Two bags of french fries. More specifically two bags of McDonald's french fries. That's all it took to push our country into the current obesity epidemic that is crippling millions every year. Over 60% of adults are considered overweight, and 30% are classified as obese. The health risks associated with this are among the most well documented in the scientific literature, and we have all this to blame on two bags of french fries. In his expose on obesity in America, Fat Land, author Greg Crister explains how this came to be.
David Wallerstein was a director of the McDonald's Corporation in the 1970s. The economy was shaky, and the fast food industry was not alone in feeling the financial pinch. He was always trying to find unique ways to improve margins for the company. Customers on tight budgets were buying less and less menu items, and spending less money than they had previously. Wallerstein realized that volume could be a key to success in the fast food industry.
His solution came from his experience in the movie theater business. Customers would never buy two bags of popcorn for themselves, for fear of looking like gluttons. However, they didn't have any qualms paying more money for a jumbo sized bag of popcorn. Wallerstein realized this concept could easily be applied to McDonald's french fries. He approached Ray Kroc, McDonald's founder about selling larger sizes of fries. Kroc replied, "If people want more fries, they can buy two bags." Wallerstein replied that people didn't want to purchase two bags for fear of looking like a glutton. He even spent hours in Chicago area stores observing McDonald's customers eating every last french fry in the regular portions.
Finally he convinced Kroc to include larger size bags of french fries. Sales skyrocketed, and soon the supersizing wasn't limited to fries. Other restaurant chains followed suit for fear of losing their market share to the McDonald's empire, and the normal fast food portion was lost forever. In 1960 the average soft drink serving size was 8 oz, containing 97 calories. Today, it's 24 oz, with 291 calories. The average french fry serving size was 200 calories, it has ballooned to 610 calories. This seems to be an important contributing factor to the fact that from 1977 to 1995 the average individual daily caloric intake increased from 1876 to 2043, nearly 200 calories. This may not seem like much, but it adds up to over a pound an a half of extra weight a month!
McDonald's and other restaurants certainly should not bear the sole blame for the obesity epidemic in the United States. No restaurant forced its patrons to eat larger portions; they simply gave the customer what they wanted. It is for this reason that it is our job as consumers to demand healthier food and make decisions with our wallet that will affect our waistlines! Is it coincidence that many restaurants, including McDonalds, now offer healthier options such as salads, fresh fruits, grilled chicken and <A rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/1254523');" href=http://www.rosasfarms.com>organic foods</A>? The Arete Program will teach you how to make wise food choices both at home and while dining out and give your body the fuels it was designed to process.
The first step is realizing that change needs to be made. Healthy eating is not something that we do only when on a diet, or to trim up for beach season. It is a part of lifestyle that can help you look better, feel better, and live longer! Sounds like something worth adding to your life, doesn't it? If you eat the right foods for one meal it will change your <A rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/1254523');" href="/links/?u=http://www.ocalaimed.com">hormones</A>. If you eat the right foods for one week, it will change the way you feel. If you eat the right foods for one month it will change the way you look. Finally, if you eat the right foods for one year, it will change how long and how well you live!
Our health is the most valuable asset we have. How much would a man lying on his deathbed pay for another day, another week, or another year of life? Investing in your health will yield a return that far exceeds any stock, bond, or real estate purchase you can imagine. Think of it this way. If you purchased a thoroughbred racehorse to run in the Kentucky Derby would you never take it out to exercise, feed it cheap junk food, and keep it out all hours of the night? Of course not! How much more important are you than a horse?
Americans spend more than 50 billion dollars a year on healthcare caused by the complications of obesity. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found obesity, defined as 30 or more pounds overweight, causes 90,000 cancer deaths a year in the United States. The Surgeon General has estimated that 75 percent of all deaths in Americans were diet-related! We are eating ourselves to death, and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are crippling us along the way. If you don't make the investment in prevention, the statistics are very clear that you will.
The first step is setting yourself up for success. As Henry Ford put it, "Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success." The fact that you have enrolled in the Arete Program demonstrates your commitment to this process, and you should be commended. Most people would like to change, but are unwilling to invest the time, money, or energy to do anything about it. It is now our job as your wellness coaches to motivate and equip you just as we would a championship athlete or even a prize racehorse.
