FAQ

1. Q. Is overweight and obesity a problem in Utah?

A. YES,

• More than half of Utah adults are overweight or obese (59.5%, Utah BRFSS 2007).
• Over one in three of those are obese (23.1% Utah BRFSS 2007).
• Utah is only doing slightly better than the US where 62.1% of adults are overweight or obese and 25.9% are obese (US BRFSS 2007).
• In 2007, over 1,023,000 adult Utahns were overweight or obese and 395,000 were obese.
• The number of those overweight or obese is greater than the entire SL Valley population (adults and children.)
• The number of those overweight or obese in Utah is greater than the entire population of Montana. You could simultaneously fill Rice Eccles Stadium, the E-Center, and Energy Solutions arena almost 13 times with the number of overweight or obese Utah adults.
• The percentage of obese adults in Utah has more than doubled (a 122% increase) since 1989.
• Significantly more men (68.0%) were overweight or obese in Utah than women (50.8%, Utah BRFSS 2007).
• Over one in five elementary age Utah children are overweight or at risk of overweight (21.5%, Utah child height and weight study 2008).
• In 2005, 35% of Utah women who delivered a baby were overweight or obese prior to becoming pregnant.  This is a 21% increase since 1996.

2. Q. Why does the problem exist?

A. People are not getting enough physical activity and are eating too many high calorie and low-nutrient foods.

3. Q. What are the consequences of overweight and obesity?

Adults:

• Increased risk for diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and stroke, depression, injury, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, disability, or even death
• Decreased quality of life and energy levels
• Work absentiesm
• Studies show that obese pregnant women are at increased risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, eclampsia, cesarean section, macrosomia, instrumental delivery, fetal distress, antepartum stillbirth, early neonatal death, and postpartum depression
• Obese pregnant women have been found to have longer labors, are more likely to have inadequate contraction patterns during labor, and are more likely to receive labor induction, augmentation and cesarean section

Children:

• Increased risk for type II diabetes, increased blood pressure and cholesterol—which are all risk factors for heart disease and stroke
• Social problems, lack of confidence, and decrease in energy

4. Q. What can the general public do?

Be Aware | Be Active and Eat Wisely | Be an Advocate

Be Aware – Many of us fall into unhealthy “Patterns of Living.” Start thinking about your health and your habits by asking yourself the following questions:

• What are some barriers that keep you from being healthy?
• Can you change at least one pattern or habit?
• How does your daily diet stack up?
• Know what your average daily calorie intake should be to maintain a healthy weight. Go to www.mypyramid.gov for personalized dietary recommendations.
• Do you know what the recommendations are for physical activity? The Surgeon General suggests 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity activity daily. It’s easier than you may think.
• Do you know what your Body Mass Index is? Compute your own BMI.

Be Active & Eat Healthy. A good caloric balance (your consumption vs. your output) is key to maintaining a healthy weight. Studies estimate that the difference between gaining and losing weight over a one-year period comes down to only about 19 calories per day. That’s a difference of just 2 ounces of soda or gardening or biking for 4-5 minutes. When trying to loose weight, start by making small changes in your behavior. Here are a few suggestions:

• Keep a pair of walking shoes at work and go for walks on your breaks or lunch. 10-15 minutes of physical activity at a time can yield health benefits.
• Take the stairs whenever you can.
• Walk while doing errands. Look at www.utahwalks.org to find out more about the benefits of walking.
• Make family time active time. Enjoy an afternoon bike ride with your kids.
• Control portion sizes. See how portion sizes have grown over the last 20 years.
• Watch out for liquid calories – limit soda consumption.
• Exercise or stretch while watching TV.
• Keep “screen time” (TV, computer games, videos) to a minimum – no more than 2 hrs/day.
• Choose activities you enjoy the most. You’ll be more likely to stick with them.

Be an Advocate. The makeup of our environments – where we live, work, learn and play – strongly affects our health. If we are in places that encourage healthy habits, and make them easy choices, we are more likely to benefit. Think about where you spend the majority of your time and what types of choices you have in those places. Try the following to improve your environments:

• Be an advocate for safe and convenient places to be active in your neighborhood.
• Make sure snacks and lunches offered at work functions are healthy.
• Find out if your employer offers incentives or rewards for healthy behavior.
• Support healthy food options in school cafeterias and vending machines.
• Breastfeeding is a very early way to begin a life filled with good health and benefits both the child and mother, but nursing is not always easy for new moms. Learn more how you can help.

