A balanced diet and regular physical activity are the
building blocks of good health. Poor eating habits and too
little physical activity can lead to overweight and related
health problems. By eating right and being active, you can
stay at or reach a healthy weight. Do it for yourself and
your family!
The basis of a healthy diet is eating a wide variety of
foods. Every day, you should try to eat:*
6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta. One
serving equals one slice of bread, about 1 cup of
ready-to-eat cereal, or 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or
pasta.
3 to 5 servings of vegetables. One serving equals 1 cup
of raw leafy vegetables, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables,
cooked or raw.
2 to 4 servings of fruit. One serving equals one medium
apple, banana, or orange; 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or
canned fruit; or 3/4 cup of fruit juice.
2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. One serving
equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural
cheese (such as Cheddar), or 2 ounces of processed
cheese (such as American). Choose low-fat or fat-free
products most often.
2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs,
or nuts. One serving equals 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean
meat, poultry without skin, or fish. You should eat no
more than 5 to 7 ounces per day. One half cup of cooked
dry beans, one egg, or 1/2 cup of tofu counts as 1 ounce
of meat. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of
nuts counts as 1 ounce of lean meat.
The larger number of servings is for active men. Eat a
smaller number of servings if you are a woman, inactive,
or trying to lose weight.
* Servings and serving sizes are from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture/Department of Health and Human
Services
You can not always measure your food. Here are some ways
to help you estimate serving sizes.
1/2 cup of rice or pasta = size of ice cream scoop
1 cup of salad greens = size of a baseball
1/2 cup of chopped fruit or vegetables = size of a
lightbulb
1 1/2 ounces of cheese = size of four dice
3 ounces of meat or fish = size of a deck of cards or
casette tape
2 tablespoons peanut butter = size of a ping pong ball
Tips for healthy eating
Drink plenty of water. Aim for about eight
8-ounce glasses of water each day. Fruits and vegetables
contain water and can contribute to your daily water
intake.
Eat breakfast every day.
People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat
later in the day. Breakfast also gives you energy and
helps you think and learn.
Choose whole grains more often.
Try whole wheat breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice,
or bulgur.
Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day.
Different colored vegetables provide different
nutrients. Choose dark, leafy greens such as kale,
collards, and mustard greens, and reds and oranges such
as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and tomatoes.
Choose fresh or canned fruit more often than fruit juice.
Fruit juice has little or no fiber.
Use fats and oils sparingly.
Olive, canola, and peanut oils, avocados, nuts and nut
butters, olives, and fish provide heart-healthy fat as
well as vitamins and minerals.
Eat sweets sparingly.
Limit foods and beverages that are high in added sugars.
Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand
at home, at work, or on the go, to combat hunger and
prevent overeating.
Eat three meals every day
instead of skipping meals or eating a snack instead of a
meal
Quick breakfast ideas
low-fat yogurt sprinkled with low-fat granola
oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk, or soy-based
beverage
whole wheat toast with thin spread of peanut butter
fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit, low-fat yogurt, and
juice
low-sugar cereal with soy-based beverage
Easy snack ideas
low-fat or fat-free yogurt
rice cakes
fresh or canned fruits
sliced vegetables or baby carrots
dried fruit and nut mix (no more than a small handful)
air-popped popcorn sprinkled with garlic powder or other
spices
low-sugar cereal
What is a healthy weight?
Body mass index (BMI) is one way to tell whether you are at
a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. It measures your
weight in relation to your height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is
in the healthy range. In the chart below, find your height
in the left-hand column and move across the row to find your
weight. If you are in the overweight or obese range on the
chart, you are more likely to have certain health problems.
Another way to find out if you are at risk for health
problems caused by overweight and obesity is to measure your
waist. If you are a woman and your waist is more than 35
inches, or if you are a man and your waist is more than 40
inches, your risk of disease is higher.
What are the health risks of being overweight?
