Your Weight & the Big 3: Calories, Fat & Exercise

Your Weight & the Big 3: Calories, Fat & Exercise

With all the recent emphasis on the importance of watching fat in our diet, it didn't take long for food manufacturers to catch on that we are suckers for anything -- as long as it has no fat. We got fat-free ice cream, baked tortilla chips, muffins, reduced-fat cookies and more. But in 1986 the average weight of Americans ages 25 to 30 was 161 pounds, and in 1996 it was 171. One-third of Americans are considered overweight, and extra calories from nonfat sources is undoubtedly a factor.

So perhaps the message that eating less fat automatically leads to weight control was only a partial truth. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, so eating less of it will trim calories, but a large bowl of nonfat frozen yogurt may have the same number of calories as a full-fat chocolate brownie. And total calories is what ultimately matters.

The latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that adults increased their caloric intake from 1,969 calories in 1978 to 2,200 in 1990. Simultaneously, a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that fat consumption dropped from 40 percent of calories in 1978 to 33 percent in 1995. You may choose 90 calories of fat-free honey over a 50-calorie pat of butter on your toast, but extra calories will still end up plumping up your fat cells. Foods that are naturally low in fat, such as fruits, vegetables and grains, also tend to be low in calories. But that's not always true for foods manufactured to be low-fat. To make up for lost taste and texture, manufacturers often compensate by adding extra sugar or protein -- calories that might not be there in a higher-fat counterpart.

With these surveys in, it's likely that consumers will be paying more attention to calorie intake -- which brings up the problem of our tendency to focus on one issue at a time, myopically avoiding one or two "bad" foods (e.g. fat or saturated fat) without considering vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. Highly engineered foods full of fat replacers and bulking agents may contain fewer calories and fewer grams of fat, but in many cases they also contain dangerously low levels of beneficial nutrients. Good nutrition is more than counting calories and cutting fat.

Of course, extra calories isn't the only concern with Americans' weight problems. Only 40 percent of Americans exercise regularly. Between 1985 and 1990 there was a 10 percent decline in sports participation. Manufacturing jobs are declining, and fewer people move around at work. We watch more television than ever before and use our cars more. There's even a decrease in physical education classes in schools. We have too much food and move around too little, and those two factors are hard to change.

But with some knowledge, motivation and a healthy attitude, it is possible to chip away at those bad habits.

Become aware of the calorie content of the foods you eat. To find the calories in almost any food, search the USDA nutrient database.
Continue to keep fat intake to less than 30 percent of calories.
Do whatever it takes to make exercise a priority in your daily routine. It's as important as brushing your teeth.
Become familiar with the calorie-burning potential of different activities:

Calories and exercise:

Calories burned per 10 minutes

Activity	125 pounds	170 pounds
High-intensity aerobics	95	135
Cycling, nine miles per hour	55	75
Walking, three-and-a-half miles per hour	45	60
Running, nine minutes per mile	110	150
Cross-country skiing	85	125
Stair machine	90	120
Step aerobics	50	65
Swimming	95	130
Tennis (singles)	60	80
Weight training	45	60
Gardening	40	60
Sitting, reading or watching television	10	15
Standing	20	30

Remember: To maintain your weight, calories ingested must equal calories expended. One pound of body fat = 3,500 calories. Those simple facts should help you figure how much you need to eat to gain or lose weight and how much exercise you need.