Diet Food

Ideally, there should only be three sizes in women’s clothing: small, medium and large; however, since models and famous personalities started sporting the skin-and-bones look as the latest fashion trend and fashion designers designed clothes that would look best on women of size zero, a new generation of women’s sizes in retail were born; thus, XS became the new small, small became the new medium and medium, large and extra-large sizes became synonymous to mortal sin for women. And since then, women have declared war with their bodies and sadly, food has been mortal enemy number one. Food manufacturers and businessmen were quick to notice and ride this new wave and soon the quest for the ultimate diet food---theoretically, something that is as tasty as a Double Quarter Pounder without all the calories---began.
Diet foods are the food items that usually have the terms: free, less, light, low and reduced attached to their labels. Are these foods the much awaited messiah for all women out there fighting the bulge? Well, think again! As much as we would like to believe the manufacturer’s promise of their product becoming our new best friend, studies have shown that most diet foods instead of helping you lose weight may make you gain unwanted pounds and lead to certain health risks. Take the case of your ever friendly and reliable, diet soda. Aspartame, the sugar substitute used as the main ingredient for sugar free drinks, actually induce weight gain as well as lead to certain health complications. According to Dr. Whitaker in his March 2000 article, statistics during the mid 1980s reflected that the number of obese Americans has risen to 54% which coincides with the massive infusion of non-caloric chemical sweeteners and sugar-free “diet” foods that are eaten by close to three-quarters of the adult population. Since aspartame, the main sugar substitute in diet sodas, entered the market in l981, it has accounted for more than 75 percent of the complaints reported in the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame are headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems. This cluster of symptoms has become so common that it is actually referred to as “aspartame disease”. In Dr. John W. Olney’s (Washington University Medical School in St. Louis) article published in The Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, it can be found that Dr. Olney had findings which showed that aspartame has cancer-causing potential that is related to the rise of malignant brain tumors.
Also, the terms free, less, light, low and reduced attached to food labels may deceive you into thinking that these foods are good for your body. In truth, these ‘add-ons’ to the labels may trick you into over indulging in a food item, which also leads to weight gain. Also, since diet foods normally lack the flavor that ‘real’ food has, our bodies tend to want more in order for it to be satisfied. This tendency, leads you to eat more that you should so you pile on in calories.
In reality, nutritionists have advised that in order to become fit and fabulous, nothing beats a good old fashioned workout at the gym and a proper diet. It is best to avoid these diet foods and patronize the ‘real’ food like --- whole grains, oats, cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, because your body will be able to get the proper nutrients that it needs in less amounts. Eating whole meals when you’re hungry and cutting on snack time, is a less insane alternative to starvation diets and misleading diet foods. It may sound cliché and overused but, it is always better to eat a little of everything, as long as it is done in moderation. I have personally tested that one teaspoon of real peanut butter is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth compared to two to three teaspoons of the fat free version.
So for those still addicted to diet foods out there, here’s a tip: go a head and have that barbeque with rice that you’ve been craving for! Your body just might thank you for it. ♦