weight of the nation

No. This is not about the election. Please keep reading. :) 

I'm taking Health Psychology this semester and we just spent about 6 days watching this HBO documentary, "The Weight of the Nation." Being a nutrition minor, I found it particularly interesting and well worth sharing. It is a very long series, but conveniently divided into different sections. I encourage you to take a look. Even if it's just one section at a time. 

Obesity really is an issue in our nation. I'm pretty sure Colorado is still ranked as the skinniest state, but we still have absurd amounts of obesity so it's still not something to be proud of. Now this documentary hates a lot on the fast food industry. I still like a good old dollar menu snack every once in a while, so I think it is important to realize that your diet can still have treats. And a diet should never be like a thing you do once in a while, it should be a lifestyle. In nutrition we learned that most major "fad" diets like to take out a specific food group. There's a reason why there are food groups and that's because your body needs a little bit of everything. Part of the reason the diets hardly ever work is because as soon as you quit the diet and re-introduce a food group, you  put the weight back on. The main thing to remember in your daily diet is moderation. Be aware of how much you're eating and why. Second, exercise. But neither of these alone will make a significant difference. They work together to make a difference or maintain a healthy weight. Routine is a blessing when it comes to exercise and this semester has been horrible for me. Without a buddy or a regular schedule, I have been horrible at making it to the gym. I encourage you to find different ways to exercise. A simple walk, a yoga class, a quick swim, maybe even a zumba class. Working out can still be fun and I'm a huge fan of group fitness classes. Even if you don't know anyone, it's way more fun that just running on the treadmill by yourself. 

So that was my rant...I hope you will consider watching this movie to see more. It's very interesting and informative and I loved it. It makes me want to be that weird yoga person who only eats organic or local farmer's produce. :) 

So here ya go. 

Oh. And this was made summer 2012, so it's very up-to-date.