Healthy Body Weight

  Describe the role of diet in preventing underweight, overweight, and obesity. 
 

In order to maintain a healthy body weight it is important that we eat a nutritious diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy. We need to avoid eating foods that are high in sugar, fats, and salt. Most people in our society are overweight at roughly 66 percent of the population, meaning that their weight is above the healthy level, but not obese. Those that are obese represent a third of the population, meaning that they are way above the ideal weight and have a BMI of 30 or higher. And those that are underweight represent the smallest population at around 2 percent (Sizer & Whitney, 2012, p.325).

In order to prevent overweight and underweight issues in our society and maintain a healthy body weight people must follow a healthy diet plan, exercise, and develop knowledge and a good attitude about achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. This can be accomplished by eating all of the essential nutrients required on a daily basis, cutting out or down on sugary and fatty foods, eating more whole foods, proteins, and low fat dairy products. Developing a weekly workout routine and reading up on the importance of nutrition and health and developing daily logs on what foods you are eating, so that you can make sure you are getting everything that your body needs for optimal survival. 

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2012).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, MyPlate Update (12th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.