Fitness and Nutrition

American eat out an average of 4 to 5 times a week. No mess Quick Many times it’s cheaper.

60 % of American families have both parents that work.

Americans prefer burger restaurants.

Calories We use routinely Driving for 30 minutes burns 70 calories Playing the piano for 30 minutes burns 100 calories Standing for 30 minutes burns 40 calories

To Loose Weight: To burn off 1 pound you must use 3500 calories more than you take in A good start is to exercise 500 calories off and to cut 500 calories from your diet

Vegetarian Does not eat meat, poultry, fish or seafood

Vegan Does not eat any animal products or by- products Such as honey, yeast, eggs, milk, cheese, etc.

Computers Households with Computers, 1998 and 2003 In the United States % %

McDonald’s food is Addictive? Bingeing on foods that are high in fat and sugar may cause changes in the brain that make it hard to say no. By stimulating the brain's natural opioids, large doses of the foods can produce a high that is similar, though less intense, to that produced by heroin and cocaine, they say.

Research John Hoebel, a psychologist at Princeton University, and colleagues showed that rats fed a diet containing 25 per cent sugar developed withdrawal symptoms when the sugar was removed, including chattering teeth and shivering.

Cure? When the rats were given a dose of naloxone, a drug that blocks opioid receptors, the researchers noted a drop in dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens, a cluster of cells in the mid-brain linked with feelings of reward.

Addictive Jeanne Randolph, psychiatrist at the University of Toronto with an interest in obesity, said it was well known that eating fast food and sugary snacks stimulated a cycle of instant satiation followed by a plunge in blood sugar, which triggered desire for another snack.

McDonald’s In a sign of the times, McDonald’s is getting rid of the extra-large portions that had become one of its signatures. The burger giant said it has begun phasing out Supersize fries and drinks in its more than 13,000 U.S. restaurants and will stop selling them altogether by year’s end, except in promotions.

Reason? The company cited the need to trim a menu that has expanded in recent years and said eliminating super-sizing is only part of that effort.company

Diet and Depression Trying to find a diet to ease depression? Unfortunately, there's no specific diet that works for depression. No studies have been done that indicate a particular eating plan can ease symptoms of clinical depression. Still, while certain diets or foods may not ease depression (or put you instantly in a better mood), a healthy diet may help as part of an overall treatment for depression.

Calorie noun 1. Thermodynamics. a. Also called gram calorie, small calorie. an amount of heat exactly equal to joules. Abbreviation: calgram caloriesmall calorie. b. ( usually initial capital letter ) kilocalorie. Abbreviation: Calkilocalorie

Calorie cal·o·rie 2. Physiology. a. a unit equal to the kilocalorie, used to express the heat output of an organism and the fuel or energy value of food.kilocalorie b. a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy.

Surgeon General In 2009, the Surgeon General recommended that people get at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per week---30 minutes per day for at least five days per week.exercise

continued This basic level of activity is enough to improve the health of those who meet it, according to The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging. The recommended exercise quota can be met by walking, swimming, biking or even gardening.healthwalking

OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY 61% of adults in the United States were overweight or obese in Approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States may be attributable to obesity.

continued Overweight and obesity are associated with heart disease, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems, and psychological disorders, such as depression.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: WEIGHT CONTROL Physical activity contributes to weight loss, especially when it is combined with calorie reduction. Regular physical activity is extremely helpful for the prevention of overweight and obesity. Regular physical activity is very important in maintaining weight loss.

continued In addition to weight control, physical activity helps prevent heart disease, helps control cholesterol levels and diabetes, slows bone loss associated with advancing age, lowers the risk of certain cancers, and helps reduce anxiety and depression.