However, statistics show that two of three Americans are overweight, while one in three are obese. Among those under the age of 18, one in five is obese.

What the statistics tell us

As of December 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the population to be at 311,615,112. This means that more than 208 million people are facing serious weight-related health risks.

Most health experts conclude that our fast-food culture has something to do with these staggering numbers. And indeed, many of our favorite value meals already contain enough calories, sodium and fat to last you for the whole day.

Here are some of the unhealthiest value meals:

• Quiznos Tuna Melt sandwich combo – 1,900 calories
• Wendy’s Triple Baconator Value Meal – 1,850 calories
• Burger King Triple Whopper with Cheese Value Meal – 1,800 calories
• McDonald’s Big Breakfast Platter – 1,370 calories

What you can do

You don’t have to stop eating from fast-food chains entirely. But, you still need to make smarter choices. Rather than indulge yourself with the tasty yet unhealthy value meal like the triple Baconator, you should settle for a Jr. Hamburger with small chili and medium iced tea instead. This conservative meal tallies just 450 calories and 15 grams of fat.

There are other ways, too. Bring your own packed meal to work so that you won’t have to go out for lunch. Not only do you avoid the fast food temptation, preparing your own lunch is usually cheaper.

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Myth 1: If I exercise daily, I will be able to eat whatever I want – You’ve probably heard the saying: calories in, calories out. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. If you burn as much calories as you take in, you maintain your weight. And if you take in more than you burn, you end up gaining weight.

Simple, right? 

Not exactly! People think that by exercising daily, you will be burning calories just like that. So why bother looking after what you eat if you’re going to burn the calories later in the gym?

Unfortunately, some calories are harder to burn than others are (more on that later). So if you follow this myth, you could easily be taking in more calories than what you burn. If so, you could end up gaining weight even if you are already working out diligently. Don’t let that happen to you.

Myth 2: All calories are the same – Although one calorie always equals one calorie no matter the source, studies show that your body stores calories differently.

Some foods cause your body to “work harder” to digest them, which means you’ll end up burning more calories. For instance, chewing fruits, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains could easily increase your calorie burn by as much as 30 percent.

Hence, you always have to watch your diet, especially if you are working out. By eating right, you complement your exercise, allowing you to burn calories more efficiently in the gym. Otherwise, you’d be killing yourself trying to lose weight all because you stored in calories that are much harder to burn.

Myth 3: Eating fat is bad because it makes you fat – “Non-fat” and “fat-free” are popular come-on lines for people trying to lose weight. However, the Institute of Medicine recommends that fat should make up 20 to 35 percent of calories in your diet, in order to keep healthy.

Of course, the type of fat you consume matters. The fat you want to be part of your diet are Monounsaturated fats or “MUFA” which come from the healthy oils found in plans like olives, nuts and avocados.

Myth 4: Drinking Water will cause me to lose weight – You’ve probably heard these diet tips: “drink a full glass of water before eating a meal (preferably ice-cold)” or “drink at least two to three liters of water a day.”

These tips make sense. For one, the sensation of hunger and thirst is the same. People who think they are hungry may actually be thirsty. Hence, drinking the proper amount of water each day can help you avoid over eating.

However, it is not a guarantee that drinking enough water will automatically prevent you from overeating. For instance, some people engage in “comfort eating” or “food therapy” because of an underlying emotional problem. In that case, it won’t matter how much water you drink.

It takes more than drinking water to prevent yourself from overeating. You need to have the will to change your habits.

Myth 5: A vegetarian diet will help you lose weight – While there are many benefits in following a vegetarian diet, not everyone follows a proper vegetarian diet to begin with. So even if you find yourself avoiding meat, you could still end up packing the pounds.

For instance, some vegetarians turn to cheese for protein. However, cheese is high-calorie and high-fat.

In many cases, newly converted vegetarians turn to faux-meat or veggie-meat products to help them battle their craving for meat. But then again, these veggie-meat products are heavily processed, containing a lot of sodium that could lead to weight gains.

Simply put, you need a lot of discipline to follow a proper vegetarian diet. You have to learn how to love fruits and vegetables and make sure that these foods make up the majority of your diet rather than processed “meat substitutes.”

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For years, corporate giants like Pepsi (maker of Gatorade) and Coca-Cola (maker of Powerade) have presented sports drinks facts to show why sports drinks are better than water.

Usually, sports drinks combine water with additional carbohydrates in the form of sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup and electrolytes (i.e. sodium, potassium and magnesium).

Companies claim that the added carbohydrates help prevent fatigue because it can boost blood sugar levels and replace the glycogen stores in the muscles.

