Health hazards of excess fat

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, from 1970 to 2003, Americans added 523 calories per day, of which 216 came from fat and oil.

All the calories Americans consume, combined with their sedentary lifestyle, have become the leading reason for the high obesity rate in the United States. About 65% of Americans-or 175 million people-are now overweight or obese. Globally, approximately 1 billion people are overweight and at least 300 million people are obese.

Dr. Barbara Rose of Pennsylvania State University is interested in why we eat so much.

Ross believes that large portions of food mean a larger population, at least in the United States. Because, in the United States, we prefer to eat what Ross refers to as high-energy foods. Remember, high energy means a lot of calories per gram of food. Fruits and vegetables are rich in water, but are not high in calories. Fruits and vegetables also contain large amounts of vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need.

Ross believes people should try eating small portions of their favorite foods and make sure those foods have fewer calories. That means eating less hamburgers and more lettuce and tomatoes.

If you eat 25% less and the calories of the food you eat are reduced by 25%, you will consume 800 fewer calories a day.

Ross is skeptical about whether people can eat 80% full at the table. She asked: "How do people know they are 80% full? Most people don't know they're 140% full."

According to Ross's research, the only way to get people to eat less is to give them less.

We consume too many calories but get fewer nutrients. You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One way to reduce your total calorie intake throughout the day is to eat a hearty breakfast. Studies have shown that consuming more total calories earlier in the day seems to reduce total calories consumed. Calories intake early in the day seems to satisfy our appetites more than later in the day.

Don't be tempted by vending machines at work. Bring some fruit from home, put it in a small lunch box, and leave it in the office or workshop. That way, when you feel like eating something, you can at least eat something nutritious. But in fact we often fail to do this. (Editor in charge: Yang Miao)