The Federal Government’s Take on Weight Loss

You may be surprised what the federal government has to say
about weight loss. The National Institutes of Health has some
interesting ideas about what it takes to trim the fat. You may
find that a number of these ideas conflict with what you’ve been
hearing in the popular press.

For instance, you may have read that consuming red meat makes
it more difficult for you to shed pounds. Actually, lean meat
can be a critical component of a diet. While red meat, chicken,
and pork may have cholesterol and saturated fat, they also have
important minerals such as iron and zinc. However, when eating
meat, you should try to make sure that it is low in fat. You can
choose from sirloin tip, round steak, and flank steak. You
should also be aware of proper portion sizes–the average
portion should be the size of a billfold folded over.

You may have heard that dairy products are fattening. However,
low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese have all the nutrients of whole
milk products, with fewer calories and less fat. Dairy products
are particularly beneficial for their calcium, protein, and
vitamin D content. According to federal guidelines, children,
teenagers, and senior citizens should have three servings of
milk products each day, while adults age 19 to 49 should have
two helpings daily.

A serving would consist of a single cup of milk or yogurt, or 1
½ ounces of cheese. If you have trouble digesting milk products,
consider lactose-free items. You may also be able to get your
calcium from juice or salmon, and your vitamin D from juice or
cereal.

The federal government maintains that becoming a vegetarian
will not automatically make you lose weight. However, studies
have indicated that vegetarians do ingest fewer calories than
meat-eaters and tend to have lower body mass indexes. However,
even as a vegetarian, you have to watch your intake of
high-calorie food.

Also, as a vegetarian you will have to find ways to ensure that
you get plenty of iron, protein, calcium, and vitamin D, which
might otherwise be missing from your diet. As a result, it is
important that you select vegetarian entrees that are not only
low-fat, but high in nutrition. For instance, spinach will give
you iron, broccoli can provide calcium, milk offers vitamin D,
eggs provide vitamin B12, whole grains offer zinc, and eggs give
you protein.

You might have been told that you should not eat nuts if you
want to shed pounds. In actuality, a small amount of nuts can be
an ingredient of your weight loss plan. While nuts are,
generally speaking, high in fat, the fat is considered a healthy
kind that does not harm the arteries. Nuts can provide you with
not only protein, but fiber and magnesium as well. But it is
important that you eat nuts in moderation. This means consuming
only about a third of a cup or less per day.

Federal health officials are firm on the idea that fasting is
not a good way to lose weight. It is far better to eat regular
meals, although you might opt for smaller meals than you might
ordinarily choose eaten more frequently. Meals help to
kick-start your metabolism, enabling it to thrive throughout the
day.

If you are skeptical about a particular weight loss claim, you
can check the Federal Trade Commission’s website at
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/features/wgtloss.htm for the information
you need. Also, you might benefit from discussing your concerns
with a registered dietician. In order to locate one in your
geographical area, log onto the American Dietetic Association
website at
www.eatright.org/Public/PublicDieticianDisclaimerAdvanced.htm.

Does the federal government have all the answers when it comes
to weight loss? Perhaps not. But it is clear that the feds have
a great deal of research to back up their claims. Therefore, you
should carefully consider the nutritional information that comes
from federal sources.

The federal government is interested in having a healthy
populace; it has nothing to gain by promoting specific weight
loss programs. Therefore, you can be sure that the information
that you are getting from federal health authorities is
information you can trust. And it could make a great deal of
difference, as far as your personal weight is concerned.

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