Split the entree and you can lose the weight!

Gary Jacobsen
Published: May 13, 2008

Some people are born to fatness. Others have to get there.

— Les Murray (poet)

Virginia has the 23rd highest rate of adult obesity at 24.5 percent and the 25th highest rate of overweight youths at 13.8 percent in the nation, according to a report recently released by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

The rankings put Virginia about in the middle of all states. A total of 22 states — mostly in the South — had higher rates of obesity, with Mississippi topping the list at 30.6 percent. A total of 27 states — mostly in the West — had lower percentages of obesity. Colorado was the “leanest” state with only 17.6 percent.

The TFAH study revealed other facts about Virginians:

• Approximately 22 percent of all Virginians reported that they did not engage in any meaningful physical activity.

• Virginia is behind 17 other states in requiring that school lunches, breakfasts and snacks meet higher nutritional standards than those imposed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

• Virginia is behind 22 other states in setting nutritional standards for foods sold in vending machines, a la carte, in school stores or in bake sales in schools.

• Virginia has not kept up with 16 other states that now regularly screen students’ body mass index (BMI) for fitness status and confidentially provide information to parents.

The BMI calculation is the key to determining if a person is normal, overweight or obese. A BMI of less than 25 is normal. A score of 25 to 29 is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or higher indicates obesity. It is easy to determine the BMI scores for yourself and for the members of your family. Just enter “Body Mass Index” in the search box on your web browser, and a dozen sites will pop up to do the calculation for you. You need only enter your height in inches and your weight in pounds, and the site will do all the calculations for you.

I’ve never thought of myself as overweight, but I decided to find out what my BMI was anyway. I entered my height of 73 inches and my weight of 189 and the number 24.9 came up, so I guess I’m safe — but just barely!

But what about the one out of four Virginians who are obese? And what about the equally large number of persons who are just below the obesity rating but still considered overweight? What does the future hold for them? Will they, like so many other overweight and obese persons, suffer from diabetes, joint pain, heart conditions, hypertension and stroke? Is there any hope for them? Well, maybe.

Here’s how:

Ditch the snacks. No more cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, potato chips, Frito-Lays, Twinkies, Pop Tarts and other high-sugar, high-fat snacks.

Smaller portions at mealtime. Everyone agrees that three meals a day are important, but the portions must be limited. Also, no “fourth meal” of snacks while watching television late in the evening.

Split the entrée. The next time you go to a restaurant with a spouse or friend, order only one entrée instead of two, and ask that it be served on two plates. Also, if the entrée comes with a salad, order one extra salad, since little is to be gained by splitting it.

Skip the appetizer and the dessert. When your server at a restaurant asks what kind of appetizer and dessert you would like, politely reply “neither.”

Finally, get a dog. This should get your attention. What on earth does a dog have to do with reducing obesity? Well, the fact is that a responsible dog owner always walks the animal at least once daily,
sometimes up to a mile. That exercise will be as beneficial for you as it will be for the pet.

Source: http://win.niddk.nih.gov (National Institutes of Health).

Gary Jacobsen is a dog owner. He lives in Woodbridge.