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Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I enjoy eating meals cooked by real chefs vs. those that come from an assembly line or fryer. So I was disappointed to see that the top performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (aka the “Stock Market”) for 2011 was none other than McDonalds. (Stock Ticker: MCD ).
McDonald’s stock price is up almost 31% for the year – beating out companies such as American Express, Pfizer and even Kraft foods. So what does this say about Americans and their eating habits? A lot, and none of it is very good. As of the most recent study (2009), approximately 17% of (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese. Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled. (source: CDC.gov) Adults are no better, with almost 1/3 of Americans (or roughly 72 MILLION) of us overweight or obese. And if trends continue on their current path, 100% (yes you read that right) of the US population will be overweight or obese by 2048.
So how can we correct this growing trend? It’s really pretty simple. It’s called eat less and exercise more. That doesn’t mean starving yourself or go on crazy diets. It means eating HEALTHY, well balanced meals. Can you splurge on a nice dinner? Of course? Are french fries ok sometimes? Absolutely. But looking at how well McDonalds did this year in the stock market, I am going to take a guess and say that most Americans aren’t eating french fries every once in awhile – they are eating them every other day.
Do yourself (and your family) a favor. Make a choice to begin 2012 with healthier eating habits. Here are three EASY and simple steps to get you going in the right direction.
1. Cook at home. It doesn’t have to be a 3-course meal. In fact, simpler is better. Use your crock pot, dutch oven or stock pot and make a healthy, one-dish meal. Cooking at home allows you to control the ingredients your putting in your families bodies rather than leaving it up to the local fast food joint.
2. Turn off the TV. The average American family has the television on for 6 hours and 47 minutes PER DAY. Take a walk with your kids. Go on a bike ride. Play the Wii. Kick the soccer ball around in the backyard. The less time you spend in front of the tube – the more time you’ll spend doing things that will get your body moving.
3. Know the facts. Do you REALLY know what’s in a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese? Or the caloric count of the regular-sized Bean Burrito from Taco Bueno? (it’s 604 calories for ONE burrito by the way). Knowing what you are eating is crucial. It’s completely unrealistic to avoid eating out (whether it be fast food or your local bistro), but knowing nutritional information about the food you are considering ordering can help you steer clear of high fat or high calorie items in favor of ones that are just as flavorful, but much better for you. If you are smartphone user, check out some of the latest apps that track calories in fast foods, such as MyFitnessPal.com, which is free. I downloaded it last year and was shocked at the things I was eating.
Good Luck, and Happy Eating.
5 comments
Sheri
January 4, 2012 at 3:38 PM (UTC -5)
Speaking of health, one of the most important things I think you can do for yourself and your family is watch a movie called Forks Over Knives (streaming on Netflix).
Stephanie
January 4, 2012 at 3:40 PM (UTC -5)
Thanks for the info. I like food documentaries, so I will check it out (unfortunately I ditched Netflix so I will have to find it another way).
Sheri
January 4, 2012 at 3:54 PM (UTC -5)
You can rent it from Amazon, too. I’m buying a few copies but will be loaning them to family for a while.
http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-Knives-Colin-Campbell/dp/B005K23RS0/ref=sr_1_1_vod_0_ren?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1325710390&sr=1-1
Todd George
December 30, 2011 at 6:11 PM (UTC -5)
This post made me really hungry for a cheeseburger or three.
Stephanie
January 4, 2012 at 10:20 AM (UTC -5)
Todd – I haven’t met a burger I haven’t liked