In 2009-2010, over 78 million US adults and about 12.5 million US children and adolescents were obese. These figures equate to one-third of Americans being obese, while another third are overweight. Some 26 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes and an additional 79 million more are pre-diabetic.
The number of obese Americans soared during the 1980s and 1990s, doubling among adults in the US and tripling among children. Sedentary lifestyles and changes in eating habits have contributed to weight gain, as more Americans work at desk jobs, use electronic devices and get served increasingly larger food portions in restaurants.
In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
Tackling obesity
New York is currently preparing for a ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in places like restaurants, movie theatres and stadiums.
With the attention on obesity in America, the heat is on restaurants and bars to take action with things such as their portion sizes.
Steps for restaurants to take
In today's busy lifestyle, it's tempting to hit the drive through or dash into a diner for food - yet this is where the problem lies. A lot of restaurant menu items are loaded with calories, sodium, saturated fat, and other things that really aren't good for your health.
Knowing that there can be the danger of eating out shouldn't prevent people from eating out though - far from it. The American Heart Association is making it easy to find better options when eating away from home with the Heart-Check mark certification for heart-healthy meals.
Simply look for the Heart-Check mark on a menu - it's similar to the one you may recognize from heart-healthy foods in the grocery store. When you see the Heart-Check mark on the menu, you'll know that the meal has been certified to meet Heart Association's nutritional standards.
Many places are taking steps and introducing calories onto menus. In September last year, McDonald's announced that they would be displaying all calorie contents on their menus, as well as having options for food under 400 calories.
Under the healthcare bill upheld by the Supreme Court last summer, all restaurants with more than 20 locations will have to post calorie counts on their menus, though the precise regulations and timetable for doing so have not yet been detailed. New York City and Philadelphia already require chain restaurants to post calorie counts, but so far, research seems to show minimal impact on consumer behavior.
What can restaurants do?
With diabetes affecting some 26 million Americans, it's important to know your facts. Remember that not everyone with diabetes has the same meal plan or the same nutrition goals. According to the American Diabetes Association, while cutting calories may be important for some of your customers, fat, salt, and fiber content are bigger concerns to others. The best way to help your customers is to make sure that staff are well informed of the contents of dishes so that they can educate your customers if asked. Also keep a nutrition and ingredient breakdown for every menu item so that customers can effectively evaluate their options prior to making their food choice.
Eating out for many is still a luxury, so when people enter your restaurant, they will want to treat themselves. A US study by researchers at the University of Washington published in2010 found that when nutritional information is available on fast-food restaurant menus, parents are more likely to pick lower-calorie foods for their children.
Tools to help with healthy eating
A fresh salad with a meal is always a way of starting to make a meal healthier. With salad spinners, salad can be washed and ready to serve with dishes. Food such as chicken and fish can be grilled on griddles and grills to allow for a healthier cooking option.
Soups and smoothies are always a healthy option to include on a menu, and with soup kettles and blenders available, they can be made in bulk. With smoothies, it's often fun to jazz them up and add umbrellas and stirrers to them; even serve them in cocktail glasses.
A colorful plate of food can also help as it's more appealing to the eye as it looks more attractive. Also consider serving jugs full of water with a meal to encourage people to drink water with their dinner rather than have fizzy drinks.
Small steps in a diet can help make a big difference. Restaurants don't need to have the bad reputation when it comes to food and can help tackle obesity in the US.
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