Moreover, the electrolytes help maintain proper fluid levels and muscle function when a person is sweating excessively.
Commercials would like you to believe that grabbing a sports drink rather than water after a workout is better for your health.

In reality…

Unless you are an athlete engaging in rigorous and high-intensity workouts, sports drinks will only add unnecessary amounts of sugar, sodium and other preservatives to your system.

To give an example, professional athletes can burn 1500 to 3000 calories during training. Most people who engage in moderate workouts burn less than half of that. That is the reason why water is still the ideal drink for most people who work out.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents not to provide sports drinks to their children. The only exception is if your children are participating in extended athletic activities or competitions. Even then, you should monitor the amount of sports drinks they consume if you don’t want them packing in the calories.

Unforeseen Danger     

Many people think that sports and energy drinks are the same. Energy drinks, however, are unregulated by the FDA, containing high amounts of caffeine and amino acids. These can provide additional health risks when taken regularly.

Drinking Water Allows You to Save Money

It is more practical to drink water than to spend money on sports and energy drinks. Unless you are a professional athlete, sports drinks won’t provide you any additional benefits.

Outside of workouts, it would do you good to develop the habit of drinking water at all times. Cut down on the soda or other caffeinated drinks. You’d be surprised on how much you can slash on your grocery costs.

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But with ingredient costs skyrocketing, many restaurant chains are under pressure to keep profits up. And for most restaurant chains, the answer is to offer downsized meals.

Advantages of going small

By downsizing, restaurants can reduce costs without sacrificing profits. With fewer ingredients per meal, they can still charge competitive prices that consumers can afford. From a business standpoint, this strategy is much better rather than increasing the charge per meal to match the price hike of ingredients.

In addition, smaller meals offer fast food chains better opportunities to sample new menu items. This is because more people will be more willing to try out the mini-sized meals that are cheaper than regular meals. If you end up not liking it, at least it didn’t cost you much.

But who would want to spend money for less?

Granted, we are used to extremely generous servings. But then again, more people are also becoming more calorie-conscious. As it stands, most of the “small” meals in fast foods still serve more than the healthy dose of calories. The mini-sized meals attract these calorie-conscious. After all, the smaller meals make people feel less guilty, and could tempt them to indulge occasionally.

Mini-size meals offer a win-win scenario for fast food chains. Not only are they able to cut back on costs with these meals, they end up increasing their target market size.

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Similar studies show that around one of every five kids is obese. Many parents are now looking at schools to help counter this trend. As nutritionists point out, school kids eat two out of three meals in school for five days in a week during the school year. It is important that school cafeterias serve healthy meals.   

Through the years, school nutritionists have improved the nutrition content of school meals. But with the backing of the Federal Government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the authority to set the nutrition standards of school meals. The USD also provides extra money to schools that comply with the new standards.

Under the new guidelines, the USDA will call for:

• Calorie maximums and minimums in school meals, set according to age ranges
• The reduction of sodium in meals during the next decade
• The serving of just one cup a week of starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, green peas and corn
• The increase of fruits and vegetables served to kids
• The use of products that are free of trans fats
• The provision of only unflavored 1 percent milk or skim milk that is either flavored or unflavored
• A dramatic increase of the amount of whole grains in school meals

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But before forgetting about this old tradition and opting for our beloved fast food diet, consider these findings from 17 different medical studies:

• Children who eat three or more meals a week with their families are 12% less likely to be overweight than those who eat fewer or no meals with their families.
• Children who eat three or more meals a week are also 20% less likely to eat sweets, fried foods, soda and other unhealthy foods.
• Children who eat at least five or more meals together reduce the likelihood of poor nutrition by 25%.
• Children who eat with their families are 35% less likely to engage in crash dieting such as binge-eating, purging, taking diet pills or laxatives, vomiting, skipping meals or smoking

The studies show that a family that takes time to eat together increases the likelihood of protecting their children’s health. It also shows that family meals decrease the likelihood of childhood obesity.

Causes For Healthier Habits 

Home cooked meals are usually less calorie-dense compared to the meals served in most fast food chains. In addition, since parents are preparing meals for their children, they tend to be more cautious about what they serve. Family meals may likely include more vegetables and/or fruit servings.

Eating together also allows for more interaction. Members of the family talk with each other, which prolongs the time it takes to finish food on the table. Studies show that eating at a slower pace gives adequate time to digest food, which will help prevent overeating.

So while it may take time and effort to prepare family meals, following this old tradition does have advantages that will benefit children in the long run.