5. Q. I have been working out more but some how I am actually gaining weight? Why is this and is this normal?

A.  And the answer is no, the weight gain is not to be expected, says exercise physiologist John Ivy, head of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas, Austin. “This person must be eating more,” Ivy says. Sports drinks are one calorie-rich culprit that gym-goers may not be aware of, he notes. And even healthful foods like fruit juices, olive oil and whole grains can pack a hefty caloric punch if you consume too much of them. There’s some evidence that exercise may boost your appetite. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because you’re exercising, it’s OK to take in a bunch more calories, says Molly Kimball, a sports nutritionist at Ochsner Clinic’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans.    I have a roommate who often says that she feels like she always gains weight when she starts working out. This is simply because she feels like she can eat whatever she wants if she works out. This is not the case.  Eating right is more then half of what it takes to loose wieght. This is so importnat to remember.

6. Q. How many calories should I be eating a day? What about it I want to loose weight?

Gender	Age (years)	Sedentaryb	Moderately Activec	Actived
Child	2-3	1,000	1,000-1,400	1,000-1,400
Female	4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+	1,200 1,600 1,800 2,000 1,800 1,600	1,400-1,600 1,600-2,000 2,000 2,000-2,200 2,000 1,800	1,400-1,800 1,800-2,200 2,400 2,400 2,200 2,000-2,200
Male	4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+	1,400 1,800 2,200 2,400 2,200 2,000	1,400-1,600 1,800-2,200 2,400-2,800 2,600-2,800 2,400-2,600 2,200-2,400	1,600-2,000 2,000-2,600 2,800-3,200 3,000 2,800-3,000 2,400-2,800

If you are trying to loose weight it is recommend you eat about 100-200 calories less each day.

7. Q. What food should I avoid if I want to loose weight?

Avoid getting fruit servings from juice; juice is loaded with calories and carbohydrates. Eat a low carbohydrate, quality protein, breakfast; this will stop you overeating later in the day. Eliminate sandwiches and burgers. Use mustard or no sauce at all, instead of mayonnaise. When eating out, look for color in sauces. Red tomato based sauces will have almost no fat; white creamy sauces are loaded with fat. Use grains very sparingly; they are very high in carbohydrates. Drink at least eight, 8 oz. glasses of water a day. If you are able, do cardio exercise daily.

8. Q. How much exercise does it take to lose extra weight?

Provided you’re not consuming too many calories, any amount of exercise may help. About five hours of weekly exercise may bring the biggest weight loss for obese adults who are also watching their intake of fat and calories. Says fox news.

9.  Q. Do you think the low-carb diet is healthy?

I think low-carb diets can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on the foods you choose. A low-carb diet that consists mostly of fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, lots of greens and green vegetables, nuts and seeds plus plenty of water is very healthy. A diet like this would provide the vitamins and minerals you need, plenty of protein and not a lot of added chemicals and food additives that may not be good for you.

A low-carb diet full of processed meats, too much cheese, unhealthy fats, and the low-carb snacks sweetened with alcohol sugars is not a healthy diet.

Most processed meats such as sausage, bacon, hot dogs and some sliced meat have nitrites that may combine with other substances to form N-Nitroso compounds in the body. These compounds may be part of the reason why eating processed meats has been associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

Tips for a Healthy Low-Carb Diet

• eat lots of green vegetables daily like asparagus, broccoli and green beans
• try several varieties of delicious greens and lettuce with low-carb dressings
• choose fish over red meat that is high in saturated fat
• drink plenty of water
• berries make a terrific low-carb dessert
• consider taking a daily multivitamin and calcium supplement
• avoid processed meats that contain nitrites and saturated fats

Remember that to lose weight you still have to monitor the number of calories you consume. Low-carb snacks sweetened with alcohol sugars and high-fat meat and cheese may still contain a lot of calories. Calorie-Count Plus has the tools to help you track your calories so that you don’t overdo it.

10. Q. Is eating late at night bad for you?

An occasional late night snack is fine as long as you choose healthy foods and you are at a healthy weight. People who work in the afternoons or evenings eat late at night much of the time without any problems. The problem occurs for some people who keep to their healthy diets during the day, but at night they begin to snack and then end up consuming too many calories and their weight goes up. This might just be a habit to eat while watching television or maybe due to sugar or other food cravings.

While an occasional night of over-eating may not be too much of a problem for most of us, there is a disorder called night-eating syndrome. People with night-eating syndrome consume at least 25 to 50% of their daily calories after their regular dinnertime, almost every night. Night-eating syndrome patients also tend to also suffer from depression, low self-esteem and obesity. If you find that you eat most of your calories at night and you have diabetes or weight related problems, you need to speak to your doctor.