Exercise Isn’t Enough

Commentary

In the battle against obesity, being active is not enough. Going to the gym, riding a bike, or simply walking can help; however, it doesn't defeat this condition, alone. What needs to be examined is what people eat and how much they consume. The food one eats is just as critical as exercise in the battle against obesity.

In the United States, food is abundant: maybe too abundant. There’s a lot for one person to choose from. Fast foods are possibly the most common business in most towns. Supermarkets and membership stores such as Sam’s Club and Costco have an impressive array of food to choose from. And, if one is to count the variety and volume of vending machines at various places, food is almost around every corner and building in the country.

Seeking Balance

The question is, though, is it healthy and is it proportionally balanced for one person to eat? The problem is that most of the food available is depleted of the needed nutrition and contains too many calories for one to be considered healthy.

This is not including the high fat and sodium content that these meals may have

Nutritionists and health experts have always touted that a typical diet should consist of no more than 2,000 calories. However, a typical lunch of burgers, fries and soda at a fast food restaurant will be over 1000 calories (that's not counting the extra calories if the meal was super sized).

Even a typical burger can run up the scales between 500- 700 calories. This is not including the high fat and sodium content that these meals may have. And let’s not forget that the biggest culprit in obesity, sugar, can be found in the sodas, and secretly added to some of the food sold in fast food places (i.e. some spaghetti sauce contain added processed sugar).

Then, there’s the issue of serving sizes. Most often, the portions of food Americans consume is double or triple the serving sizes. Again, this can add too many calories, fat content, or cholesterol which can do more than put on weight; it can cause high-blood pressure and coronary heart disease, to name a few things.

Sugar Everywhere!

Another problem with obesity in the country is the availability of soda, sugared drinks and sweets. For a dollar or more, someone can buy a sugar-content drink from a vending machine, liquor store, supermarket or fast food restaurant.

Often, sodas are sold in cans or bottles. The cans are one serving and have on average 30 grams of sugar and are over 150 calories. The bottles are 2.5 servings; that's more sugar and calories than one needs in a day.

Sodas are not the only problem. Many types of drinks sold in stores and restaurants contain copious amounts of sugar. Even those bought at coffee shops and juice stores (even the ones that tout how nutritious their smoothies are) contain a lot of sugar. In a grocery store, take the time to read the label and you'll discover that typical juices such as orange and apple juice have well beyond the amount needed for a daily intake for sugar (especially processed sugar that's added, despite the natural sugar that already existed in these products). In some cases, they have more sugar than your typical soda.

Another huge culprit are energy drink. Often, they have double the amount of a soda. On top of that, the supposed items in those drinks tend to be inert or possibly dangerous to some consumers.

The Problem With Relying on Exercise Alone

The biggest mistake people make is in believing they can compensate for overeating by doing hard, lengthy exercises. Many studies on this matter have proven that this has little impact.

Simply put, high calorie meals may not be burned off entirely with more exercise. Also, some studies suggest that cutting the calories alone will help more than just exercising or being active. Doing both is even better.

There's an example of a 200 pound, 5-1 aerobics instructor and 300 pound marathon runner.

Another problem with this concept that more activity curves obesity is that there are a lot of over active people who happen to be obese. There are sports figures such as Babe Ruth who come to mind.

However, there are others less known who happen to be very active and very obese. There's an example of a 200 pound, 5-1 aerobics instructor and a 300 pound marathon runner. Also (this writer can attest to), there are many century bike riders who don't exactly have the physique of a bicyclist.

Final Thought

Ultimately, to battle obesity, one’s eating habit has to change. Exercise is fine; however, it’s not enough to win this battle. There has to be a balance. It's not an easy task, considering most foods these days have added sugars and calories. Still, exercise is good. A balance diet is good. Exercise and a balance diet is even better.