diet

when did "diet" become a scary word? diet is simply a word to describe the foods and drinks we put into our mouths. because people have prescribed to strict diets, made unreasonable food restrictions, and become obsessed with body image, we live in a world where the word "diet" is scary.

but food should be fun and enjoyable and delicious.  we should eat with family and friends, we should eat local and we should not be afraid of or worry about food so much.

on the other hand, there are real risks related to our relationship with food. many diseases are linked to the petrochemicals which are sprayed on our food, large feed lots require a disproportionate amount of our limited resources, and many diseases list "obesity" as a risk factor.  in order to have the healthiest planet and species possible, we all need to think more about the food we eat in order to lower our impact on the earth and our hearts...

obesity is reaching crisis levels in much of the developed world.  according to the cdc, one third of adults in the us are obese and another third are overweight.  although weight loss can be described using a simple formula of calories in < calories out, it is much a more complicated equation when we consider all of the variables.  marketing, convenience, and price are all major factors when people make food choices.  many factors contribute to the problem of obesity and many people can avoid obesity with simple lifestyle changes.  rather than throw yourself on the mercy of some diet guru and adopt a very restricted diet program, it would be far better to adopt a few lifestyle changes that you can incorporate into your daily life without much effort.  looking at our own behaviors is where we need to start.  and recognizing how we feel about food and how we let cravings dictate how we eat will go a long way to giving us clues about stopping the obesity epidemic.

people will always look for the quick fix and there seems to be an insatiable appetite for pills, potions, diet programs and anything that promises to help you shed pounds quickly and without any apparent effort.  the weight didn't arrive overnight, so we can't expect to lose it in a short time without moderating diet and exercise.