America

I'm planning on writing a three part blog piece on The United States on my personal blog Here Lies Patrick later this week, but I wanted to get my thoughts out there about the state of health and eating in my home country while it's still fresh in my mind.

I've seen a lot of people work their way through the PCP and have noticed that people based in America have a harder time than others shedding fat and getting over that last hump, the final body changes that make the difference between a "not bad!" physique and a "wow" physique.

I've thought about this for months, and wanted to use this trip to the States to confirm some of my theories. Here is what I've come up with.

1 . In the US, you are punished for small slip-ups.

Anyone working towards peak condition will be watching their diet closely. But we're all human, there will be times when you simply HAVE to have something sweet, or you're on a road trip and have to get a snack at a gas-station, or you go out to eat with friends. In Japan, for example, I love to have manju as a treat when I'm craving something sweet. Manju is a thinly breaded dumpling with sweet bean paste in the middle. They usually come individually wrapped so I'll have one or two and feel satisfied. Manju is nothing but sugar and flour and rice, and definitely not a good choice if you're trying to stick to a diet.

However, in the US, when someone slips-up and veers off-diet the choices are much more damaging. Because this country has perfected the art of squeezing the maximum amount of sugars and calories into a small amount of food, what seems like a small treat is actually adding 30% more fat to your diet that day. And the worst part is that because these treats are made up of artificial ingredients (HFCS and its ilk) your body doesn't recognize that it's been fed and tends to crave more. So, a Japan based PCPer will be able to get away with a few slip-ups without a problem, but US based PCPers will be punished for the smallest mistakes.

2. Cars and Distance

I was talking to my aunt about her troubles keeping weight off despite having an active life and good diet. I brought up the point that, like most Americans, she spends a lot of time driving around her sprawling town and between cities.

Driving is a tricky thing. Let's imagine that, as she did, you take a two hour drive to go see a family member in a "nearby" town. You get there, meet your nephew, have lunch, catch up on the latest, do some errands in town, and drive back home. You would say, "Whew, that was a pretty busy day," right?

However, from your body's perspective you sat completely still for 4-5 hours as you drove and ate lunch. Imagine sitting on your sofa for four hours in a single day. You'd feel like a lazy slob. And yet people do the equivalent in their cars week after week, year after year. The tough thing is that you feel tired, driving requires an enormous amount of mental exertion and unflagging attention, but physically, you've had zero exercise. This will really catch up to people.

3. The Nutrition Facts label has backfired

If you buy anything in North America you will be familiar with this chart.
It seems like a good idea, an easy way for consumers to get a rough idea of what percent of fat, carbs, and nutrients are in their food. However, people are misunderstanding the Nutrition Facts label in several serious ways.

a) Based on a 2000 calorie diet

2000 calories is actually quite a lot. It's an average based on an already overweight American population. It will apply to only the tallest of women. It's how much a muscular man of regular height would eat to maintain his weight. And yet people who are overweight and lacking muscle will think they've had a good day if they hit the 100% marks on the Nutrition Facts. This is sheer folly.

b) Serving Size

I've noticed that the serving size from which the percentages are derived are hardly ever what anyone eats. 1 tablespoon of salad dressing? When is the last time you put a tablespoon of salad dressing on a salad? The manufacturers are well aware of this, but they choose a serving size that keeps the percentages low so that at a quick glance it doesn't look so bad for you.

c) The Salt Percentage is whack

Often the salt content isn't even given a percentage, it will just say something like "Sodium, 150 mg", but when it is, still beware. The US RDA of salt is 2,400 mg. This is an insane number. The American Heart Association recommends 1000 mg a day. I think even that is too much. But here is the real insanity:

The average American consumes 3000-4000 mg of salt a day. Eating that much salt will give you the red, puffy look that almost all Americans have. It will wear down your heart and kill you before your time. It is the single most overeaten substance in the US diet.

So let's add this all up. I'm looking at a bag of Double Stuff Oreos, Cool Mint Creme © that my Grandfather had in his house. The Nutrition Facts says that these are 11% or my daily fat and 5% of my daily sodium. Doesn't sound too bad for a little treat right? But when I factor in that my daily calorie intake should actually be 1500 calories, my salt the 1000mg that the AHA recommends, and that I will actually have 4 cookies, not the serving size of two cookies, the picture looks different. My little indulgence will come out to around 30% of my daily fat, and a whopping 35% of my daily salt. And that's from FOUR OREO COOKIES. Is it any wonder that for every 4 Americans, 2 are overweight and 1 in 4 is obese?

I teach people healthy lifestyles for a living, and even I get tripped up in America. I've gained a good 2-3 pounds of fat in my two weeks here. What chance does a regular person dealing with a job and kids have? Things have to change.

These are just my first thoughts on this, I'll be sharing more later. My last word is that if you are in America and trying to be healthy, consider yourself behind enemy lines. You will have to work harder and have stronger willpower than anyone else. The whole culture is working against you. Good luck.