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Given its impact, SNAP is considered one of the most successful government programs today.

Unfortunately, some take advantage of SNAP through fraudulent activities. Food stamp fraud not only allows people to purchase cigarettes or alcoholic drinks using welfare benefits, it also affects the economy negatively.

Although rates vary, food storeowners who engage in food stamp fraud usually exchange cash for SNAP benefits at a rate of 7-to-10. This means that a retailer may give out $7 cash for $10 worth of SNAP benefits. The retailer will then claim the full $10 from the government. The government roughly loses 30% for every fraudulent transaction.

Only recently, James Norvell Fitch Jr. (49) was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for food stamp fraud. Fitch ran two stores in St. Louis from 2006-2008. During that period, investigators estimated that Fitch’s fraudulent activities cost the government $400,000. Fitch is required to pay that amount back.

Report Welfare Fraud

If you witness fraudulent activities around your area, don’t hesitate to call your State’s hotline number. Help the government prevent corruption. Protect the people’s money.

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Biggest earners

Walmart stores remain the top earner in food stamp sales. In Oklahoma, most of the $1.2 billion in food stamp purchases went to the supermarket chain, with earnings of $506 million from 2009 to 2011. People often prefer to shop at Walmart for bulk purchases even when they live close to local groceries. Walmart’s reasonable and fixed prices attract many food stamp recipients. Warehouse Markets in Tulsa County also receive a large portion of food stamp purchases with $64 million.

Those who are unable to go to groceries settle for local convenience stores. Even in rural Oklahoman counties, local store Marvin’s Foods gets as much as $15.8 million in food stamp sales and Harp’s Food gets $9.3 million.

Convenience store chains replace groceries as the nearest go-to in shopping essentials, stocking up on staple food like bread, milk and butter. 7-11 stores earn up to $12.7 million, and QuikTrip earning $10 million in food stamp purchases. 

Use your SNAP benefits

Using food stamps generates income for stores and stimulates the local economy. At the same time, not making use of benefits you’re qualified for can cost your state millions in potential federal money.

Sign up on the box at the right to apply for SNAP benefits and to find participating stores.

What you need

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Mix the eggs, flour and sugar into a container or a blender. Process in low speed until the mixture becomes smooth.
2. Get a large skillet (or griddle) and heat it over a stove set at medium heat. Ideally, you want to pour the batter a fourth of a cup at a time into the pan. Tilt the pan accordingly to get a nice round shape. Wait until its golden brown and then flip it to the other side. Serve the pancakes with syrup while they are still warm. But if you want that special touch, you may choose to serve your pancakes with fresh berries and whipped cream.  

The whole process takes just 15 minutes to complete. Prepare this breakfast first thing in the morning and serve it just in time when mom wakes up. It’s simple and sweet!

*Fun Trivia about Moms:

• There are roughly 2 billion moms in the World (82.5 million in the U.S.)
• The average age of moms is 25 years old (compared to 21 in 1970)
• Modern moms have an average of two kids

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If you’re looking for the best way to maximize your food budget, it’s important to be aware of this fact.

Read the fine print. Cuts in size and content are reflected in label’s fine print. Examples of size cuts include canned tuna, originally packed at 6 ounces but is now repackaged in 5 ounces and packs of Doritos, Fritos and other snacks which now have 20% fewer chips than in 2009. Juices like Tropicana now have 59-ounce cartons, compared to the old 64-ounce standard. Heinz has started selling smaller-sized versions of their packages, like their 5-ounce bottle of Heinz 57 Sauce. Canned vegetables also got smaller, with 16-ounce cans now becoming 14.5 ounces – or even 11 ounces.

Doing it quietly

John T. Gourville, a Harvard Business School professor, has said that people will react to price changes faster than content changes. And yes, companies do have ways of making the smaller packaging seem almost the same as their larger predecessors. Often, the only obvious way to tell that a product has less content is to check the label. “Companies try to do it in such a way that you don’t notice…sometimes they add more air to the chips bag or a scoop in the bottom of the peanut butter jar so it looks the same size” Gourville says.

Less food for better features?

Companies like Kraft claim their new packaging, though smaller, has benefits. For instance, their new “Fresh Stacks” packaging for some of their crackers has 15% less crackers than the original boxes at the same price. The tradeoff is that this new packaging will give the crackers “added freshness” according to a Kraft representative.

Shop smartly

The best way to cope with rising prices is to make the most out of your benefits. If you can’t avoid getting less for the same price as before, then make sure you can get the one with the least amount removed from the old standard packaging.

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