For your body to function properly, you have to provide it with the right fuel. If you drive a car designed to run on gasoline and you put diesel fuel in it, the results will be disastrous. As human beings we are designed to run on non-starchy vegetables, fruits, healthy meats and fats. We have effectively ground our health to a screeching halt by poisoning our bodies with sugars, grains, fatty meats and processed foods.
David Wallerstein was a director of the McDonald's Corporation in the 1970s. The economy was shaky, and the fast food industry was not alone in feeling the financial pinch. He was always trying to find unique ways to improve margins for the company. Customers on tight budgets were buying less and less menu items, and spending less money than they had previously. Wallerstein realized that volume could be a key to success in the fast food industry.
His solution came from his experience in the movie theater business. Customers would never buy two bags of popcorn for themselves, for fear of looking like gluttons. However, they didn't have any qualms paying more money for a jumbo sized bag of popcorn. Wallerstein realized this concept could easily be applied to McDonald's french fries. He approached Ray Kroc, McDonald's founder about selling larger sizes of fries. Kroc replied, "If people want more fries, they can buy two bags." Wallerstein replied that people didn't want to purchase two bags for fear of looking like a glutton. He even spent hours in Chicago area stores observing McDonald's customers eating every last french fry in the regular portions.
Finally he convinced Kroc to include larger size bags of french fries. Sales skyrocketed, and soon the supersizing wasn't limited to fries. Other restaurant chains followed suit for fear of losing their market share to the McDonald's empire, and the normal fast food portion was lost forever. In 1960 the average soft drink serving size was 8 oz, containing 97 calories. Today, it's 24 oz, with 291 calories. The average french fry serving size was 200 calories, it has ballooned to 610 calories. This seems to be an important contributing factor to the fact that from 1977 to 1995 the average individual daily caloric intake increased from 1876 to 2043, nearly 200 calories. This may not seem like much, but it adds up to over a pound an a half of extra weight a month!
McDonald's and other restaurants certainly should not bear the sole blame for the obesity epidemic in the United States. No restaurant forced its patrons to eat larger portions; they simply gave the customer what they wanted. It is for this reason that it is our job as consumers to demand healthier food and make decisions with our wallet that will affect our waistlines! Is it coincidence that many restaurants, including McDonalds, now offer healthier options such as salads, fresh fruits, grilled chicken and <A rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/1254523');" href=http://www.rosasfarms.com>organic foods</A>? The Arete Program will teach you how to make wise food choices both at home and while dining out and give your body the fuels it was designed to process.
The first step is realizing that change needs to be made. Healthy eating is not something that we do only when on a diet, or to trim up for beach season. It is a part of lifestyle that can help you look better, feel better, and live longer! Sounds like something worth adding to your life, doesn't it? If you eat the right foods for one meal it will change your <A rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/1254523');" href="/links/?u=http://www.ocalaimed.com">hormones</A>. If you eat the right foods for one week, it will change the way you feel. If you eat the right foods for one month it will change the way you look. Finally, if you eat the right foods for one year, it will change how long and how well you live!
Our health is the most valuable asset we have. How much would a man lying on his deathbed pay for another day, another week, or another year of life? Investing in your health will yield a return that far exceeds any stock, bond, or real estate purchase you can imagine. Think of it this way. If you purchased a thoroughbred racehorse to run in the Kentucky Derby would you never take it out to exercise, feed it cheap junk food, and keep it out all hours of the night? Of course not! How much more important are you than a horse?
Americans spend more than 50 billion dollars a year on healthcare caused by the complications of obesity. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found obesity, defined as 30 or more pounds overweight, causes 90,000 cancer deaths a year in the United States. The Surgeon General has estimated that 75 percent of all deaths in Americans were diet-related! We are eating ourselves to death, and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are crippling us along the way. If you don't make the investment in prevention, the statistics are very clear that you will.
The first step is setting yourself up for success. As Henry Ford put it, "Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success." The fact that you have enrolled in the Arete Program demonstrates your commitment to this process, and you should be commended. Most people would like to change, but are unwilling to invest the time, money, or energy to do anything about it. It is now our job as your wellness coaches to motivate and equip you just as we would a championship athlete or even a prize racehorse.
For your body to function properly, you have to provide it with the right fuel. If you drive a car designed to run on gasoline and you put diesel fuel in it, the results will be disastrous. As human beings we are designed to run on non-starchy vegetables, fruits, healthy meats and fats. We have effectively ground our health to a screeching halt by poisoning our bodies with sugars, grains, fatty meats and processed foods.
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