Nutrition Pulse

Do I need to lose weight, and if so, how much weight should I lose?  Why is it so difficult to lose those last 10 pounds?  Why do I constantly lose weight and gain it right back?

Do any of these questions sound familiar?  If so, you are not alone.  Our society is in a "weight-loss" crisis.  Each year, more than half of us will go on some type of diet to lose weight, with many of our attempts resulting in only a short-term weight loss – often gaining back more pounds than lost!  This is what we call "yo-yo" dieting or "weight-cycling."  If one diet does not work than we go on to try the next, and the next, and the next diet, each promising to be THE answer to our dieting dilemma

Not only is weight-cycling bad for your physical health, but it can also lead to inappropriate eating behaviors.  We start to obsess with what we are eating.  Foods become the enemy, and we start classifying them as "good" or "bad" foods.

All of this is not to diminish the fact that being overweight can be a health risk.  Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers.  If you are seriously overweight, even a modest 5-10% reduction in weight can help reduce high blood pressure, blood glucose, and/or cholesterol levels.   

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The typical North American derives 40 to 50% of his/her total daily caloric intake from carbohydrates.  Approximately 50% of those carbohydrates come from simple (refined) sugars that have been added to food. Many processed foods have added sweeteners in the form of high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, honey, molasses, refined sugars, aspartame, sucralose, and/or saccharin.

Even though there has been much negative press associating sugar intake with diseases/conditions such as dental caries, heart disease, diabetes, hyperactivity, and obesity, the only condition showing a direct cause-and-effect relationship with sugar consumption is dental caries.  Due to sugar’s bad reputation, many Americans have switched from the more refined sugars such as common table sugar to the less refined sweeteners such as honey and molasses.  But what are the differences in these “nutritive” sweeteners and is one form of sweetener healthier than another?  Let’s find out!   

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