It's Not About Less, It's About More....

After years of failed dieting, Americans are turning toward eating more of the foods that are good for them and less of the foods that cause health and weight problems. The number of people dieting is on the decline and while this could point to a growing weight problem, experts see more and more people choosing to add healthy food, including organic food, to their diets.

Many Americans have found that consuming so-called "diet" foods have not helped their waistline or their health. Full of chemical additives, many of the artificially flavored foods tend to spur the appetite without leaving you feeling satisfied.

According to an article in the NY Times on 9/18/08 (see link, below): "Last year, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on a study of 97 obese women, all of whom were avoiding high-fat foods. Half the women were instructed to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. By the end of a year, the women who were focused on adding vegetables lost an average of 17 pounds, 20 percent more than the women who were just paying attention to fat consumption."

While I'm not privy to the scientific assumptions they made, I do know that part of the solution seems psychological. Telling someone to ADD food to their diet is much more motivating than telling them to REMOVE food from their diet. Maybe that simple mindset of adding more good food is what it takes to tip the balance for some folks.

Regardless, there's a trend away from dieting and toward healthy eating and that's a good thing.

Tell me what you think. Click the Comments link and join in the discussion.

NY Times article by Tara Parker-Pope "Instead of Eating to Diet, They're Eating To Enjoy"