Diet and exerCise

Diet and exercise are two of the most influential factors in weight loss. The term “diet” in this book is meant to refer to the day-to- day foods that a person generally chooses. It is the daily habits of food choices that have a stronger influence on weight manage- ment than the occasional overindulgence.
For those who strug- gle with weight, they will need to restrict the overall amount of high-calorie foods they eat. Being too restrictive, however, can set up a person to fail at eating healthy. Often people become bored and feel deprived if certain groups of food, such as car- bohydrates, are kept off limits. The diets with the best chance of success are those that are well balanced and do not demonize any specific foods. Many people evaluate a diet based on how quickly they can lose weight, but the best plans are actually those with which a person can comply long term.

One of the biggest challenges children face is that they often must eat the foods presented to them. One example would be school lunches. If a school cafeteria is only selling pizza, fries, and cheeseburgers, then the child without a packed lunch is at an immediate disadvantage for controlling calories. Luckily, some schoolchildren are getting the message that diet is crucial to maintaining health and proper weight. A group of five male students from Maple Point Middle School in Lang- horne, Pennsylvania, desired a healthier option at lunchtime. With the help of their families, they petitioned the school to provide a salad bar. The new salad bar has fresh lettuce, low-fat dressing, and toppings such as chicken, tuna, oranges, cheese, tomatoes,  croutons,  eggs, and  cucumbers. The school sold approximately a week’s worth of lettuce within the first day of the salad bar’s debut. A change in diet such as a hearty salad rather than a cheeseburger can help tremendously in maintain- ing a healthy weight.