It is well known that an unhealthy diet can lead to an overall unhealthy lifestyle, however, the combining factors of poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to obesity and illness with difficulty pinpointing the specific problem area. Recent studies that single out a molecule or specific food for being the reason of obesity do not take into account the combination of all food groups effect on the body. With focus on target dieting, individuals physical activity levels are pushed to the side and forgotten. If people stopped target dieting and practiced mindful eating of all food groups in moderation while exercising the suggested amount, weight management and wellbeing would be improved.

Within the past decade, the obesity epidemic has swept across the United States creating a cascading effect of negative consequences in peoples lives. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, being healthy is defined by being free from disease or pain while showing physical, mental, or emotional well being by evincing a healthy spirit, soul and appetite. The ideal picture of being a healthy person is not to be considered obese or with any disease while living an active lifestyle. Because of advertising, the development of processed foods, and external factors impact on eating habits, people have become overwhelmed making it harder for them to distinguish what is healthy for their bodies and what is not. With nutritionists influencing the public with new ways of eating and vouching for different diets, it has become harder for people to decipher what is really healthy and what is not. 

Dieting is a concept that is defined by reducing certain aspects of different components within a persons normal eating regime. When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining healthy eating habits, it is most important to have a well rounded, moderate diet across all food groups. This example of what is called ‘mindful eating’ is more effective than focusing on a specific molecule within a part. By having a variety of nutrients and vitamins being supplied to the body, all aspects of the different systems are being nourished adequately compared to limiting certain things through target dieting. 

In order to live a healthy lifestyle, being active and making healthy decisions with recreational free time is just as important as what you eat. It is recommended by the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA), that adults and children should be actively moving enough to burn calories and increase heart rate for at least 1 hour a day to properly manage weight fluctuation. Simple tasks and decisions can be done to complete this suggested allotted time for activity, such as, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking instead of driving. It is a personal decision to be active and disciplined to exercise just like it is to eat right. In addition to physical activity being an outside factor, environment is also has a major impact that can effect people. It has been studied that families with lower income and who live in more rural areas have a higher risk of being obese than higher income and more urban households (Strauch). This is due to fewer options within the vicinity for families to drive to to eat out, and fast food chains being the cheapest alternative to home cooked meals.

A common misconception that is present in the nutrition world that people respond to negatively given its name is fat. There are multiple types of fats that are both healthy and unhealthy to the body that serve different purposes. There are two main types of fats, ones that are essential to the body and unsaturated, and ones that are nonessential and known as saturated fatty acids. To be essential to the body means that it is incapable of naturally producing the specific lipid and therefore it must be consumed in order to be present. Unsaturated fats are able to be synthesized within the body as well as consumed meaning that they are not necessary to be included in an average diet. Trans fats are categorized as the unhealthy processed fats that should not be eaten frequently. Saturated fats include dairy, meat based products and grain concentrated desserts. It has been controversial for sometime that these types of fats were more harmful than helpful when maintaining a balanced eating regime. “Several studies suggest that eating diets high in saturated fat do not raise the risk of heart disease, with one report analyzing the findings of 21 studies that followed 350,000 people for up to 23 years.” (Harvard T.H. Chan). With research evolving and scientists using more sophisticated equipment to further analyze and draw conclusions from its effects. Like all parts of food, consuming too much of one thing is always unhealthy and will through off the balance within the body. This is a prime example of how eating a variety of foods is beneficial compared to target dieting. 

In the essay Eating Made Simple by Marion Nestle, Nestle analyzes and researches the main food groups of the ‘American diet’ and the correlation with calorie intake and the obesity epidemic. When it comes to dieting or maintaining a healthy way of eating, it is important not to focus on specific food items, and instead the entirety of the food pyramid as a whole (Nestle 374). The problem that America faces today is the incomparable amount of fast food and sugar filled beverages. These items consist of high fats and calories that throw off the balance of the well rounded and consistent diet that the food pyramid idealizes. Nestle analyses the positive and negative effects of consumption of the food groups (grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables, protein and sugar) and supports a diet filled with saturated Omega3 fatty acids, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The essay states, “Nutrition science seems puzzling because researchers typically examine single nutrients detached from food itself, foods separate from diets, and risk factors apart from other behaviors” (Nestle). This quote further supports the claim of reevaluating food as a whole and being able to generalize a food group and not single out specific items correlation with a healthier well being. A large debate within the food industry is whether or not dairy is a necessity for a healthy diet. Nutritionalist Walter Willet argues that diets contain enough calcium to replace any loss and maintain healthy bone strength without specifically creating a dairy category in the food pyramid. On the contrary to dairy foods not being specifically required, there are no proven negative side effects to including dairy products in a diet.

In addition to calorie intake and food being a factor to health and body mass index (BMI), outside factors and overlooked decisions that may not necessarily seem to be connected with nutrition can have a relatively large impact on lifestyle. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, an article published by Walter Willet, a nutritionalist suggests that in young children and adults, the amount of activity per day and the amount of time watching television strongly effects the risk of obesity. The nutritionalist writes, “Television watching is a strong obesity risk factor…exposure to food and beverage advertising can influence what people eat” (Willet). What Willet is inferring from this quote is that on a subconscious level people are more likely to eat what they have been most exposed to. Effects of diets are also modulated by genetics but in a lesser degree than some would like to believe. Other reasons of dieting include education and income levels, job satisfaction, physical fitness, and the use of cigarettes and alcohol. Cigarettes effect the overall health of the respiratory system and the process of preforming physical activities is diminished. Without this performance there is no way to reset the bodies calorie count and burn off excessive fat. Alcohol consumption negatively impacts the bodies ability to properly filter and dilute substances through the kidneys and liver because of the excessive amount of toxins that need to be removed (Willet). With these lifestyle choices, some can argue that even with a healthy diet and diversity among the food groups obesity can still protrude and be a serious risk factor. 

In a constantly changing society with new amounts of research being put forth by different specialists, dieting and finding an achievable goal of a healthy life can be strenuous and difficult. In order to progress and create an overall healthier America it is crucial for nutritionists to look at the bigger picture. Looking at the combined factors rather than the small components of dieting can help improve those that inhabit our world.

With all the stresses and outside factors that already contribute to obesity, being mindful about eating and creating healthy habits is extremely important to live a healthy lifestyle. The human body was created to consume a complex variety of things that all serve different purposes and have different roles in maintaining balance among all food groups and their nutrients. Reducing what the body is capable and necessary for it to eat is what leads to negative consequences down the road compared to monitored controlled eating. It is time to stop blaming specific molecules and parts of the human diet and begin to adjust the amounts and factors that contribute to being the definition of healthy. 