Extra weight can put you at higher risk for:
type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar)
high blood pressure
heart disease and stroke
some types of cancer
sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during
sleep)
osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints)
gallbladder disease
irregular periods
problems with pregnancy such as high blood pressure or
increased risk for cesarean section (c-section)
What makes people overweight?
People gain weight when the number of calories they eat is
more than the number of calories their bodies use. Many
factors can play a part in weight gain.
Habits. Eating too many calories can become a
habit. So can choosing activities like watching TV
instead of being physically active. Over time, these
habits can lead to weight gain.
Genes. Overweight and obesity tend to run in
families. Although families often share diet and physical
activity habits that can play a role in obesity, their
shared genes increase the chance that family members will
be overweight.
Illness. Some diseases can lead to weight gain or
obesity. These include hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome,
and depression. Talk to your health care provider if you
think you have a health problem that could be causing you
to gain weight.
Medicine.Some medicines can lead to weight
gain. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist about
the side effects of any medication you are taking.
The world around you.You can find food and
messages about food at home, at work, at shopping centers,
on TV, and at family and social events. People may eat too
much just because food is always there. On top of that,
our modern world-with remote controlled televisions,
drive-in banks, and escalators-makes it easy to be
physically inactive.
Emotions. Many people eat when they are bored, sad,
angry, or stressed, even when they are not hungry.
Although you may not be able to control all the factors that
lead to overweight, you can change your eating and physical
activity habits
If you need to lose weight
Losing as little as 5 to 15 percent of your body weight over
6 months or longer can do much to improve your health. For
example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 5 percent of your
body weight means losing 10 pounds. Losing 15 percent of
your body weight means losing 30 pounds. A safe rate of
weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Try some of these ideas to support your weight loss efforts:
Keep a food diary.
Shop from a list and shop when you are not hungry.
Store foods out of sight.
Use a smaller plate with smaller servings.
Eat at the table with the TV off.
At restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the rest
home.
Take a different route if you regularly pass by a tempting
fast food place.
Expect setbacks and forgive yourself.
Seek support from family and friends.
Be realistic about weight loss goals. Aim for a slow,
modest weight loss.
Getting active
You do not have to be an athlete to benefit from regular
physical activity. Even modest amounts of physical activity
can improve your health. Start with small, specific goals
such as walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week and slowly
build up from there. Keep an activity log to track your
progress.
Try these activities to add more movement to your daily
life:
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure the
stairs are well lit.
Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe
for walking.
Park the car farther away from entrances to stores, movie
theatres, or your home.
Take a short walk around the block with family, friends,
or coworkers.
In bad weather, walk around a mall.
Rake the leaves.
Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your
family will walk for hours and not realize it.
Wash the car.
Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.
Are you ready to be even more active?
As you become more fit, slowly increase your pace, the
length of time you are active, and how often you are active.
For a well-rounded workout plan, combine aerobic activity,
muscle-strengthening exercises, and stretching. (Check with
your health care provider first if you are over 50 or have
any health problems.)
Do at least 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity
on most or all days of the week. Add muscle-strengthening
activities to your aerobic workout two to three times a
week. To reduce the risk of injury, do a slow aerobic
warm-up, then stretch before aerobic or strengthening
activities. Follow your workout with a few more minutes of
stretching. See WIN's brochure Walking-A Step in the
Right Direction for stretching exercises.
Aerobic activity is any activity that speeds up your
heart and breathing while moving your body at a regular
pace. If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to
start with easier activities such as walking at a gentle
pace. This lets you build up to more intense activity
without hurting your body.
Regular aerobic activity can help to:
Reduce weight. Aerobic activity burns calories,
which helps to reduce body fat.
Prevent heart disease and stroke.
Regular aerobic activity can strengthen your heart muscle
and lower your blood pressure. It may also help lower
cholesterol, a type of fat in your blood.
Maintain strong bones. Weight-bearing aerobic
activities that involve lifting or pushing your own body
weight, such as walking, jogging, or dancing, help to
maintain strong bones.
