations.
The
role of antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin E and
beta carotene, in preventing cardiovascular disease is
controversial, and supplements are not recommended,
but plant-derived foods rich in antioxidant nutrients,
such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
vegetable oils, are recommended.
Evidence for soy proteins and isoflavone supplements
in CHD protection is minimal, and no meaningful
demonstration of a benefit is evident. However, high
consumption of soy protein-rich foods may indirectly
reduce cardiovascular disease risk if they replace
animal and dairy products.
The
evidence is inadequate to recommend folate and other B
vitamins in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Plant
stanols/sterols lowered low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol levels by up to 15%, and daily consumption
in food, drinks, and capsule forms is recommended.
Children older than 2 years and older adults should be
counseled according to the AHA 2006 guidelines.
Persons with metabolic syndrome characterized by
abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, increased BP, and
insulin resistance should reduce cardiovascular
disease risk with diet and lifestyle recommendations.
Persons with chronic renal disease should reduce salt
intake, prevent fluid overload, and manage
dyslipidemia.
Substantial changes to the environment are recommended
to address the epidemic of obesity among children and
adults.
If you have already
completed the IFPA Sports Nutrition Certification
Course, you may have noticed that these new AHA
recommendations come much closer to the IFPA
recommendation that the IFPA has maintained for 12
years. The IFPA will continue our recommendations that
your consume no more than 5% of calorie from saturated
fat and no level of trans fat is considered healthy.
Simple sugars are only recommended post intense exercise
when glucose stores are driven to near depletion. Lean
sources of animal proteins remain highly recommended for
intense training strength type athletes.
Reminder:
Forward this article to everyone you know. Far too many
members of our society are still unaware of the dangers
they face with the poor lifestyle choices they make
daily. This is an excellent opportunity to help them
make the right choice… the healthy choice to begin and
maintain a “Healthy Lifestyle Pattern!”
James
T. Bell, PhD.c. is the
founder and president of the International Fitness
Professionals Association, IFPA.
More
Books from Jim Bell, PhD.c.
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