Preventing Obesity

Preventing obesity in today's fast food and junk food environment is tough. But by being aware of what's in the foods you buy and making smart choices, you can manage to avoid joining the ranks of the obese. If you are already overweight or obese, you can use your knowledge and awareness to make better choices and lose the weight.

Eating foods as close to their natural state is an important part of any weight management strategy. Colorful foods, foods that are high in fiber and foods that contain healthy unsaturated fats must become a part of your daily diet.

On the other hand, you must reduce your intake of foods that are high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans fats. This will be hard to do if these are the foods you are accustomed to. The good news is, you have a choice. You can continue to eat the junk that leads to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and daily aches and pains, or you can decide to give your body what it needs for lasting health.
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March is National Nutrition Month and the American Dietetic Association wants you to celebrate this month by adding more colorful foods to your meals.
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If you would like help planning healthy meals and snacks, talk to a registered dietitians. You can find a registered dietitian by visiting www.eatright.org, the American Dietetic Association website and searching to find a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are the healthcare professionals most trained and qualified to assist in meal planning, weight management and other diet-related issues.

Becoming a Registered Dietitian

Overview
Registered dietitians are the healthcare professionals most trained, experienced and qualified to help people make healthy food choices. To become a registered dietitian, you have to undergo rigorous training in the biological, chemical and physical sciences, math, business management, education, psychology, food, and culture. That's the short list. You will also have to take a series of courses in food composition, food preparation, human nutrition and related subjects.

Training

If you plan to enter the field of nutrition and dietetics, be prepared to tackle the tough courses in order to receive your bachelor's degree. Upon completion of the bachelor's program, you will have to complete a dietetic internship at a hospital. This may include rounds in public health. schools, and the food industry. Some programs allow you to complete your degree program and dietetic internship at the same time (concurrently).

Certification

After you've completed your studies and the dietetic internship, you can now be called a dietitian. However, more and more institutions, especially hospitals, are requiring you to go one step further in order to be employed as a dietitian. They are looking for RD's. What's an RD, you might ask.

RD stands for registered dietitian. That's one who has taken a comprehensive, qualifying exam and passed it. In addition to having the credential as a registered dietitian, most states now regulate the practice of dietetics by requiring anyone practicing as a dietitian to be licensed with the appropriate state licensing board. 

The Commission on Dietetic Registration is the agency of the American Dietetic Registration that handles credentialing.

Jobs in Dietetics
Most registered dietitians work in hospitals, but the field of opportunities is wide open. To become a public health nutritionist, a master’s degree in public health or nutrition is generally required. Public health nutritionists work in clinics with patients who have diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other chronic diseases. 

Many public health nutritionists work with WIC (Women, Infants and Children) programs across the country.  School lunch is another area where you would find opportunities to work in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

More and more dietitians are choosing to become entrepreneurs, setting up their own practice in whatever area of emphasis they have a passion for. Others are creating and working for nonprofit organizations. These organizations serve children in Head Start, after school programs, parent organizations and other groups. Consulting for major food and pharmaceutical corporations, college teaching are yet other areas where you might work as a registered dietitian.

Next: Compensation and other things you should know about being a registered dietitian

4 Reasons Why You Should Lose Weight Now

Overview

Obesity is a problem of mammoth proportion in the US and fast becoming the trend across the globe. Unfortunately, it can lead to a number of serious health problems. In some cases, these problems could be life threatening. What might seem like just a little extra weight around the waistline could actually signal a firestorm of health problems raging on the inside. As the rate of obesity continues to climb, you can expect the health problems to escalate, as well. But it doesn’t have to happen that way. Losing weight can reverse a great deal of the health problems associated with being overweight or obese. 

Here are 4 good reasons why you should lose weight now: 
1. Cardiovascular disease. Obesity can lead to cardiovascular disease. Studies show that people who are obese are more likely than others to have plaque buildup in their arteries. The buildup of this waxy substance can result in narrowing of your arteries, causing your heart to work harder, and ultimately cause a heart attack or stroke. Losing weight can prevent or slow the progression of cardiovascular disease.

2. Diabetes. Obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes. The massive amount of fat in your body interferes with your body’s ability to use insulin effectively. As a result, sugar builds up in your blood instead of being moved into the cells. Too much sugar in the blood can cause inflammation in the blood vessels and lead to damage to a number of important organs, including the eyes and kidneys. Losing weight can improve blood glucose levels and slow or reverse damage caused by high blood sugar.

3. High blood pressure. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure. If you are obese, it means that you are carrying around a greater load than your body can comfortably manage. It means more blood must be pumped to the vital organs. Getting this job done means that the heart and blood vessels must work harder. This extra work leads to increased tension in the walls of the blood vessels, which often results in hypertension or high blood pressure. Losing weight can reduce the strain on the blood vessels and reduce may reduce your blood pressure.

4. Sadness and depression. Obesity can lead to sadness and depression. If you are overweight or obese, you probably know from experience that it could be really hard to do the fun things you want to do. Instead of living a full, active life, you may turn to food for comfort, perpetuating a cycle of sadness and depression. Losing weight can help to ease the sadness and depression associated with obesity, and allow you to get your life back! 

Clearly, obesity is not just about how you look or what size clothes you wear. It could be disastrous to your health in so many ways. It can literally rob you of the joy of living. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can lose weight, improve your health and get back in the game of living. If you need help, talk to a registered dietitian. You can find one in your area by going to the American Dietetic Association website at www.eatright.org and clicking on the link to “Find a dietitian.”