Improve your outlook. Aerobic exercise relieves
tension and decreases stress. As you get fit, it can help
to build confidence and improve your self-image.
Choose aerobic activities that are fun. People are more
likely to be active if they like what they are doing. It
also helps to get support from a friend or a family member.
Try one of these activities or others you enjoy:
Strengthening activities include lifting weights,
using resistance bands, and doing push-ups or sit-ups.
Besides building stronger muscles, strengthening activities
may help you to:
Use more calories. Not only does the exercise burn
calories, but having more muscle means you will burn more
calories-even when you are sitting still.
Reduce injury. Stronger muscles improve balance and
support your joints, lowering the risk of injury.
Maintain strong bones.
Doing strengthening exercises regularly helps build bone
and may prevent bone loss as you age.
Strengthening exercises should focus on working the major
muscle groups of the body, such as the chest, back, and
legs. Do exercises for each muscle group two or three times
a week. Allow at least 1 day of rest for your muscles to
recover and rebuild before another strengthening workout.
(It is safe to do aerobic activity every day.)
Be good to yourself
Many people feel stress in their daily lives. Stress can
cause you to overeat, feel tired, and not want to do
anything. Regular physical activity can give you more
energy. Try some of these other ideas to help relieve stress
and stay on track with your fitness and nutrition goals:
Get plenty of sleep.
Practice deep breathing and relaxing your muscles one at a
time.
Take a break and go for a walk.
Take short stretch breaks throughout the day.
Try taking a yoga or tai chi class to energize yourself
and reduce stress.
Try a new hobby, like a pottery class or any activity that
sparks your interest.
Surround yourself with people whose company you enjoy.
A balanced eating plan, regular physical activity, and
stress relief can help you stay healthy for life.
Tips for Adults
Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less
likely to overeat later in the day.
Choose whole grains more often. Try whole wheat breads and
pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur.
Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day. Different
colored vegetables provide different nutrients.
Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand at home, at work,
or on the go, to combat hunger and prevent overeating.
Eat three meals every day instead of skipping meals or
eating a snack instead of a meal.
Drink plenty of water. Aim for about eight 8-ounce each
day.
At restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the rest
home.
Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your
family will walk for hours and not realize it.
Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.
Get plenty of sleep.
Additional Reading
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, 2000.
Phone: 1-888-878-3256.
www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines
Exercise and Weight Control
The President's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports.
www.fitness.gov
Healthy Weight, Healthy Living
Shape Up America!
www.shapeup.org
Walking...A Step in the Right Direction
Weight-control Information Network (WIN), 2001.
Phone: 1-877-946-4627.
Additional Resources
American Dietetic Association
216 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Phone: 1-800-366-1655 or (312) 899-0040
www.eatright.org
National Diabetes Education Program
Phone: 1-800-438-5383
www.ndep.nih.gov
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Department W
200 Independence Ave., SW
Room 738-H
Washington, D.C. 20201-0004
Phone: (202) 690-9000
www.fitness.gov
Food and Nutrition Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
National Agricultural Library, Room 105
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
Phone: (301) 504-5719
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
Inclusion of resources is for information only and does
not imply endorsement by NIDDK or WIN.
The Weight-control
Information Network (WIN) is a national service of the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, which is the
Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical
research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress
(Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general public, health
professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date,
science-based health information on weight control, obesity,
physical activity, and related nutritional issues.
WIN answers inquiries,
develops and distributes publications, and works closely
with professional and patient organizations and Government
agencies to coordinate resources about weight control and
related issues.
Publications produced by WIN are carefully reviewed by both
NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This publication was
also reviewed by Roland Weinsier, M.D., Dr.P.H., Professor
and Director, Clinical Nutrition Research Center, University
of Alabama at Birmingham; Rena Wing, Ph.D., Professor of
Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University; and F.
Xavier Pi-Sunyer, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Obesity Research
Center, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center.
This e-text is not
copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this
e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
