… the 4 Common foods that cause obesity and their healthier alternatives.
Weight loss is a popular topic of discussion particularly in the U.K. and U.S.A. due to their obesity problem. However when people think of the word “obese”, the number one country that comes to mind is America. The statistics prove that at least 33% of Americans are obese so you really can’t blame these people for thinking America is a really fat country.
Why is obesity a problem in the U.S.? There are many factors to consider but a large chunk of it is due to the food they consume which mostly consist of empty calories with ingredients that are sometimes too difficult to read. Many say it’s because of the way food is marketed where natural and healthy food costs more than three times as much as cheap/processed food. With virtually everything else getting much more expensive on a daily basis, you can’t blame them if they’d rather eat burger, fries, and a can of diet soda than one serving of fresh vegetable salad for the same price. You really can’t blame them if they opt to buy diet pills for weight loss.
If you want to avoid the kind of food that makes people too fat for their own good, here is our list of the 4 common foods that cause obesity.
- Sugar
Topping our list is the one most fitness buffs consider poison. Multiple studies cite sugar consumption to be the number one cause of unhealthy weight gain. Sugar is a staple ingredient in most processed food which means you’re often consuming more than your fair share but you’re just not aware of it. You can blame it on how it “provides” empty calories which makes you consume more than your should and how most readily accessible (and cheap) food items in the groceries all have a good serving of sugar.
Solution: Lay off the extra sugar. As mentioned, you’re already eating and drinking too much “added” sugar anyway so there’s no reason for you eat anymore.
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White Bread
White bread is a staple food. It can be made cheap and plenty of foods go well with it. It fills you but the fact that it has a lot of calories compared to the nutrients you’re getting means you’re just eating to get filled and that’s it. You don’t get much nutritional benefits from eating white bread and for 80 calories per slice, that’s a bad deal.
Solution: If you can’t resist eating bread, try the whole grain breads with short ingredients lists. Not only will this be deprived of most additives but you’ll also be getting more nutrients and fiber.
- Margarine
Margarine is made with hydrogenated fat which are highly toxic and is actually associated with heart disease. On a 100 g base, margarine has around 15 g trans-fat compared to butter which only has about 3 g which effectively makes margarine consumers 5 times more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases than those who eat butter.
Solution: Stick to butter. Butter, especially grass-fed butter, has a lot more to give you than margarine. Not to mention how they’re similar when it comes to calories only margarine is really not good you to begin with.
- Crisps
Crisps are popular for their taste, variety, and their portability. They’re also (in)famous for causing people to gain unhealthy weight. Most people assume eating potato chips will give them the benefits of eating potatoes but the truth couldn’t be any farther. Unfortunately, at least 85% eat crisps every day and that means 8 out of 10 people are eating empty calories on a daily basis.
For the most part, the only thing crisps (and other junk food) have done to the world is make people aware of the healthier and natural alternatives around them a.k.a. real, whole food. No matter how many times commercials or labels tell you how “healthy” they are, they’re not. Nothing beats the real thing.
Solution: Eat real potatoes instead. If you really got to have crisps, you can choose to bake them or cut them in thin slices THEN fry them. At least you know exactly what went with your potatoes i.e. no preservatives.
Conclusion
Obesity is no laughing matter. With the way foods are processed and marketed, the world will be filled with people suffering from unhealthy weight gain sooner than we all think. The 4 common foods listed above are only a handful of the many foods that cause obesity so it would be good if you watch out for those the next time you buy your groceries. Remember to always be vigilant when it comes to our #health.
